BEN THOMAS - Mystagogue [CD]

Seattle vibraphonist Ben Thomas offers a swinging, pulsing quintet sound on his second release. Thomas augments his core vibe/piano quartet with one of three clarinet and saxophone players on most of the tracks on the record, lending an ever-changing fifth voice to the ensemble, yet displaying overall coherence and imagination. The rhythm section enlivens things with off-kilter swinging support and hot Latin grooves. Originally released in 2000.