CHS music teacher to release 1st solo album
By Jay Turner
Brian Thomas is set to take the next step in his musical journey with the release of ‘On the Bone’ December 30.
This story originally appeared in the December 15 edition of the Citizen.
Veteran Canton High School band/orchestra leader and accomplished trombonist and composer Brian Thomas is thrilled to announce the release of his first album as a solo artist, On the Bone, which is due out later this month.
The album features five “groovy soul jazz compositions” backed by a handpicked crew of musicians, including Darby Wolf on hammond organ, Johnny Trama on guitar, Tom Arey on drums, and Yahubu Garcia-Torres on percussion. “They have all spent their lives studying and performing roots, blues, jazz and soul music with the best in the business,” noted Thomas. “Each song on the album delivers a deep groove, funky pocket and space for each musician to share their voice.”
The album also features Los Angeles-based saxophonist Scott Mayo on a tune called “Turn On” composed by the late Roger Eckers, a woodwind specialist who mentored both Thomas and Mayo in their hometown of Rochester, New York. Rounding out the featured special guests is another longtime friend and musical collaborator, tenor saxophonist Mike Tucker, who performs on the title track.
Thomas and his band will be celebrating the release of the album and recording a live video on Friday, December 30, as part of the Extended Play Sessions at the Fallout Shelter in Norwood. Located at 61 Endicott Street, the Fallout Shelter, according to Thomas, is “one of the most amazing and unique venues in all of New England — and the perfect place to enjoy being part of a live recording session.”
On the Bone was produced by Thomas and recorded, mixed and mastered at Iron Wax Studios in western Massachusetts under the direction of Alan Evans, who is a founding member of the acclaimed funk/jazz trio Soulive and owner of the record label Vintage League Music. “Al knows exactly what to do to make the musicians comfortable to perform at a high level,” Thomas said of Evans, a legendary musician in his own right who has shared the stage with greats such as Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan. “He has the perfect musical sensibility to help capture a classic soul jazz vibe I was going for.”
While On the Bone is his first solo release, Thomas is no stranger to the Boston and New England music scenes, having co-produced four albums for the band Akashic Record, five more with BT ALC Big Band, and the 2022 Duochrome album Sky View. In addition to leading his own bands, he is a busy freelance musician and has performed with national touring acts such as G Love, Lettuce, Soulive, John Brown’s Body, The Elovaters, Maceo Parker, Kevin Kinsella and Ryan Montbleau. He also performs with a number of local groups, including King’s Highway, Dela & Steady Rock Easy, The A-Beez, B3 Kings, The Attractors, Jesse Dee, and Pressure Cooker.
A graduate of Ithaca College, Thomas studied classical trombone with Harold Reynolds, jazz improvisation with Steve Brown, and performed with a host of talented musicians in the local Ithaca scene. He gained much of his “postgraduate” music experience at Boston’s legendary Wally’s Jazz Café, where he co-hosted the weekly funk jam session while beginning to establish a role for himself as an artist throughout New England. He later earned his master’s degree in jazz composition from UMass Amherst under the tutelage of Jeff Holmes and has had the pleasure of studying with Norman Bolter and Hal Crook.
In the fall of 2009, Thomas joined the faculty at Canton High School, and over the last 13 years he has served as a mentor and an inspiration to an entire generation of aspiring Canton musicians. He currently directs all of the instrumental ensembles at the school, including the band, orchestra, jazz ensemble and pit orchestra, while also serving as a clinician and guest artist for schools throughout New England.
To hear samples of Thomas’s music or to order tickets to one of his upcoming shows, including the album release party on December 30, go to brianthomastrombone.com.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=98990
Posted by Jay Turner
on Dec 23 2022. Filed under News, Schools.
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