Thomas Marriott
Trumpet Ship
Origin Records
Seattle-raised trumpet ace and composer, Thomas Marriott, returns with his twelfth album Trumpet Ship (Origin Records) with hooks poised to heal hardship, tempos textured to assuage aggression, and free-form feels to champion family and jazz fellowship. Similar to how his 2018 Romantic Language was a dedicated dirge for his recently passed father, Trumpet Ship channels an elegant and eulogistic energy to honor two more recently passed relatives—his Uncle Paul, which inspired the “Funny Uncle” track, and his dad’s best friend,“Uncle Jer” Reeves.
Thomas Marriott’s chart-topping grooves have landed him features on NPR, a 20-season run as a soloist with Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, and a 7-time Golden Ear Awardee. Not only can listeners expect more of his groove guruship on Trumpet Ship, but they’ll experience cool and tempestuous moods. Within each mood, Marriott guides us on a jazz journey co-helmed by the mastership of Orrin Evans (piano), Luques Curtis (bass), and Mark Whitfield Jr. (drums).
In a meeting-of-the-minds fashion, Trumpet Ship originated from an improvised idea. While Orrin Evans’ trio had a day off touring in Seattle, Evans pitched, “Hey, we should make a record!” One 3-hour recording session later and five mellifluous originals and three immersive renditions were cut.
There’s a bebop sensibility and moody liveliness on the title track “Trumpet Ship,” which references a 1980’s composition by Sonny Simmons, an avant-saxophonist who briefly lived in Olympia, WA. Downbeat and slower originals like “Behind the Beard”—satirically inspired by a famous 2019 headline about a hipster ironically mistaking himself for another hipster—demonstrate Marriott’s playful demeanor and direction as a bandleader. It also feels like cool aloe on the skin after a hotter walk through Miles Davis, Gil Evans, and Wayne Shorter’s “General Assembly.” Bringing it full circle with family, Marriott concludes with “Song for Samuel” to channel his 9-year-old son’s frenetic and jumping-off-of-everything energy.
Throughout the record, Trumpet Ship exhibits both the creative craftsmanship and fellowship of jazz that will continue to afford Marriott laurels and loyal listeners.
–Zach Frimmel
