image:Dizzazz.jpg, 200px, Dizzazz in June 1981. From left to right : Luther Thomas (as), Danny Petroni (g), Donald Nicks (bass), Marvin Neal (tb), Warren Benbow (drums), John K. Mulkerin (tp) and Billy "Spaceman" Paterson (g)
Luther Thomas was an alto saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist from St. Louis.
Allmusic
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He is known for his free jazz
Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...
playing drawing also on funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
. He was involved with the Black Artists Group
The Black Artists Group (BAG) was a multidisciplinary arts collective that existed in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1968 to 1972. BAG is known for the convergence of free jazz and experimental theater.
Members
Members included saxophonists Julius ...
starting in the 1960s, played in the Human Arts Ensemble
The Human Arts Ensemble was a 1970s musical collective operating in St. Louis, Missouri. Members explored free jazz and loosely associated themselves with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and the Black Artists' ...
with Charles Bobo Shaw in the 1970s, and led a group called Dizzazz in the early 1980s. He has also played saxophone for James Chance and the Contortions
James Chance and the Contortions (initially known simply as Contortions, a spin-off group is called James White and the Blacks) was a musical group led by saxophonist and vocalist James Chance, formed in 1977. They were a central act of New York ...
. Thomas-led sessions from the early 1970s have been reissued on CD as part of Atavistic Records
Atavistic Records is an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois, known for its no wave and free jazz recordings.
Atavistic has released albums by Glenn Branca, Nels Cline, Lydia Lunch, Peter Brötzmann, Ken Vandermark, Pinetop Seven, ...
' Unheard Music Series
The Unheard Music Series is an imprint of the American record label Atavistic Records. The series, running since 2000, is curated by Chicago writer and producer John Corbett and focuses mainly on free jazz recordings from the 1960s and 1970s. The ...
. Luther Thomas was born on June 23, 1950, and died on September 8, 2009.
Discography
*Luther Thomas Creative Ensemble – ''Funky Donkey'' (Circle
A circle is a shape consisting of all point (geometry), points in a plane (mathematics), plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the Centre (geometry), centre. The distance between any point of the circle and the centre is cal ...
)
* Human Arts Ensemble: ''Junk Trap'' (Black Saint
Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italy, Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz.
History
...
, 1978)
* Human Arts Ensemble: : ''Live, Vol. 1'' (Circle, 1978)
* Saint Louis Creative Ensemble: ''Live at Moers'' (Moers Music, 1979)
* Billy Bang
Billy Bang (September 20, 1947 – April 11, 2011), born William Vincent Walker, was an American free jazz violinist and composer.
Biography
Bang's family moved to New York City's Bronx neighborhood while he was still an infant, and as a ...
Sextet with Frank Lowe
Frank Lowe (June 24, 1943 – September 19, 2003) was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and composer.
Biography
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Lowe took up the tenor saxophone at the age of 12. As an adult he moved to San Francisco, where h ...
: ''Sweet Space
''Sweet Space'' is a live album by the Billy Bang Sextet, led by violinist Bang, and featuring tenor saxophonist Frank Lowe, alto saxophonist Luther Thomas, cornetist Butch Morris, pianist Curtis Clark, double bassist Wilber Morris, and drummer St ...
'' (Anima, 1979)
* Luther Thomas and Dizzaz: ''Yo' Momma'' (Moers, 1981)
* Luther Thomas Quintett: ''Don't Tell!'' (2007, with Ted Daniel, Charles Eubanks, Wilber Morris
Wilber Morris (November 27, 1937 - August 8, 2002) was an American jazz double bass player and bandleader. He was the brother of the cornetist, composer, and conductor Butch Morris.Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
Wilber Morris recorded widely, and performed with su ...
, Denis Charles)
* ''BAGin It'' (CIMP
Creative Improvised Music Projects, usually abbreviated CIMP or C.I.M.P., is an American jazz record company and label. It is associated with ''Cadence'' magazine and Cadence Jazz Records. The label is noted for its minimal use of electronic pr ...
, 1996) with Ted daniel, Wilber Morris, Dennis Charles
* Luther Thomas and John Lindberg: Spirit of St. Louis (Ayler Records
Ayler Records is an independent record label that focuses on jazz, free jazz, and improvised music.
History
Named after saxophonist Albert Ayler, the label was founded in Sweden in 2000 by Jan Ström and Åke Bjurhamn. The majority of Ayler's ear ...
, 2008)
DizzazzDatonezz
''Gang$tarJazz'' wit
Per Løkkegaard
and Miloud Sabri
Helicopter Records
2010)
* Luther Thomas: ''In Denmark'' (ILK Music, 2014)
Gallery
Image:Luther-Thomas01.jpg
Image:luther-thomas03.jpg
Image:luther-thomas02.jpg
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Luther
1950 births
2009 deaths
Music of St. Louis
American jazz saxophonists
American male saxophonists
CIMP artists
20th-century American saxophonists
20th-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians
Human Arts Ensemble members
Black Saint/Soul Note artists
Atavistic Records artists