Testimonials
“Thomas Steele’s ‘10Tet’ is a significant accomplishment in composing, arranging and performance from some exceptional young musicians with very bright futures.”
— Tara Davidson, JUNO Award Winning Saxophonist
“Thomas’ recording is filled with interesting compositions and arrangements, fantastic improvisations and solid ensemble work.
It was a joy to listen to from start to finish, and I look forward to hearing what the future holds for Thomas and his outstanding band.”
— Kelly Jefferson, JUNO Award Winning Saxophonist
“Thomas’ recent record, “10Tet”, features interesting compositions as well as good arrangements and high quality ensemble playing and soloing.
I’m looking forward to seeing the development of this ensemble and their future works.”
— Luis Deniz, Grammy Nominated Saxophonist
“Thomas Steele is a rising star on the scene. His new album ‘10Tet’ showcases arrangements and performances that are highly creative, and full of gorgeous harmonies, textures, and rhythmic interplay.
He is definitely an artist to watch out for!”
— Amanda Tossoff, JUNO Nominated Pianist
“Considering his age and how short his career has been thus far - compared to all the legendary artists around - I am already so eager to listen to his future albums. Thomas’ skills are beyond the expectations of any young jazz saxophonist. Thomas knows how to maximize each musicians’ skills and amalgamate them into one pool.
— David Lee, TU Jazz Director
“Thomas Steele’s ‘10Tet’ showcases a bold, new explorer in the contemporary jazz terrain. As a composer and soloist, he steers this giant ship with verve while showcasing some of Toronto’s finest young musicians.”
— Ori Dagan, Global Music Award Winner
Interviews
Interview with Raina Hersch of Jazz FM (March, 2021)
Interview with Juliette Dunn of TD Niagara Jazz Festival (August, 2020)
Interview with Natalie Castonguay of Conchordium Music (June, 2020)
Interview with the University of Toronto FMUA (May, 2020)
Reviews
With this new album, Toronto-based saxophonist and composer Thomas Steele reimagines how a big band can sound. Sounding at times comfortingly familiar and at other times completely foreign, 10Tet pushes the boundaries of contemporary jazz with an experimental take on large ensemble music that’s deep, full and forceful.
— Review by Adam Feibel of Jazz FM (2021)
“Thoroughly polished and staggeringly intricate, Thomas Steele’s latest release is a marvel in all its controlled fury. Unlike his last album The Bends (which featured two chordal instruments in a quintet format), Steele opts to go entirely without comping instruments here. Consequently, his horn section boasts eight parts, and the ensemble still manages to do an effective job of relaying substantial harmonic information thanks to consistently spotless arranging.
Texturally speaking, the music is captivating. Through all the constantly moving structures, stabs and jabs in the arrangements, a persisting atmosphere of cathartic density is built; all while maintaining lucidity in the compositional aspects. The rhythm section of bassist Evan Gratham and drummer Jacob Slous covers a fair bit of ground between them, meshing masterfully with immaculate time feel while laying a foundation of rhythmic clarity for the rest of the group. Also indispensable is the versatile baritone saxophone and bass clarinet playing of Alex Manoukas, which adds an extra dimension of low-end and greatly adds to the overall coherence.
Steele’s bandleading style feels equal parts selfless and distinctive. He can continually achieve a very particular sound out of such unconventional instrumentation, and yet he also gives way for the complete expression of each individual musician. Everyone is given a significant feature at some point, and three of the seven tunes are penned by contributors aside from Steele. Jacob Chung’s February Flowers is a standout.”
— Review by Yoshi Wall of Whole Note Magazine (2022)
