Jazz Articles about Ron Thomas

Ron Thomas Quartet: The House of Counted Days

by Dan McClenaghan
February 9, 2003

Pianist Ron Thomas leads a quartet with a trumpeter (John Swana) out front on The House of Counted Days, and two things jump out: an obvious Miles Davis influence, and some striking originality.The opener, “Fancy of Fate," pushes you off balance. An oddly percussive workout, jaunty, ebullient, crisp; and the frame of reference is anybody's guess. Bassist Tony Marino works that big fat rubber band thing (four of them) on upright--muscular, with gorgeous sustaining power--while trumpeter Swana bites ...