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
/ref>
He is known for his free jazz
Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians during ...
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 m ...
. 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 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, Sw ...
' 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 s ...
. 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 points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. Equivalently, it is the curve traced out by a point that moves in a plane so that its distance from a given point is const ...
)
* Human Arts Ensemble: ''Junk Trap'' (Black Saint
Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated 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
Black S ...
, 1978)
* Human Arts Ensemble: : ''Live, Vol. 1'' (Circle, 1978)
* Saint Louis Creative Ensemble: ''Live at Moers'' (Moers Music, 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/ref>
Wilber Morris recorded widely, and performed with ...
, 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 proc ...
, 1996) with Ted daniel, Wilber Morris, Dennis Charles
* Luther Thomas and John Lindberg: Spirit of St. Louis (Ayler Records Ayler is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Albert Ayler (1936–1970), American jazz saxophonist, singer, and composer
* Donald Ayler (1942–2007), American jazz trumpeter, brother of Albert
* Ethel Ayler (1930–2018), America ...
, 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