Gigs of 2006

January

January 21st Seattle University student lounge The Bistro Jay Thomas Quartet.

January 22nd MoHaI-The Museum of History and Industry- Garfield Band III

January 27th SRJO Concert "Birth of the Cool" Jay Played Miles Davis's parts

January 28th Jay Thomas and Thomas Marriott at Tula's- These two horn dynamos teamed up for a night of Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams tunes at Tula's Jay Played Tenor and Baritone. Thomas Marriot played trumpet with Buddy Catlett on bass, John Hansen on piano, and Matt Jorgensen on drums.

January 29th Collateral Damage Big Band at Tula's Jazz Club

Feburary 3rd Viking Jazz Festival in Poulsbo Washington with Garfield band III

Jay thomas Quartet at Tula's Jazz Club

February 6th Jay Played wit the Jim Knapp Orchestra at the Drum School

February 7th The Usual Suspects Big Band played at Tula's

February 10th SRJO-Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra- "Birth of the Cool" at the Seasons Performance Hall in Yakima Washington

February 25th Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival- Jay Adjudicated for the student competitions

March 3rd March 3rd Jay's Garfield Band III playing at the annual swing dance fund raiser for Garfield held at the Swedish Club located on Dexter Ave.

March 4th&5th SRJO Great American Songbook III with special guest Ernestine Anderson at Benaroya Hall.

March

April

April 24th

April 26th

May

May 3rd

May 6th

May 27th

June

June 4th

June 6th

June 10th

June 11th

June 16th

June 17th

June 26-30

July 16-17

July 20th

July 23-30

2005

We are a little over half way through 2005 and it is time for an update of this year’s musical activities. Sometimes when things are a little off-kilter we need to focus on the things that make us feel good and connected to life. I am fortunate to have had a terrific year so far and rather than giving you a day-by-day, week-by-week account of these engagements I thought I would touch on some of the highlights.

January 2005 began with the IAJE convention in Long Beach. where I performed with the Jim Knapp Orchestra. The rest of January I subbed at Teatro Zinzanni, played a Pops Concert with the Seattle Symphony and took my Garfield student band to play at the Museum of History and Industry.

February 2005 I attended the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival as an adjudicator, also hung out and jammed with Claudio Roditi and Chuck Findley. I played several gigs with young trumpeter, Thomas Marriott. Did more subbing at the Teatro Zinzanni and recorded a bunch of Muzak.

March 2005 Performed with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra (SRJO) at Benaroya and Kirkland Performance Center. With the SRJO we do several concerts a year usually with featured “name” jazz artists. I especially enjoyed working the gigs with Clark Terry, Frank Wess, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, Slide Hampton and James Moody; really great players that still have plenty of swing and drive. And as an added bonus they brought their wisdom, humor and seasoning that septuagenarians often have. When you’re around these guys you had better be playin’ because they are dangerous! Did more subbing at Teatro Zinzanni. . Had a nice jazz gig at the Seattle Art Museum’s “Art of Jazz” series with Thomas Marriott.

April 2005 Traveled to Japan for a two week tour that included a jaunt to South Korea. This was a combination of Jay Thomas/Yasuhiro Kohama Quintet and the C.U.G. Big Band performances. The C.U.G. gigs were a follow up to a CD that was recorded in December of 2004 titled, On The Road. You can order this CD thru Jazzsteps.com, my web site or in the Seattle area at Bud’s Jazz Records store. As an aside, two of my first CDs as leader will soon be released under a Japanese label. More on this later. Back in the States I went to San Francisco to play at the No Name Bar with Michael Aragon and friends.

May 2005 Played a series of gigs with Wataru Hamasaki the young tenor saxophonist from Japan. Watch out for Wataru, you will hear great things from him. This was to promote a new CD that Wataru and I recorded last year with the Geoffrey Keezer Trio titled, Accidentally Yours. Jon Wikan is part of Geoffrey’s trio and he was integral to this recording.. Later in the month I took my Garfield Student Band to the Mt Hood Festival where we won a 2nd place in the AAA category, pretty good for band III.

June 2005 Played with the SRJO at BBenaroya and Kirkland Performance Center featuring Jovino Santos Neto. Taught for one week at the University of Washington Jazz Camp. Performed with the Jim Knapp Orchestra at Jazz Bones in Tacoma.. Did the Tacoma Jazz Festival once again.

