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Thundercat
Bruner found his instrument at the age of 4. That made him a late-bloomer in the house of Ronald, Sr., who drummed with the Temptations among others. His first bass was a black Harmony, and he practiced to the Ninja Turtles soundtrack until pops played him Jaco Pastorius. He joined thrash legends Suicidal Tendencies as a teenager, and spent road and studio time with everyone from Stanley Clarke to Snoop Dogg to Erykah Badu. Eventually the name Thundercat stuck, a reference to the cartoon he’s loved since childhood and an extension of Bruner’s wide-eyed, vibrant, often superhuman approach to his craft.
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Thundercat: It Is What It Is
by John Bricker
If you're looking for some dreamy neo-soul and jazz fusion with a charming sense of humor, no one can satisfy you like Thundercat. Released on April 3, his fourth studio album, It Is What It Is, demonstrates his seemingly limitless confidence and charm as a singer, songwriter and bassist, delivering a solid crop of gorgeous and personal songs. After releasing two acclaimed solo albums and playing some incredible features for artists like Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino, Stephen ...
read moreThundercat: On Kendrick Lamar, Kamasi Washington, Erykah Badu and the great LA jazz renaissance
by Rob Garratt
When, a few years back, the mainstream media began breathlessly anointing the arrival of a West Coast-born jazz renaissance," Thundercat's name was invariably invoked second in the evidence list behind, of course, that of his childhood buddy Kamasi Washington. While Washington's career has gone stratosphericwith a summer co-headline tour alongside Herbie Hancock the latest summit mountedThundercat has proved no slouch, picking up widespread praise for 2017's Drunk, an idiosyncratic third outing which squeezed squelching lounge-funk grooves, electro-pop hooks, gymnastic falsetto ...
read moreThundercat at the Bluebird Theater
by Geoff Anderson
Thundercat Bluebird Theater Denver, CO February 22, 2017 Thundercat brought the thunder. Bassist Stephen Bruner, also known as Thundercat, went low at the Bluebird Theater Wednesday night. We're talking bass that was deep and powerful enough to revive a heart attack victim. But Bruner and his band weren't simply about boisterous bass. There was much more. Bruner brought his trio to Denver for a song-oriented two hour set. Playing a 6-string electric bass ...
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