As with altoists
Steve Coleman and
Greg Osby,
Gary Thomas has developed his own fresh approach to improvisation, avoiding bop clichés and taking solos that are consistently full of surprising twists and turns. Lots of chances are taken and, even if not everything works (the use of rap on one of his JMT albums is unfortunate),
Gary Thomas' music would never be called predictable. In the late '80s,
Thomas gigged with both
Miles Davis and
Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition. He has also recorded frequently with
Greg Osby,
Michele Rosewoman, and
Wallace Roney, in addition to leading his own sessions. ~ Scott Yanow