Seattle's iconic trumpeter, Thomas Marriott recently celebrated a new album Screen Time with his East Coast friends at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley. The quartet also visited the KNKX studios to play music "from screens large and small."
For the new album, Marriott selected seven pieces from television and film, as well as a pair of originals. He's accompanied by Orrin Evans, Robert Hurst III and Mark Whitfield Jr. at the piano, bass and drums on the recording and in the KNKX studios.
Screen Time marks Marriott's fifth recording in collaboration with Evans, who produced this album and suggested some of the music. In fact, it was a Seattle tour stop by this same trio that brought the group together for this recording.
Marriott explained that during the trio's day off, he and Evans brainstormed ideas for an album that "all revolved around TV shows."
Three songs come from the pair's shared Generation X childhood, and bring a playful joy to Screen Time that will resonate for other generations. There's the theme to Reading Rainbow, "It's Such a Good Feeling" from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and "Pinball Number Count" from Sesame Street.
Marriott added fresh recordings of "Dexter's Tune" from the movie Awakenings, and the themes to films Summer Nights and You Only Live Twice. He said it was time to update these favorites.
The originals include the catchy melody of the title track and "Skip Intro," which Marriott laughingly said is dedicated to binge watchers.
In "Skip Intro," the dramatic starts and stops focus on the fluid drumming of Whitfield, who showed off in the KNKX studios as well as he did on the album version.
The delightful surprise on Screen Time is a song titled "Goodbye / Love Theme" from Predator based on Alan Silvestri's score to the 1987 action favorite starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers. Marriott explained that years ago, he and a roommate used to joke "that it was a love story because they love to fight."
The spare, plaintive trumpet theme from the score gets a thrilling treatment by Marriott's quartet. Marriott always keeps in mind that the point of playing music is to have fun, exemplified by this surprising gem discovered in a place no one was looking.
Marriott and this fantastic quartet brought a lot of fun to the KNKX studios, including "Front Row Family" from his previous album Live from the Heat Dome. You are part of this family, pull up to the front row and enjoy!
Musicians:
- Thomas Marriott - trumpet
- Orrin Evans - piano
- Robert Hurst III - bass
- Mark Whitfield Jr. - drums
Songs:
- Front Row Family (Thomas Marriott)
- Skip Intro (Thomas Marriott)
- You Only Live Twice (Leslie Bricusse/John Barry)
