Tony Thomas

Nkrumah Jah Thomas is one of the great Deejay voices of Jamaican music. Through his Midnight Rock label, he is also known as a formidable producer – making important records with the likes of Anthony Johnson, Early B, King Tubby and Super Cat. Acid Jazz group label Roots Records has worked with Thomas since the late 1990s, and is set to release the first ever collection of his vocal work on 16 August 2024.

The trio pays homage to legendary pianist Paul Bley, drawing on both his tunes and improvisational approach. Bley's music encompassed latin-inspired grooves, deceptively simple and catchy melodies, as well as freer improvisations. His willingness to collaborate openly with European improvisers as well as being part of the American tradition was an attractive template to follow. Pat Thomas, Dominic Lash and Tony Orrell grew up in the UK with the children's tv series Play School and when searching for a name for this album could not resist the pun - the inspiring figure of Bley combined with the element of childlike experimentation.