Thomas Steele makes his own mark on big-band jazz
By Raina Hersh
Thomas Steele is a Toronto-based saxophonist, composer and educator who has performed across Canada in both big bands and smaller jazz ensembles, sharing the stage with internationally acclaimed artists like Tim Hagans, Andrew Rathbun, Tara Davidson and more.
In 2019, Steele released a quintet album called
The Bends. Now, his latest project
10Tet features a 10-piece jazz ensemble with some of the most engaging and lyrical musicians in Toronto.
For the
How would you describe your style to someone who hasn’t heard your music?
I would say it’s about taking a big band and putting it into a more modern stream. We have instrumentation that’s a bit unique. We’re trying to push the boundaries of some more modern and contemporary styles of jazz.