July 2005 I spent a week teaching at the Centrum Jazz Camp run by new artistic director, John Clayton. Clarence Acox and I each had a big band of young musicians to rehearse. The level of musicianship of some of these young players was encouraging for the future of big band jazz. Hung out and played with Ingrid Jensen, Jon Wikan, Benny Green, Claire Daley and others. Had a rewarding evening gig at the Festival with Dan Balmer, Bob Florence, Paul Gabrielson and Jon Wikan. Also, I had two more fun nights at the festival with the Bill Ramsay Sextet. On Saturday it was a blast sitting in the Centrum Big Band sax section performing in a tribute to Count Basie.

August 2005 I took a quick trip to San Francisco to play with old friend John Witala and legendary drummer Vince Lattiano. Three fun jazz gigs this month were: playing at the Triple Door with Mike Emswiller, John Hansen, Phil Parisot with Roxy Coz on tenor; my quartet at Tula’s with Hansen, Gabrielson and Wikan; and a quintet gig at Tula's with Hansen, Gabrielson, and Ben Roseth, alto and Sean Hutchinson, drums

September 2005 More gigs with the SRJO full band (Kirkland Performance Center) and the Gerry Mulligan tentet (Art Museum) and one gig with the Ramsay/Kleeb Orchestra. Also, played at the Anacortes Jazz Festival with my quartet and with the SRJO. I performed with Buddy Catlett at Greg Williamson’s Pony Boy Records picnic. Several Japanese friends, Yasuhiro Kohama, Atsushi Ikeda and Daiske Kurata came to visit and we played a couple of gigs here in Seattle.

October 2005 Had a gig again with Sonando. Look for an upcoming CD. Had my first baritone saxophone gig. Played in band behind Ernestine Anderson as part of a New Orleans benefit. Taught at the Edmonds Jazz Symposium. Had a gig with Greg Williamson’s big band (always fun) and played lead alto in a Chris (Nelson) Riddle Orchestra concert.

November 2005 Off again for my twice a year trip to Japan to play and teach with my friend, Yasuhiro Kohama. This time I have a couple of gigs in Tokyowith Atsushi Ikeda and one other of their top alto sax players. Back in Seattle I have some belly dancing gigs and a couple of recording sessions.

December 2005 Two highlights for this month will be the annual Ellington Sacred Music Concert with the SRJO. I will finish out this year with a New Year’s Eve gig with the Seattle Symphony.

Those are some of my most memorable gigs so far this year. Of course, I have worked countless one night gigs, as does every working musician to make ends meet. Many clinics with High School big bands are rewarding. It is a kick to work with these young jazz students. Even those that are just starting as jazz players bring a spirit and naiveté that is refreshing.

The Pacific Northwest area has many worthy musicians and I have had the good fortune to play with: John Hansen, Randy Porter, Marc Seales, Dave Peck and Eric Verlinde on piano; Russ Botten (from Canada), Paul Gabrielson, Phil Sparks, Jon Hammar, Doug Miller and Chuck Kistler on bass and Matt Jorgenson, Phil Parisot, Steve Korn and Julian McDonough on drums. Of course I have to include Jon Wikan on this list. Seattle’s loss is New York’s gain and people there are learning to appreciate Jon’s drumming like we have. My jazz gigs have a lot of energy when Jon Wikan visits Seattle from New York

I often get a big bang and $$ from my work in the recording studio. Rock, hip-hop, belly dancing music. commercials and even Muzak sessions are opportunities to make music. Next time you are in your dentist’s office, your favorite grocery or department store listen for a trumpet or tenor solo on pop or big band “covers” such as Fly Me to the Moon or Hello Dolly. That could be me!

I have to put a plug in here for some of my reoccurring big band gigs:

• 1st Sunday of the month at the New Orleans Restaurant, Collateral Damage Big Band with Becca Duran.
• 3rd Sunday (afternoon) at Tula’s, Collateral Damage Band with Becca Duran
• 1st Tuesday at Tula’s with the Usual Suspects Big Band
  

COME TO THESE CLUBS AND SUPPORT THE BIG BAND PERFORMANCES

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