While the Gate Is Open

While the Gate Is Open is the fourth album by saxophonist Gary Thomas which was recorded in 1990 and released on the JMT label. It features Thomas' interpretations of eight jazz standards.

Reception
The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow states, "Thomas gives the eight tunes fresh treatments and as usual avoids all clichés (and the logic of bop) in his explorative improvisations." The Guardian's John Fordham noted "This one features the hard-nosed Miles Davis saxophonist Gary Thomas with a fiercely collaborative band of experts... There's a lot of full-on tenor sax blasting over ferocious percussion barrages... The saxophonist's tendency to spit out phrases rather than massage them into life gives his work a rather impassive quality that mellowed later".

Track listing

 * 1) "Strode Rode" (Sonny Rollins) - 8:06
 * 2) "Star Eyes" (Gene de Paul, Don Raye) - 7:27
 * 3) "You Stepped Out of a Dream" (Nacio Herb Brown, Gus Kahn) - 7:58
 * 4) "The Song Is You" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) - 7:31
 * 5) "Invitation" (Bronisław Kaper, Paul Francis Webster) - 10:00
 * 6) "Chelsea Bridge" (Billy Strayhorn) - 5:38
 * 7) "On the Trail" (Ferde Grofé) - 6:47
 * 8) "Epistrophy" (Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke) - 5:39

Personnel

 * Gary Thomas - tenor saxophone, flute
 * Kevin Eubanks - electric guitar (tracks 1, 5, 6 & 8)
 * Renee Rosnes - synthesizer, piano (tracks 2, 3 & 8)
 * Anthony Cox (tracks 4, 5, 7 & 8), Dave Holland (tracks 1-3 & 6) - bass
 * Dennis Chambers - drums (tracks 1–5, 7 & 8)