Gary Thomas - Pariah's Pariah (1998)

Tenor saxophonist Gary Thomas has remained an oddly kept secret despite his performances with Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, and Miles Davis--among others. On this beautifully packaged offering from Germany's Winter & Winter, Thomas pairs horns with alto saxophonist Greg Osby backed by Michael Formanek on bass and John Arnold on drums. The group operates like a double-duo, with bass and drums tangled in rising and crumbling fests that Arnold seems to be able to blast his way out of with the verve of Elvin Jones or the methodical pacemaking of Jack DeJohnette. For their part, Thomas and Osby love vamping lines shaped from melodic motifs, but they also swing complicated phrases and segments that even with all their circuitousness never lose their punch. The tunes are straddled across a divide, driven by rolling rhythms and tandem-sax horn lines that suggest intense leaps of energy but also kept at a midtempo clip that's funky and well measured. Don't miss Thomas, as he adds a considerable amount to a plethora of jazz "schools" in the marketplace. -- Andrew Bartlett