Micah Thomas: ‘Tide’ (self-released)

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On his debut album as a leader, pianist and composer Micah Thomas can perhaps best be described by the title of the closing tune, “Wanderer.” As a writer, Thomas provides clear frameworks for his trio with bassist Dean Torrey and drummer Kyle Benford. But these eight tunes — all originals, recorded live at New York’s Kitano Hotel in March 2019 by Jimmy Katz — wander freely from their themes, shifting time and tempos, alternating swing and free rhythms, and sometimes taking some very long trips indeed. Opener “Tornado” is typical: less a tune than a cycle of chords, it could described as “Giant Steps” gone sideways (in a good way). It pulses with bebop phrasing, but is informed by post-bop’s tonal and rhythmic ambiguities, making an exuberant shift from a rubato opening to a fast 4/4 swing, the speedy single-note phrases breaking into the splintered figures of early Cecil Taylor. “The Game,” inspired by Mahler’s Sixth Symphony, hints at that composer’s traversal of moods, with long ruminative passages, a section of fast “walking” and a grand tremolo-inflected coda before segueing without a break into the calm of “The Day After.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1ZDhgruUSs Perhaps the piece that adheres most to standard song form is the anthemic, sprightly “Grounds,” with the trio playing the theme in cheerful unison. Yes, they explore adjacent keys, and gathering clouds threaten dissonant explosions, but the tune is never far from view, and the sure interplay of the band always sets them on a common course. A touring professional when he was a high school sophomore in Columbus, Ohio, Thomas is still in his early 20s. He quickly moved on to the New York jazz scene in 2015 while attending Juilliard, playing in guitarist Lage Lund’s band, among others. This album shows maturity in all the best ways: technical prowess matched with intellectual rigor and emotional openness. Form, feeling and freedom are all equal parts of the mix. — Jon Garelick LISTEN OR BUY: