“He is lyrical and at the same time inventive...” -- Cadence Magazine 

Ben Thomas©Andrea Canter

Continuing its recent bookings of national artists, the Artists Quarter will bring Seattle-based vibraphonist Ben Thomas back to the Twin Cities to perform with the Laura Caviani Trio this weekend, September 24-25. Five years ago, Thomas celebrated the release of his third CD with Caviani at the Dakota. Joining the two former University of Michigan classmates will be bassist Jeff Bailey and drummer Phil Hey. It’s a formidable foursome. 

Playing vibes, drums, and percussion, Ben Thomas has performed since the mid 1980s in a wide variety of formats and genres. Recent appearances include the Bumbershoot Arts Festival, Detroit-Montreaux Jazz Festival, Issaquah Jazz Festival, Anacortes Arts Festival, Ellensburg Jazz in the Valley Festival, Tacoma Maritime Festival, Bellingham Art of Jazz Series, and the Seattle Art Museum. Thomas graduated from Swarthmore with degrees in math and music. While completing graduate studies at the University of Michigan, he directed the University's Jazz Composers Orchestra and performed with Stephen Rush. Since moving to Seattle, Thomas has been involved in teaching and leading jazz groups, and was awarded a grant for music composition by the Seattle Arts Commission in 1999.  His current projects span jazz, salsa, tango, swing, and chamber music. In addition to leading his own ensembles, he serves as a sideman on mallets, percussion and bandoneon with such groups as Tangabrazo, More Zero, and the Jovino Santos Neto Quarteto.

Thomas’s recordings include The Madman’s Difference (Origin, 1998), Mystagogue (Origin, 2000) and Triskaidekaphobia (Origin, 2005), which he celebrated at the Dakota with the Laura Caviani Trio in 2005. Notes Laura, “Ben Thomas and I went to grad school together back in the mid 90's at the U of MI - Ann Arbor. We have performed/recorded together since then, focusing on Ben's originals, that, to be honest, really kick my butt!” And Brazilian pianist/composer/ flautist Neto says, “Ben is a great composer, and an energetic performer who knows how deep music can go. It's always fun to play with him.” 

Laura Caviani©Andrea Canter

Caviani is a veteran of two decades of performing, recording and composing, including appearances with Toots Thielemans, Bob Mintzer, and Dave Liebman, and touring and recording with star vocalist Karrin Allyson. As a leader she now has five acclaimed recordings to her credit and a long list of supporting roles with local musicians. Recent projects include her tributes to Horace Silver, Thelonious Monk, Mary Lou Williams and Alec Wilder; Soul Café with guitarist Steve Blons and saxman Brad Holden; Pete Whitman’s Xtet; and numerous appearances with vocalist Lucia Newell and guitarist Joan Griffith, with whom she released Sambanova in 2008 and  made a guest appearance on The Circle of the Dance (2010). As a composer, she has created numerous works for jazz ensembles and orchestral works. As leader, Laura has released a series of excellent recordings, including Going There, featuring Bob Bowman and Todd Strait. Laura performed on Ben Thomas’s second and third (most recent) recordings. 

Joining Thomas and Caviani at the Dakota will be two popular anchors of area rhythm sections, bassist Jeff Bailey (Doug Little, Laura Caviani) and drummer Phil Hey (Phil Hey Quartet, Pete Whitman X-Tet, Laura Caviani Trio, Stacey Kent band) who were both on hand in 2005 when Ben Thomas celebrated the release of Triskaidekaphobia. That makes this AQ gig a reunion, and we are all invited, September 24-25. 

The Artists Quarter is located at 408 St Peter Street in downtown St. Paul (lower level of the Hamm Building); www.artistquarter.com 
 

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