Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Dan Thomas Quintet: City Scope

207

The Dan Thomas Quintet: City Scope

By

Sign in to view read count
The Dan Thomas Quintet: City Scope
City Scope is the debut album as leader for Dan Thomas, a Canadian-born saxophonist who now lives in Kansas City, MO. His talents as player and composer are lavishly praised in the liner notes by friend and colleague Bobby Watson, whose influence is readily apparent in Thomas’s music, especially in his approach to the alto sax, wherein Thomas borrows a few of Watson’s licks but avoids sounding like a carbon copy of his better-known comrade. Other likely role models who spring to mind include Kenny Garrett, Antonio Hart, Vincent Herring and Greg Abate. Thomas plays alto on seven selections, soprano on drummer Jim Eriksen’s “Sertan to Amsterdam” and “Ernastine” and his own “Life with Nedaj” and “Upbeat & Busted.”

The largely bop-based program is comprised solely of original compositions, eight by Thomas, the other three by Eriksen. The time-keeper, a transplanted Chicagoan, is an accomplished musician, as are the other members of the quintet—trumpeter Joe Parisi, pianist Roger Wilder and bassist Bram Wijnands. As for Thomas, he validates his credentials from the outset with an earnest soprano solo on “Sertan,” then reinforces them by solidly nailing every other shot, whether on alto or soprano. Parisi is an able sidekick, soloing with assurance on every track but “Ernastine,” on which the quintet is pared to a quartet, and Wilder is consistently brilliant when given an opportunity to shine, as he is on a number of occasions.

Although unfamiliar, the music is quite pleasant and well-written with enough variation in mood and tempo to nourish almost anyone’s interest. If I am partial to the burners (“Wablin’,” “City Scope”), that’s only because I grew up listening to Bird, Diz, Clifford, the Messengers and other exponents of chops-busting calisthenics, not because anything else on offer is less than agreeable. In fact, there are pleasures of many stripes from blues (“For BooDee”) to ballad (“Silent Summer Storm”), gospel (“Upbeat & Busted”) to Latin (“Life with Nedaj”) and even a hint of the Middle East on “Temple of Faith.” In sum, an absorbing discourse among five talented musicians with many provocative things to say.

Track Listing

Sertan to Amsterdam; Green Card; Temple of Faith; Leading the Blind; City Scope; Silent Summer Storm; Blues for BooDee; Ernastine; Life with Nedaj; Wablin

Personnel

Dan Thomas
saxophone

Dan Thomas, alto, soprano saxophone; Joe Parisi (1-7, 9-11), trumpet; Roger Wilder, piano; Bram Wijnands, bass; Jim Eriksen, drums.

Album information

Title: City Scope | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Independent Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.