Omar Thomas Large Ensemble - Griot Songs (2025) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. The Sun in September
02. Sail to the Moon
03. Obeah Woman
04. Nothing There
05. Episode d'Azur
06. The Path
07. A Touch of Obsidian, A Flash of Scarlet

REEDS: Mark Zaleski – Alto Saxophone, Clarinet; Lihi Harum – Alto, Soprano Saxophone, Flute; Kenny Pexton – Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute; Jon Bean – Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet; Brian Landrus – Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Flute, Alto Flute TRUMPETS: Bijon Watson – Trumpet, Flugelhorn; Josh Reed – Trumpet, Flugelhorn; Dan Rosenthal – Trumpet, Flugelhorn; Jason Palmer – Trumpet, Flugelhorn TROMBONES Will Ford – Trombone; Evan Amoroso – Trombone; Randy Pingrey – Trombone; Chris Beaudry – Bass Trombone RHYTHM: Mark Cocheo – Electric & Acoustic Guitar; Alex Brown – Piano, Rhodes; James Heazlewood-Dale – Electric & Acoustic Bass; Mark Walker – Drums, Percussion Jacob Means – Mandolin (track 7); Reese Maultsby – Prepared Vibraphone (track 2)

In West Africa, a griot is more than a musician; they’re a storyteller, historian, and cultural guardian, keeping traditions alive through song and spoken word. From morning reflections to evening performances, they weave history into melody, guiding their communities with wisdom and rhythm. Today, that role has evolved, but its essence remains. In America, a modern-day griot may trade village gatherings for concert halls or recording studios, yet the mission is the same: to tell stories that matter, to preserve, to teach, and to move people, just as their ancestors did.

With GRIOT SONGS, the stunning third release from the Omar Thomas Large Ensemble, Brooklyn-born Thomas crafts a deeply personal and emotionally charged narrative through music. Sixteen years in the making, the album weaves his experiences, inspirations, and heritage into a modern big band statement like no other

It’s been over a decade since the ensemble’s last album, WE WILL KNOW: An LGBT Civil Rights Piece in Four Movements, which Grammy-winning drummer and composer Terri Lyne Carrington described as a “thought-provoking, multi-layered masterpiece.” Their 2013 debut, I AM, reached #1 on the iTunes Jazz charts. But GRIOT SONGS is the project Thomas has envisioned since forming the ensemble for his graduate recital at New England Conservatory in 2008.

In the years between albums, Thomas has emerged as a sought-after composer, especially in the wind ensemble world. In 2019, he became the first Black composer to win the National Bandmasters Association / Revelli Award for ‘Come Sunday,’ a piece addressing faith, identity, and the African American experience. He’s also an influential educator, currently an Associate Professor of Composition and Jazz Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

GRIOT SONGS is the result of nearly two decades of work. The album features seven tracks, five originals and two fresh takes on familiar songs. Thomas ’complex compositions give plenty of room for his amazing soloists to shine. His pieces feel alive, constantly shifting and never sticking to traditional big band formats.

When Thomas arrived at the New England Conservatory of Music, he had hoped to study with Bob Brookmeyer, but Brookmeyer passed away in 2011. The album opener, ‘The Sun in September,’ is Thomas ’imagining of the piece he might have composed if he had studied with

him. “I’m using Bob Brookmeyer’s ‘isms ’as I interpret them,” he says, “not having studied with him, but having studied him.”

Israeli-born soprano saxophonist Lihi Haruvi’s intro to ‘The Sun in September’ is tender and melodic, like a lullaby drifting on the breeze, until she suddenly takes flight, soaring into the upper register with a piercing, joyful cry. Trumpeter Jason Palmer follows with an easygoing, fluid tone, gliding effortlessly from one note to the next before launching into his own spirited ascent. This orchestra is a precision machine, moving through intricate lines with razor-sharp accuracy, then melting into a warm, weightless cushion, cradling its soloists with lush harmonies and a supple rhythmic pulse.

Radiohead’s ‘Sail to the Moon’ unfolds like a dream, piano and guitar trading phrases over a slow, hypnotic rock beat, a quiet orchestra hovering in the background. The trombone is playing sultry and cool, with a hint of melancholy. As the music builds, strange little woodwind fillips emerge, the trombone grows rougher, and the orchestra shifts into restless, jagged gestures, agitated, but in a hushed, controlled way. Halfway through, the orchestra slips back into its usual jazz attire. The piano traces a few descending lines, the trombone returns with its velvety tone, and the orchestra unfurls around it.

The 2008 season finale of Project Runway inspired the closing track, ‘A Touch of Obsidian, A Flash of Scarlet.’ Designer Christian Siriano’s collection left such a vivid impression on Thomas that he translated its colors and textures into sound. Somehow, guitarist Mark Cocheo makes his acoustic guitar sound like a cimbalom, the instrument used in the theme for the 1949 film,The Third Man. Drummer Mark Walker lays down crisp rimshots inside a slinky rhythm, the orchestra purrs, and Mark Zaleski delivers a stunning alto saxophone solo.

GRIOT SONGS is a bold and heartfelt exploration of the power of storytelling through music, a vibrant reflection of Omar Thomas ’unique voice and vision. With this album, Thomas solidifies his place as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary large ensemble jazz, a modern-day griot whose music tells stories that are impossible to ignore.

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