Both Sides Of The Fence

A fixture at the annual Port Townsend Jazz Festival the last weekend in July, Seattle-based Thomas Marriott leads an outstanding band of Emerald City contemporaries on this collection of standards, seldom-played gems by Freddie Hubbard and Chick Corea, a stunning reading of Ellington's New World A Comin', Marriott original, and a seductive reinvention of The Breeze and I.

Marriott is a brilliant player with chops to spare on trumpet and flugelhorn. Pianist Marc Seales, bassist Jeff Johnson, and drummer John Bishop provide tasty support and warm, heartfelt solos. Joe Locke contributes to the mix on vibes on a couple of tracks, and Seattle veteran Hadley Caliman's soulful tenor sax is featured on Marriott's beautiful, haunting ballad, What the Mirror Said.