Gary Thomas • Overkill

(Murder in the worst degree)

Gary Thomas was a regular member of the Miles Davis Group and of Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition. He released five CDs with his own groups on JMT. Downbeat called his style "post-bop-techno-hiphop-out-jazz" and a German daily described his music as "a fusion between John Coltrane and the rapper Ice-T". In 1994 Gary Thomas decided to record Overkill, a pure Hip Hop project. It features a Hip Hop-experienced five piece band, Baltimore based rappers like Ransome, Barrikade and Pork-Chop and as very special guests the Italian rap-star Jovanotti and ex-Incognito singer Maysa. Gary Thomas sums up his motivations to do the Overkill - project the following: "For the last few years I wanted to do a Hip Hop record. To be honest, Hip Hop is really my first love as far as music is concerned. I played jazz for a long time - and a lot of other kinds of music - but the music with the rappers is different: it's just so close to home and I'm used to it from where I grew up. It's just one of those things that's close to the heart. I don' t think that a definition of Hip Hop is important, it' s just like when you ask people what's jazz: you get 20 different definitions. Definitions in music are something that record companies need to make money 'cause people are so label-oriented and need categories. For me the bottom line is whether it's good music or not"
birdland.com.au

1. S.O.L. / Guaranteed Flow
2. Have Hope
3. Outta Tha Game
4. Terror of the Streets
5. Barrikade'll Stop Ya
6. Doomsday Booty
7. Fuk Tha Massa
8.The Godfather Waltz / Just A Villain
9. Soulja
10. It's On

Gary Thomas • soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
Maysa • vocals
Pork Chop • rap vocals
Jovanotti • rap vocals
Barrikade • rap vocals
Godfaddah • rap vocals
No Name • rap vocals
Mustapha • rap vocals
Lean-Nut • rap vocals
Marvin Sewell • guitar
Ransom • trumpet
George Colligan • piano
John Lamkin • drums

Produced by Concept and Hiroshi Itsuno

Purchase Info

Label: JMT Productions – JMT 514 024-2
Format: 320
Country: Europe
Released: 1995
Genre: Hip Hop, Jazz
Style: Thug Rap