Home » Jazz News » Recording

127

Lindsey Horner: The Sidemen Chronicles with Rob Thomas

Source:

Sign in to view read count
Renowned bassist Lindsey Horner is hard at work on his newest ArtistShare project, Undiscovered Country. It features a stellar lineup of musicians, all providing their own, unique voices to the project. This week, we'll be looking more in depth at Rob Thomas, who will be playing violin on the album.

Rob Thomas is widely considered to be one of the most original, technically adept and powerful violinists playing jazz and contemporary music. JazzTimes calls him “a violinist of exceptional creative resources... riveting as a solo voice with a rich complex tone that can sing or shriek". Thomas has been ’singing and shrieking’ in and around New York City since moving there in 1991. In the mid ’90’s he toured and recorded extensively with ’downtown’ mainstays, The Jazz Passengers (who often featured guest vocalists Deborah Harry and Elvis Costello). He is a veteran of Gregg Bendian’s Mahavishnu Project, and can be heard on two critically acclaimed recordings by that adventurous repertory ensemble. Since 2001, Thomas has held the violin chair in the String Trio of New York, being the fifth in an series of notable violinists to join guitarist James Emery and bassist John Lindberg in this illustrious group, now in it’s 32nd year. Three outstanding recordings have resulted in the “Thomas era". As a free-lancer, Rob has also contributed to recordings by Lee Konitz, Andy Summers, Los Jovenes Del Barrio and Marc Ribot. He has also performed with The John Handy 'Monterey' Quintet, Max Roach, Jan Hammer, Bobby Previte, Claude Williams, The Soldier String Quartet, Akua Dixon's Quartette Indigo, and Ute Lemper’s ’Punishing Kiss’ band.

While studying classical violin and music theory in his hometown of Eugene at the University of Oregon, Thomas became fascinated with jazz and soon began working with the local players. He later moved to Portland and eventually played throughout the Pacific Northwest as a leader on violin and a sideman on bass (on which he “doubled expertly" according to Leonard Feather in a Los Angeles Times festival review), gaining valuable experience in pick-up bands with jazz greats such as Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Charlie Rouse, Eddie Harris, Mose Allison, Nat Adderly, and others. Rob's own groups made regular appearances at regional clubs and festivals and often included local luminaries, Glen Moore, Nancy King, and Jerry Hahn. Thomas still enjoys playing the bass, and has worked as such in Asia and the US in recent years with the Grammy Award winning vocal ensemble, New York Voices.

Also an active educator, Thomas taught in the Northwest at Reed and Marylhurst Colleges, and at Cornish College of the Arts. He is currently an Associate Professor of Strings at Berklee College of Music and an adjunct instructor at the New School. He has been an occasional substitute teacher at The Julliard School. [courtesy of robthomasviolin.com]

In Lindsey's own words:

“Violinist Rob Thomas is one of the few players making a strong, individual statement in jazz and improvised music on his instrument. Originally from Portland, Oregon, we are neighbors in the “upstate Manhattan" section of New York. Rob also is a great bassist, a skill I plan to exploit on this project and which will enable me to play some of the other instruments I play.”

Look out for Rob's skillful string work on Undiscovered Country, which is set to be released on ArtistShare on March 18, 2010. For more information Lindsey, or the project, please check out the Undiscovered Country project page.

Continue Reading...

Visit Website | Purchase

Comments

Tags

View events near New York City
Jazz Near New York City
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

News

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.