****Lucky Thompson Corner****

[mikeweil]

Actually there were two CDs worth of reissues from those last Fletcher Henderson appearances - the first hald was on a German LP I have, the second issued after they reissued the material on CD - the label owners should be the same. There is some obscure German online source for this - they specialize on Volksmusik otherwise - but I can't locate this right now. Do a search for Henderson 1950, there is a thread somewhere with a link.

[brownie]

Lucky Thompson is getting some belated recognition!

From The New York Times today:

Tribute

[.:.impossible]

I've always thought Lucky's soprano playing sounded similar to Rahsaan's manzello. I love both of them. Such a beautiful tone.

[Larry Kart]

Lucky Thompson is getting some belated recognition!

From The New York Times today:

Tribute

Yes, but the last part of Ratliff's "[Thompson] extended the capacious, dramatic sound and modern harmonic ideas of Coleman Hawkins and Chu Berry from the 1930s, as well as the streamlined and mercurial improvising of Paul Gonsalves" is extremely dubious.

If there was much relationship between Thompson and Gonsalves, it almost certainly was the other way around, Thompson having preceded Gonsalves as featured tenor saxophonist with Count Basie (Thompson 1944-5, Gonsalves 1946-49), though Gonsalves was four years older. Just as likely, the young Gonsalves was processing his and Thompson's common forerunners (Hawkins, Berry, and, above all, Ben Webster and Don Byas). I wouldn't think that Thompson, then or later on, "extended" what Gonsalves was doing; there was no need for him to do that -- his own distinctive style coalesced rapidly. One might as well say that Allen Eager extended the ideas of Richie Kamuca.

[Shrdlu]

is that Lucky T on soprano? Never heard him play that.

These are the CDs with soprano solos:

Candid CCD 79035 Lucky Thompson - Lord, Lord, Am I Ever Gonna Know?

ensayo ENY-CD-3471 Lucky Thompson - Soul's Nite Out

Fresh Sound FSR-CD 199 Lucky Thompson - Lucky Meets Tommy And Friends

HighNote HCD 7045 Lucky Thompson - Lucky In Paris

Original Jazz Classics OJCCD-194-2 Lucky Thompson - Lucky Strikes

Prestige PRCD-24144-2 Lucky Thompson - Happy Days

*Vogue 74321 55950 2 Lucky Thompson - The Complete Vogue Recordings Vol. 2

and his last sessions on Groovre Merchant.

If anything proves to be OOP, drop me a PM!

He indeed recorded on soprano before Coltrane. Very unique conception. Steve Lacy, Pony Poindexter and Lucky were the first to record modern jazz on soprano sax, before Trane.

When did Lucky first record on soprano? We know that Trane's first recording on it was in the summer of 1960 - the session with Don Cherry (before "My Favorite Things").

[Niko]

Noal Cohen's discography... says January 14, 1959 (the High Note CD...)

[Niko]

just googled a bit behind this guy "Prince Ghana M'Bow" who appeared on some Barney Wilen and Lucky Thompson recordings... found these two bits

link and link... is that the same person? does anybody know more about him? (so his brother would have been head of the Unesco and all)

[Shrdlu]

Noal Cohen's discography... says January 14, 1959 (the High Note CD...)

Vielen Dank, Nico.

[brownie]

just googled a bit behind this guy "Prince Ghana M'Bow" who appeared on some Barney Wilen and Lucky Thompson recordings... found these two bits

link and link... is that the same person? does anybody know more about him? (so his brother would have been head of the Unesco and all)

Met him when I was one of the regulars at the Club Saint-Germain back in the late '50s. He was also a regular at the club and at other Paris spots. He was known as Gana M'Bow, a percussionist/dancer/man of the world from Senegal. Looks like that's him nowadays. If that's actually him, glad to find out he has made good!

[mikeweil]

The Lionel Hampton All Stars session for Jazztone was reissued in complete form on a Fresh Sound double CD:

Sound is very good, highly recommend - be aware there are some quartet tracks, but this is some of the best Hamp I ever heard! The whole band is great!

Edited December 18, 2009 by mikeweil