Trumpet Player Thomas Marriott of Seattle, Washington

Jazz Trumpet Player Thomas Marriott of Seattle, Washington grew up in Seattle where he still resides. Thomas grandparents were both professional musicians. Thomas grandmother was a classically trained pianist who studied with Arthur Friedheim, a protege of Franz List. Thomas grandfather was a self-taught stride piano player who also played saxophone, trumpet, tuba, trombone, accordion, and bassoon. He led his own dance bands around Washington state's Olympic Peninsula for years and years. Thomas relates, "They had all of these instruments in the house and when we went to visit my grandfather, he would let us play with them from the time we could walk."

Thomas recollects ... "My father was an avid collector of jazz records and had a jazz radio program. His record collection was off limits to us as kids so of course my brother and I would sneak into the basement to play his albums as often as possible. He had hundreds of records, Miles, Dizzy, Bird, Count Basie, Stan Getz, all kinds of things."

Thomas recollects ... "I was always enamored with one particular Dizzy Gillespie album, and when they started signing kids up for school band in fourth grade, I signed up for trumpet because I knew we had one and I wanted to play it. My brother signed up for trombone. We both took piano lessons, but I quit after a few years. My grandfather was my first teacher and he taught me out of the Harry James Trumpet Method book."

Thomas Marriott attended Garfield High School in Seattle and joined the jazz band there. Garfield had a tradition of great bands going back for some time. Some of the notables to have graduated (or attended) Garfield High School were Quincy Jones, Ernestine Anderson and Jimmie Hendrix. While in high school, Thomas started playing around Seattle in a big band led by a great trumpeter and local hero named Jay Thomas. Jay gave Thomas his first paid gig when Thomas was just fourteen years of age. Thomas used to go hear all of the music that he could and Thomas became a regular at the weekly Wednesday night gig of trumpeter Floyd Standifer, a mainstay of the Seattle Jazz scene. Floyd had been in Seattle since the 1940's and played like Art Farmer. Floyd was on Quincy's band in the 1950's. Floyd was really a mentor to Thomas as a kid, and Thomas learned a lot by going to his regular gig every Wednesday night.

Thomas remained in Seattle for college because by the time Thomas graduated high school he was working quite a bit around the Seattle area. Thomas went to the University of Washington and studied with a trumpet teacher named Roy Cummings, who had been there for quite some time. Around that time, Thomas and his brother started a band together and recorded two albums.

Thomas relates, "My friend Jon Wikan (a great drummer who is now married to trumpeter Ingrid Jensen) and I had made plans to move to New York together in April of 1999. Soon after we had decided to move there, I got a call to join Maynard Ferguson's band. I packed everything I had in one suitcase and joined the band in Washington, D.C. for a week at Blues Alley. During the "off" time on the road, I would go "home" to New York and stay with friends while Jon and I would look for apartments until we finally rented a place in Queens.

Thomas continues, "After a while, I quit Maynard's band to try to pay dues around New York city full time. My good friend, trumpeter Ray Vega, helped me out a lot by sending me to sub on a number of gigs including the Tito Puente Orchestra and the Chico O'Farrill Orchestra. I also had the opportunity to work on the road with Matt Catingub & Rosemary Clooney, as well as in New York with Eric Reed, Eddie Palmieri, Bryan Lynch and a lot of other great musicians as well. During that time I became friends with vibraphonist Joe Locke and we have continued to collaborate on various projects since then. In 2004, I moved back to Seattle and released the first of my own albums as a leader for Origin Records. Since then I have been touring, recording and working continuously. I have enjoyed the benefits of living and working in an area that has so many good musicians to play with and learn from and have tried to learn as much as possible from all the great musicians I have had the good fortune to play with. "

Aside from school, Thomas has only taken formal trumpet lessons with a few people. Thomas relates, "I took a few lessons with Laurie Frink on the Carmine Caruso method, which was very beneficial, and I still use those techniques all the time. I have sat through a lot of master classes with Bobby Shew, who is a fountain of knowledge on trumpet playing. I have tried to pick the brain of every trumpeter I meet to see what they are practicing and how they warm-up, etc. I use all the methods I can get my hands on, Clark, Schlossberg, Arbans, Concone, Irons, Stamp, Vizzuti, etc. I try to change up my routine everyday so that I don't get myself into any kind of rut. I try to spend 30 minutes to an hour in the morning getting warmed up by playing fundamental exercises out these methods. In the afternoon I try to spend as much time as I can working on learning tunes, scale patters, transcriptions, or working on whatever music needs attention that particular day. I don't teach lessons privately, but have been know to teach a clinic here and there."

Thomas has owned a lot of trumpets over the last 25 years! Right now (January of 2009) I am playing on a Martin Committee from the early 1960's with a Bach 7C mouthpiece. I also use the Conn Vintage One Fluglehorn, which I think is a very fine instrument, designed by my good friend Fred Powell. I have used that consistently for a number of years. Mr. Powell is currently working on a new custom trumpet for me.

To contact Thomas Marriott ... you can visit Thomas website at ThomasMarriott.net

Thomas has always been a huge fan of Miles Davis. His albums are still a vital part of Thomas inspiration and influence. Thomas likes all the music Miles recorded, from all the different periods because they all have a similar aspect that Thomas really likes the elastic nature of the music. Thomas relates, "It's impossible to play the trumpet and not be influenced by all the great masters Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown, Woody Shaw, etc. etc. I also am very partial to Eddie Henderson, Randy Brecker, and Dave Douglas. "

Aside from trumpet players, Thomas enjoys McCoy Tyner, Charlie Parker, Joe Henderson, Weather Report, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, Steve Grossman, Conrad Herwig, Elvin Jones, Herbie Hancock, Art Tatum and a host of others.