About
The Thomas Steele 10Tet is a ten-piece contemporary large ensemble based in Toronto, Ontario. While a modern and contemporary group, the music composed and performed by the group is rooted in the jazz tradition. The group has performed across the city in a variety of venues, and has been a featured ensemble in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Toronto TU Jazz Festival.
Born in November 2019, the ensemble is most notable for its distinctive instrumentation and genre-defying compositions. The ensemble consists of four woodwinds players, two trumpeters, two trombonists, a bassist and drummer. The lack of a chordal instrument, such as a piano or guitar, creates a unique opportunity for the ensemble to experiment with incorporating melody, harmony and rhythm into their works.
In February 2021, the ensemble released their debut record “10Tet”, which has been heard across the globe. The record features seven pieces of original music written by Thomas and members of the ensemble, and features ten of Toronto’s finest young musicians.
As time passes, the group continues to expand their repertoire and look forward to continuing to compose and perform their innovative music for years to come.
Music
Below is a selection of music that was featured on the ensemble’s 2021 release entitled “10Tet”. Since their release, Thomas has continued to compose and arrange genre-defying pieces of large ensemble music. The band hopes to record their sophomore album within the next year.
Testimonials
“Thomas Steele’s ‘10Tet’ is a significant accomplishment in composing, arranging and performance from some exceptional young musicians with very bright futures.”
— Tara Davidson, JUNO award winning saxophonist
Thomas Steele’s ‘10Tet’ showcases a bold, new explorer in the contemporary jazz terrain. As a composer and soloist, he steers this giant ship with verve while showcasing some of Toronto’s finest young musicians.”
— Ori Dagan, Global Music award winner
“Thomas Steele brings together an excellent cast of musicians on ‘10Tet’. This recording is filled with interesting compositions and arrangements, fantastic improvisations and solid ensemble work. It was a joy to listen to from start to finish, and I look forward to hearing what the future holds for Thomas and this outstanding band.”
— Kelly Jefferson, JUNO award winning saxophonist
The Thomas Steele 10Tet is a group of young musicians making their mark on the Toronto jazz scene. Their recording features interesting compositions as well as good arrangements and high quality ensemble playing and soloing. I’m looking forward to seeing the development of this ensemble and their future works.”
— Luis Deniz, Grammy nominated saxophonist
“Thomas Steele is a rising star on the scene. His new album ‘10Tet’ showcases arrangements and performances that are highly creative, and full of gorgeous harmonies, textures, and rhythmic interplay. Definitely an artist to watch out for!”
— Amanda Tossoff, JUNO nominated pianist and vocalist
Reviews
With this new album, Toronto-based saxophonist and composer Thomas Steele reimagines how a big band can sound. Sounding at times comfortingly familiar and at other times completely foreign, 10Tet pushes the boundaries of contemporary jazz with an experimental take on large ensemble music that’s deep, full and forceful.
— Adam Feibel, Jazz FM (2021)
“Thoroughly polished and staggeringly intricate, Thomas Steele’s latest release is a marvel in all its controlled fury. Unlike his last album ‘The Bends’ (which featured two chordal instruments in a quintet format), Steele opts to go entirely without comping instruments here. Consequently, his horn section boasts eight parts, and the ensemble still manages to do an effective job of relaying substantial harmonic information thanks to consistently spotless arranging (particularly that of Dennis Kwok). Texturally speaking, the music is captivating. Through all the constantly moving structures, stabs and jabs in the arrangements, a persisting atmosphere of cathartic density is built; all while maintaining lucidity in the compositional aspects. The rhythm section of bassist Evan Gratham and drummer Jacob Slous covers a fair bit of ground between them, meshing masterfully with immaculate time feel while laying a foundation of rhythmic clarity for the rest of the group. Also indispensable is the versatile baritone saxophone/bass clarinet playing of Alex Manoukas, which adds an extra dimension of low-end and greatly adds to the overall coherence. Steele’s bandleading style feels equal parts selfless and distinctive. He can continually achieve a very particular sound out of such unconventional instrumentation, and yet he also gives way for the complete expression of each individual musician. Everyone is given a significant feature at some point, and three of the seven tunes are penned by contributors aside from Steele. Jacob Chung’s February Flowers is a standout.”
— Yoshi Wall, Whole Note Magazine (2022)