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Thomas Marriott: Romance Language
Trumpeter Thomas Marriott has established his jazz credentials over the years through a collection of beautifully inspired and well received albums on the Origin Records label. His formidable chops, extensive vocabulary, respect for tradition and penchant for musical adventurism has put him into the conversation concerning the top practitioners of his instrument in modern times. Marriott has the rare ability to look deeply into the matter at hand, whether it be through interpretation of classic repertoire, or performing his deeply ...
read moreThomas Marriott: Romance Language
Trumpeter Thomas Marriott moved back to Seattle after the requisite New York stint, where he worked with Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau band, the Chico O'Farrill Orchestra, and vibraphonist Joe Locke. Back on west coast home ground, he connected with the Seattle-based Origin Records, where he released ten top-notch albums as a leader, including Individuation (2005), Crazy: The Music Of Willie Nelson (2008)Constraints and Liberations (2010), and East West Trumpet Summit (2010), a teaming with fellow trumpeter Ray Vega.
read moreThomas Marriott: Balance in Life and Music
If one should by chance be curious of what is happening with jazz in the city of Seattle, and the Pacific Northwest, one would do well to check out what trumpeter Thomas Marriott is up to. Thomas has established himself as one the most exciting artists to emerge on the national jazz scene in the past decade, in part by releasing eleven albums as a leader on the Origin Records label, and with his riveting live performances on stage with ...
read moreTula's Jazz Club: A Seattle Tradition in the Making
Life in the Pacific Northwest is hauntingly similar to jazz music itself, from that which is inward, deep in the recesses of our collective soul, to the outward expressionism as a ray of sunlight, an exaltation of joy, harmony expressed in the deep, deep blue of sentient life, and of our enlightened sky. High notes expressed in tall mountain peaks, deep tones expressed by deep, dark waters, all while Tahoma sits like Buddha, the near autumn clouds acting as a ...
read moreRay Vega & Thomas Marriott: Return of the East-West Trumpet Summit
Seattle-based trumpeter Thomas Marriott plays well with electricity. Specifically, with the Hammond B3 organ. The most memorable of his now nine CDs on Origin Records feature either the Hammond B3 or some serious Moog synthesier/Fender Rhodes work: Crazy: The Music of Willie Nelson (2007 ), with Ryan Burns on electric keys; Human Spirit (2009), featuring Gary Versace on B3; and now Return of the East-West Summit, with the versatile George Colligan sitting in on the Hammond B3, and Marriott's mentor, ...
read moreThomas Marriott: Urban Folklore
Nothing has hit quite as hard as recent music from the trio of pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Eric Revis and Drummer Donald Edwards. The three musicians seek out (or probably are sought by) collaborators of equal weight and energy. It is not surprising that this recording of nine compositions, led by trumpeter and Seattle native Thomas Marriott, is a knockout from the opening number. Urban Folklore is Marriott's ninth as leader, and follows Dialogue (Origin Records, 2012) a ...
read moreThomas Marriott: Constraints & Liberations
Listening to Thomas Marriott's Constraints & Liberations, two things are abundantly clear: Marriott spent some serious time studying Miles Davis' second great quintet; and, his own voice on trumpet is developed well enough to make it sound like a strong, easily recognizable influence, but not plagiarism. Naturally, favorable comparison to the one of the greatest standing outfits in the history of jazz is intended as a compliment. The record has a moderate, ocean wave-like pace, but with ...
read moreThomas Marriott: Constraints and Liberations
Trumpeter Thomas Marriott keeps growing as an artist. He has released CDs at a healthy pace since 2005: an introduction for many perhaps unwary jazz fans to some warped country western flavor on Crazy: The Music of Willie Nelson (Origin Records, 2008); cranking an all-star quintet up in a modern mainstream mode on Flexicon (Origin Records, 2009); and letting it rip on a two-trumpet blow fest with fellow brass man Ray Vega on East-West Trumpet Summit (Origin Records, 2010). Constraints ...
read moreThomas Marriott: Flexicon
If Seattle, Washington-based Origin Records can be said to have a signature sound, trumpeter Thomas Marriott's Flexicon could be picked as an example. The music is mainstream, with two horns and a rhythm section, polished up and modernized with a nice edge, some luminous Fender Rhodes, a solid-yet-adventurous bassist, and a top notch, push-the-tradition-forward drummer. And everything small and large that the drummer does can be heard. Additionally, Joe Locke is featured on vibes on a couple of tunes.
read moreThomas Marriott: Crazy: The Music of Willie Nelson
If you want to put your music into compartments, it might be hard to cozy up to a “jazz" CD getting tight with the tunes of “country" icon Willie Nelson. But smart music lovers throw the labels down the man hole, and maybe remember that none other than Miles Davis counted himself a Nelson fan--check out the six takes of the tune “Willie Nelson" on The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions (Columbia Records, 2003) boxed set.Enter trumpeter/flugelhornist Thomas Marriott, ...
read moreThomas Marriott: Crazy: The Music of Willie Nelson
Crazy: The Music of Willie Nelson goes above and beyond the confines of mere adulation for an American music icon. Seattle-based trumpeter Thomas Marriott creates a conceptual sonic flow, harnessing energy from the melodic and rhythmic legacy of some of Nelson's well known and not-so-well-known gems. For the bulk of the session Marriott is supported by a stellar crew of like-minded risk takers, including saxophonist Mark Taylor, keyboardist Ryan Burns, bassist Geoff Harper and drummer Matt Jorgensen.
The disc traverses ...
read moreMarriott/Anschell/Johnson/Bishop: The Cool Season: An Origin Holiday Collection, Vol. 2
With no shortage of holiday music blasting through shopping malls and restaurants this time of year, it's easy to understand why some might want to escape the incessant bombardment of the overdone and out-of-date. If one looks hard enough, however, hope for Christmas music burnout can be found. One place to look is Origin Records' The Cool Season: An Origin Holiday Collection, Vol. 2. With fresh and swinging vitality, trumpeter Thomas Marriott, pianist Bill Anschell, bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer ...
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