Gary Thomas at Virginia Arts Festival at Perry Pavilion

Saxophonist and flutist Gary Thomas established himself in the 1980s as one of the most jarring soloists of his generation, especially against somewhat chaotic backdrops such as the electronic-tinged accompaniment of guitar, keyboards, bass and drums on Seventh Quadrant (1987) and Code Violations (1988). He kept antagonizing the tradition of jazz with By Any Means Necessary (1989), featuring (among others) alto saxophonist Greg Osby, keyboardist Geri Allen, guitarist John Scofield, bassist Anthony Cox and percussionist Nana Vasconcelos, and The Kold Kage (1991), that experimented with synthesizer, turntable and rapping, always displaying a passion for uncharted territories...

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Saxophonist and flutist Gary Thomas established himself in the 1980s as one of the most jarring soloists of his generation, especially against somewhat chaotic backdrops such as the electronic-tinged accompaniment of guitar, keyboards, bass and drums on Seventh Quadrant (1987) and Code Violations (1988). He kept antagonizing the tradition of jazz with By Any Means Necessary (1989), featuring (among others) alto saxophonist Greg Osby, keyboardist Geri Allen, guitarist John Scofield, bassist Anthony Cox and percussionist Nana Vasconcelos, and The Kold Kage (1991), that experimented with synthesizer, turntable and rapping, always displaying a passion for uncharted territories. A member of Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition band and Thomas has worked with John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Jim Hall, Dave Holland, Wayne Shorter, Ravi Coltrane, Cassandra Wilson, Wallace Roney, Miles Davis, Steve Coleman, as well as numerous other premier jazz musicians. He currently serves as Director of Jazz Studies at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore.

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