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"Thomas is one of the modern classicists who can Miles one moment
and Brownie the next, without missing a beat or sounding strained
in the transition. His strong tone and facility combine with marvelously
inventive solo ideas".
Joseph Murphy ... Earshot Jazz
"Whether on tenor or trumpet, Thomas gets a gorgeous sound out
of the instrument. He'll blow a thrashing tenor in a wild, up-tempo
Latin number, only to slow it to a soulful ballad enhanced by a
lush-toned solo on muted trumpet. Thomas can play a sweet flute
to brighten any song".
Deborah Lee ... Jazzscene, Jazz Society of Oregon
"Featured artist Jay Thomas -and he really is an artist- blew
up storms and some suave sounds, on both his trumpet and tenor saxophone.
Based in the Pacific Northwest, Thomas is a versatile musician in
a variety of styles.... Thomas was as virtuosic as he was winning".
Harvey Hess .. Cedar Falls Sentinel
"That the sideman often seems as important as their leader is
a comment on Thomas' ability to unite diverse players through precise
musicianship and an understated musical ego. As one player commented,
"Playing with Jay is like having musical superglue. He binds the
music together because he hears so well and is always willing to
bend to make the music work"...Again it comes back to history. "'I've
been lucky. Through no fault or merit of my own I've heen exposed
to a lot of things that have shaped my style, " Thomas states. "that's
my strength; I'm adaptable to the music".
Joseph Murphy ... Jazz Now
"Thomas' work is full-bodied, direct, precise and very clean
....Lyrical playing style.... sense of theme, root and melody".
Chris Lunn ... Victory Music Review
"Jay Thomas is one of my favorite musicians. He is one of the
most natural sounding improvisers I have heard and he's always in
tune, in time and in the chords, while remaining creative and emotionally
convincing. When Jay plays, all else disappears.
Chuck Israels, musician
... Jazz Player magazine "Good review" Swing Journal, Tokyo,
Japan "Jay can play with anyone " Zoot Sims ...musician "He loves
blues, bop and ballads, but he navigates this territory with a fresh
set of ears - nothing sounds hackneyed....as a leader Thomas also
has the knack of giving tunes an unexpected twist .... David Dupont
....Cadence
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