Both Sides Of The Fence

What can you say about Thomas Marriott that says fabulous. This CD will more than make that claim. Marriott has a strong tone, great command and swings like...fabulously. Listen to his forceful attack right off on "Both Sides Of The Fence."

He's clear, precise, strictly down to business, the essence of hard bop swinging. The band of Marc Seales, piano, Jeff Johnson, bass and John Bishop, drums lend ample support to this exciting re-occurrence of post future past as a vivid dream keeps re inventing itself, especially when you're in a hard bop ' jones,' you can't shake. Marriott has taste, tonality and a slight uplifting melodic touch.

Imagine, you're having a small glass of 20 year single malt scotch on the rocks, with a sliver of lemon just enough for the taste. Marriott's trumpet gives you that taste and aroma as you swirl it around in your mind, a scent of those Clifford Brown and Freddie Hubbard early days. His understated muted horn on Ellington's "New World A Comin'" is elegant.
What really cements it is his absolute flawless version of Hubbard's "Sky Dive." Seales work on Rhodes adds so much to this hymn of late night jazz romantic exotica. (Face it, some songs sound cooler after hours.) Marriott caps it off with a` great version of another hard bop classic, Chick Corea's "Tones For Joan's Bones." Joe Locke, vibes, makes a cameo on a couple of selections as in "Joan's Bones" adding a 'Milt Jackson' tasty garnish to this already heady mix of truth and bop and the blues.