While the Gate Is Open
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
While the Gate Is Open is the fourth album by saxophonist Gary Thomas which was recorded in 1990 and released on the JMT label.[1][2] It features Thomas' interpretations of eight jazz standards.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Guardian | [4] |
The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow states, "Thomas gives the eight tunes fresh treatments and as usual avoids all clichés (and the logic of bop) in his explorative improvisations."[3] The Guardian's John Fordham noted "This one features the hard-nosed Miles Davis saxophonist Gary Thomas with a fiercely collaborative band of experts... There's a lot of full-on tenor sax blasting over ferocious percussion barrages... The saxophonist's tendency to spit out phrases rather than massage them into life gives his work a rather impassive quality that mellowed later".[4]
Track listing
- "Strode Rode" (Sonny Rollins) - 8:06
- "Star Eyes" (Gene de Paul, Don Raye) - 7:27
- "You Stepped Out of a Dream" (Nacio Herb Brown, Gus Kahn) - 7:58
- "The Song Is You" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) - 7:31
- "Invitation" (Bronisław Kaper, Paul Francis Webster) - 10:00
- "Chelsea Bridge" (Billy Strayhorn) - 5:38
- "On the Trail" (Ferde Grofé) - 6:47
- "Epistrophy" (Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke) - 5:39
Personnel
- Gary Thomas - tenor saxophone, flute
- Kevin Eubanks - electric guitar (tracks 1, 5, 6 & 8)
- Renee Rosnes - synthesizer, piano (tracks 2, 3 & 8)
- Anthony Cox (tracks 4, 5, 7 & 8), Dave Holland (tracks 1-3 & 6) - bass
- Dennis Chambers - drums (tracks 1-5, 7 & 8)
References
- ^ Peabody Institute Staff Profie: Gary Thomas, accessed November 17, 2014
- ^ Shimada, T., JMT label discography, accessed November 14, 2014
- ^ a b Yanow, S., Allmusic Review accessed November 17, 2014
- ^ a b Fordham, J. The Guardian Review, October 31, 2003