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Luther Thomas

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7
Extended Analysis

Luther Thomas: In Denmark

Read "Luther Thomas: In Denmark" reviewed by Jakob Baekgaard


Denmark has a long tradition of jazz immigration and in the land where the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen was born, it is truly a musical fairy tale that such great artists as saxophonists Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon and Stan Getz have lived and worked in the country, along with pianists like Kenny Drew and Horace Parlan, trumpeter and arranger Thad Jones, and drummer Ed Thigpen. It is a musical legacy to be immensely proud of, and its story has ...

124
Album Review

Luther Thomas Quartet: Leave it to Luther

Read "Leave it to Luther" reviewed by Rex  Butters


Leave it to Luther continues veteran alto saxophonist Luther Thomas’ fruitful association with CIMP. The label’s trademark living presence sound accentuates the tart and sweet sounds of Thomas and guitarist Ethan Mann, respectively, and catches every breath of Cliff Barbaro’s quicksilver cymbal work. Brian Smith’s basslines lurk and lead. As the band veers from free to swing and back, Smith’s playing defines the changes.

On the title track, Barbaro plays an uncannily melodic percussion intro before the ...

150
Album Review

Luther Thomas: Leave it to Luther

Read "Leave it to Luther" reviewed by Derek Taylor


One of the most appealing attributes of jazz is its diversity. Stripes and colors in the music rival the vistas of twirling domed canopies in that classic French musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. But with individuality comes an accompanying spectrum of method and quality. Certain players impress with their studied and accomplished techniques. Others emphasize emotional import over superlative prowess. Alto saxophonist Luther Thomas sits comfortably in the latter camp. He’s an energetic player whose enthusiasm occasionally eclipses the scope ...

240
Album Review

Luther Thomas and the Human Arts Ensemble: Funky Donkey, Vols. I & II

Read "Funky Donkey, Vols. I & II" reviewed by AAJ Staff


I’m glad I gave Funky Donkey a second and third try, even though my final impressions remain mixed. This ensemble, affiliated with the St. Louis BAG (Black Artists Group), has released recordings under the aegis of both Thomas and Charles Bobo Shaw. My first encounter, on an Arista Freedom LP, was unfortunately negative despite my best efforts to dig the music.

Funky Donkey was recorded in 1973 and originally released on Creative Consciousness (CC1001T) in 1977. Circle Records subsequently reissued ...

122
Album Review

Luther Thomas Human Arts Ensemble: Funky Donkey

Read "Funky Donkey" reviewed by Derek Taylor


Luther Thomas was one of the early pioneers in the struggle to mesh free jazz-based improvisation with the visceral rhythms of funk and Rhythm and Blues. Working with colleagues in the Black Artist’s Guild, an AACM-styled musician’s collective based in St. Louis, Missouri, in the early 1970s he hatched a handful of recorded experiments that traced his investigations, all of which quickly fell out of circulation. Thanks to John Corbett’s Unheard imprint one of those seminal sessions has been resurrected ...

159
Album Review

Luther Thomas Quintet: Realities: Old & New

Read "Realities: Old & New" reviewed by Derek Taylor


Luther Thomas plays and speaks from the gut and his unequivocal artistic integrity becomes immediately apparent whether it’s projected through his horn or by way of written word. Add to this that he’s managed to balance a reverence for jazz tradition with freer proclivities and an indication of what’s in store on this disc should begin to materialize. The group assembled is somewhat coarse around the edges, but blemish-free music breeds boredom and Thomas is all about keeping things fresh ...

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46

Recording

Luther Thomas's Probingly Incisive Alto in a Good Setting

Luther Thomas's Probingly Incisive Alto in a Good Setting

Source: Gapplegate Music Review by Grego Edwards

There are a number of the late Luther Thomas's recordings on Ayler records. One of the very best is the download digital release of Finally! Total Unity in 3 Phases (aylDL-041). It's a 2006 quartet date that brings some lucid Thomas alto sax within the context of the ubiquitous Jeffry Hayden Shurdut on guitar and drums, Ed Chang on computer electronics, home-made reeds and tenor, and Motoko Shimizu on toys, recorder and voice. The quartet sets up interesting textural clouds ...

136

Video / DVD

STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Remembering Luther Thomas

STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Remembering Luther Thomas

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week, let's look at four video clips featuring the late Luther Thomas, who passed away last week at the age of 59. The saxophonist and St. Louis native lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, and all of four of these clips were recorded there. The first video was made at the Christiania Jazz Club during the Copenhagen Jazz Fest in July, 2008. It features Thomas fronting a quartet in a freebop ...

169

Radio

WKCR to Broadcast Tribute to Luther Thomas at Noon Today

WKCR to Broadcast Tribute to Luther Thomas at Noon Today

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

Jazz journalist and DJ Charles Blass emailed with news that WKCR (89.9 FM), the public radio station affiliated with NYC's Columbia University, will broadcast a memorial and tribute to the late saxophonist and St. Louis native Luther Thomas from noon to 9:00 p.m. (Eastern time) today, Tuesday, September 15. Guests will include On Ka'a Davis, William “Spaceman" Patterson and Georgia Thomas.You can listen to WKCR's online audio stream here. For more about Luther Thomas, who died last week ...

207

Obituary

Luther Thomas 1950-2009

Luther Thomas 1950-2009

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

Citing a broadcast by the NYC public radio station WKCR, NPR's A Blog Supreme has posted an item saying that saxophonist Luther Thomas has died.The St. Louis native and former Black Artists Group member (pictured) has lived in Copenhagen, Denmark for a number of years, and at this point there don't seem to be any obituaries or other fresh news stories about him anywhere online, in either English or Danish.There are two other sources that confirm ...

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Spiritual Machine

Contemporary Records
2007

buy

The Rap

Contemporary Records
2005

buy

Outcry

Contemporary Records
2004

buy

Leave it to Luther

CIMP Records
2004

buy

Leave it to Luther

CIMP Records
2003

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