The third release by the Omar Thomas Large Ensemble is just as bold as the group’s last release, ‘We Will Know: An LGBT Civil Rights Piece in For Movements,’ released over 10 years ago. ‘Griot Songs, ’  a nod to the West African tradition of storytelling to share community history and tradition, encompasses a series of bold and vivid compositions by Thomas, many dating back to 2008. Thomas, an award-winning composer, has surrounded himself with an equally impressive group of players to bring his bold vision to light. Thomas composed 5 of the album’s epic tracks and incorporated two additional songs that mirrored his vision. “The Sun in September” is a composition that dates back several years yet seems as vibrant and urgent as anything today. The radiant solos by Jason Palmer and soprano saxophonist Lihi Haruvi add to the composition’s vibrant arrangement and impact. “Sail To the Moon” continues to bring the heat., This Radiohead cover is a palsy and inventive take that continues the forward-leaning theme of the original while providing a new and bold dynamic. 

“Nothing There,” an original composition, is another epic track that wears its melancholy on its sleeve yet never falls into the cliche. Thomas’ use of horns, percussion, and piano conspires to create a moody and provocative track that is both sad and hopeful. 

The closing epic, “A Touch of Obsidian, A Flash of Scarlet” may not move me as much as “Obeah Woman” or the Lyle May composition “Episode d’ Azur” ( originally recorded for ‘We Live Here’ by the Pat Metheny Group, but that would be a rather tall order. As the title suggests, the song is dynamically vibrant, with shifting pallets of color, creating synesthesia through its intertwined horn parts, bold use of fretted instruments, and dynamic time signature changes. The seven songs on ‘Griot Songs’ do the impossible in creating an album that is more excellent than the song of its parts.