What The Critics Say About Jay Thomas

“Earshot Jazz bestowed Jay Thomas the honor of serving as the Artist in Residence for the 2019 Earshot Jazz Festival -- now it’s the JJA’s turn to celebrate his heroism. At nearly 71 years of age, he’s playing better than ever, thoughtfully, patiently and with welcome for all. For 50 years he has embodied the spirit of Seattle jazz. May he continue to do so, expanding on his legacy and that of the city which raised this Jazz Hero.”

Paul Rauch, 2019

“It’s hard to name a musician who might more aptly fill the role of “artist in residence” at this year’s Earshot Jazz Festival than multi-instrumentalist Jay Thomas. One of the few remaining links between our city’s storied jazz past and its promising present, the 69-year-old trumpet and reed player has enjoyed a mostly local career that spans six decades.”

Paul deBarros,  Earshot, September 2019

“His sublime creativity, and ability to express it on a variety of instruments has lifted Thomas to an important place in the history of west coast jazz.” 

Paul Rauch, 2019

“I Want to Talk About You.” When he finished the Eckstine song, Thomas told the crowd that when he first heard John Coltrane’s recording, “my hair stood up and I got chills.” His own playing on the piece generated a similar sensation.”

Doug Ramsey, January 2013

How it’s played, the way Thomas prefers, is to let his sound lean into the blues. “It’s a rich art form,” he said. “When you mix it with jazz, it has a certain quality. You can feel it.”

Connie Mears, Bainbridge Island, September 2010

“On trumpet, Thomas’ lyricism and harmonic inventions make him one of today’s most interesting soloists on the instrument.”

Doug Ramsey, JAZZ TIMES, August 1993

“Jay Thomas, a Walton protégé from Seattle, is a protean performer. A fluent soloist on trumpet and flugelhorn, he switches to flute and, to top it off, the amazing Thomas plays tenor sax. If fame reaches him now, it won’t come a moment too soon.”

Leonard Feather, five stars, Los Angeles Times

“Although the trumpet is his main instrument, Mr. Thomas’s full, sensual sound on tenor is equally compelling and personal. On all his instruments, there is constant spontaneity. And on ballads, Mr. Thomas exemplifies Quincy Jones’s observation: ‘the melody is the most powerful thing there is… melody does something electrical to your soul.”

Nat Hentoff, The Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2000

“Anyone familiar with Jay Thomas’ trumpet and saxophone artistry is aware of his long stretch of dominating excellence in the Northwest United States. His resourceful, jauntily swinging and exciting fevor imbues all… Thomas plays with blazing intensity, depth and imagination.”

Dr. Herb Wong, Radio/Recordings Chair, IAJE

“...he enunciates his notes with the same natural clarity that a polished speaker uses with his words... to sing out the tune while still maintaining its Three-O’clock-in-the-morning torch song mood. Each arrangement so distinctively frames its respective tune that it makes this album a sort of audio portrait gallery. One that you can stroll through time and again and still discover something new.”

Paul B. Mathews, Cadence Magazine

“...this CD demonstrates beyond doubt what a talented musician he is. He has a superb full sound, wonderful time, a delightfully relaxed a confident approach that stem from a superb technique and is full of fresh ideas. He reminds me a little of both Clifford Brown and Kenny Dorham, but only a little. Mainly he is his own man. I shall be surprised if this is not one of my albums of the year.”

Mike Shera, International Jazz Journal, London, England

“A perfect example is Seattle trumpeter Jay Thomas’ new album, “360 Degrees”, on the Scottish Hep Jazz label. Thomas, who plays trumpet, flugelhorn, alto sax, tenor sax, alto flute and even adds a wordless vocal part at one point, would attract attention if only for his versatility. He also has a great ear for tunes...”

Bob Blumenthal, Boston Globe

“Going around the circle with Jay Thomas one returns to the same point: the guy is a phenomenal musician. Fluent and poised in any playing context, steeped in the musical values of swing and bop that flows from every phrase, tonally precise and creatively germane to the qualities of each of his six instruments, Thomas has chops and musical cunning to spare.”

Joseph Murphy, 5/4 Magazine

“He loves blues, bop and ballads, but he navigates this territory with a fresh set of ears – nothing sounds hackneyed… as a leader Thomas also has the knack of giving tunes an unexpected twist…”

David Dupont, Cadence

“...an obvious jazz natural with big ears, great tone and big feeling.”

Paul de Barros, Earshot Jazz

“Jay Thomas plays trumpet, flugelhorn, tenor sax, flute and alto sax like a demon. The music he creates is nothing less than wonderful. This release will verify his position as one of the best jazz musicians in music today, bar none!”

Tim Price, Saxophone Journal

“Recently, the rest of the world has been taking notice, too, thanks to his terrific new recording. ‘Rapture’ is by far the most enjoyable and durable. Thomas’ buttery flugelhorn and trenchant trumpet are featured; remarkably, so are his tenor and soprano saxophones… A hard-bopper who takes great pleasure in tickling your ears with just the right note, Thomas high-lights his more romantic side on this disc.”

Paul de Barros, The Seattle Times

“Featured artist Jay Thomas — and he really is an artist —blew up storms and some suave sounds, too on both his trumpet and tenor saxophone. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Thomas is a versatile musician in a variety of styles... Thomas was as virtuosic as he was winning.”

Harvey Hess, Cedar Falls Sentinel

“That the sideman often seems as important as their leader is a comment on Thomas’ ability to unite diverse players through precise musicianship and an understated musical ego. As one player commented, ‘playing with Jay is like having musical superglue. He binds the music together because he hears so well and is always willing to bend to make the music work...’ Again it comes back to history. ‘I’ve been lucky. Through no fault or merit of my own I’ve been exposed to a lot of things that have shaped my style,’ Thomas states. ‘That’s my strength; I’m adaptable to the music.’”

Joseph Murphy, Jazz Now

“Thomas played with a breathtaking combination of lightness and logic, restraint and momentum that virtually defined ‘cool jazz’.”

Paul de Barros, Seattle Times, April 2000

“The bebop sensibility he absorbed then is at the core of his style, but it is tempered with outside harmonies that send his improvisations in unanticipated directions.”

Doug Ramsey, Jazz Times, May 2000

And here are a few words from Jay’s
musical friends and supporters:

“Jay Thomas is one of my favorite musicians. He is one of the most natural sounding improvisers I have heard and he’s always in tune, in time and in the chords, while remaining creative and emotionally convincing. When Jay plays, all else disappears.”

Chuck Israels, musician, Jazz Player magazine

“Some of you may know Jay... I love his playing.”

Herb Ellis, musician

“You are such a tasteful player… Man!”

Bobby Shew, musician

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Was the way it felt to receive Jay’s latest…”

Ira Sullivan, musician

“Jay can play with anyone.”

Zoot Sims, musician