Pat Thomas - Hikmah (2025)

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Pat Thomas - Hikmah (2025)

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Hikmah' is the astonishing new solo piano work from virtuosic & far-ranging sound scientist; deep & compassionate thinker; UK-based musical treasure, Pat Thomas. It is a singular album in his singular and now substantial body of work, and his first for the TAO Forms label, which we are honored to present. This album brings the information.

Pat Thomas was Born in Oxford, UK to Antiguan parents on July 27, 1960. Interestingly, just over 4 months separate his birth from that of fellow modern piano master Matthew Shipp (Dec 7, 1960) – whose 'The Piano Equation' was TAO Forms inaugural release. Thomas is most certainly among the Black Mystery School Pianists of which Shipp elucidates in the title essay of his recently published first book.

Hikmah comprises eight thoroughly focused improvised and otherwise compositions recorded at Fish Factory studio in London. The album’s title means wisdom, in Arabic. The title is also presented in two different forms of calligraphic script on the cover artwork. Herein, the vibrantly living jazz tradition, and new modes of expression in abundance, are brought forth from a lifetime of work/study and a decades long devotion to Sufism, understanding that the practice and performance of this music is an elemental form of spiritual practice. As William Parker writes in the liner notes, “[the] music becomes the prophet and the prayer all in one gesture.” And, “If you haven’t yet heard the music of Pat Thomas, get hip to it quickly.”

Attuned US audiences are most likely to have become familiar with Pat Thomas in recent years through recordings of his work with the quartet [Ahmed], who have amazed with their mesmeric, long-form explorations on the compositions of Ahmed Abdul-Malik. Their US performance premiere took place on March 25, 2025, and TAO Forms were lucky members of the rapt audience at Roulette, Brooklyn that night; the group then flew to Knoxville, TN to perform for equally rapt audiences at Big Ears.

From a Jazzwise (UK) interview by Daniel Spicer published May 2025:

“The piano is a great sound source. There’s no instrument like it in the Western world because it’s so self-contained. And the fact that it’s still being used, the fact that you can’t replicate it. I’ve yet to come across any sample that sounds like a real piano. It’s still got a mileage of another hundred years at least. It’s way ahead of its time.” And he continued, “The piano is basically a zither with keys. There is an Arabic instrument called a kanun that had a big influence on it. We’ve sort of forgotten the Ottoman Empire. Beethoven and Mozart living in that time were well aware of its influence on Western music.”

For Thomas, there’s a strong urge to transmit the secrets and encourage spiritual transcendence. “Yeah. Things may be bad but maybe for 45 minutes, you can help people see there’s something that takes them somewhere else. We need to be taken somewhere [else] in these times!”