Willie Thomas (born February 13, 1931) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

er, author and educator.

Biography

Willie Thomas was raised in Orlando, Florida and started playing the trumpet around the age of 10. In the 1950s, Willie was a member of the Third Army Band, where he met and played with pianist

Wynton Kelly Wynton Charles Kelly (December 2, 1931 – April 12, 1971) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his lively, blues-based playing and as one of the finest accompanists in jazz. He began playing professionally at the age of ...

, which became his first real break into the New York jazz scene.Willie Thomas (interview)
'' Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man - Part 2''. Retrieved 11 August 2015. In his 45 years as a jazz trumpeter, Thomas has performed or recorded with many jazz greats including the MJT+3 with

Frank Strozier Frank R. Strozier Jr. (born June 13, 1937) is a jazz alto saxophonist. Strozier was born in Memphis, Tennessee, where he learned to play piano. In 1954, he moved to Chicago, where he performed with Harold Mabern, George Coleman, and Booker Littl ...

and

Bob Cranshaw Melbourne Robert Cranshaw (December 3, 1932 – November 2, 2016) was an American jazz bassist. His career spanned the heyday of Blue Note Records to his recent involvement with the Musicians Union. He is perhaps best known for his long associa ...

, the

Slide Hampton Locksley Wellington Hampton (April 21, 1932 – November 18, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tuba and flugelho ...

Octet with

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

and

George Coleman George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master. Early life Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was ...

, the

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...

Orchestra, the Al Belletto Sextet, and singer

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...

.Bagby, Cal
"Thomas plays his mentors’ music"
'' The Islands' Sounder'', Washington, 23 August 2012. Retrieved on 12 March 2015."Willie Thomas on ear training"
''

I Was Doing All Right "I Was Doing All Right" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Ella Logan (unseen, on the radio) in the 1937 film ''The Goldwyn Follies''. Notable recordings * Ella Logan - recorded on December ...

'', 15 January 2012. Retrieved on 11 August 2015."Willie Works" (about Willie Thomas)
Retrieved on 11 August 2015. Thomas created the series of jazz educational books ''Jazz Anyone...?''. He has also an active member of the

International Association for Jazz Education International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE), formerly a not-for-profit corporation based in Manhattan, Kansas, was a volunteer-run organization that, among other things, allocated student scholarships through its approved festivals program ...

and was inducted into the International Association of Jazz Educators' Jazz Education Hall of Fame in 1994.

Personal life

Willie married American jazz singer

Jerri Winters Jerri Winters is an American jazz singer. She worked with Stan Kenton's orchestra from 15 February until 15 June 1952, recording several titles for Capitol Records, including "Adios," "All Because of You," and "She's a Comely Wench."Easton, Carol ...

Selected discography

As leader

* ''Discover Jazz - Live! At The 1982 NAJE Convention'' (1982,

Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fi ...

) - with

Bunky Green Vernice "Bunky" Green (born April 23, 1935) is an American jazz alto saxophonist and educator. Biography Green was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he played the alto saxophone, mainly at a local club called "The Brass Rail". Green's fir ...

, and featuring

Nick Brignola Nicholas Thomas "Nick" Brignola (July 17, 1936 – February 8, 2002) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist. Biography Brignola was born on July 17, 1936 in Troy, New York. He was born into a musical family in which his father played the tu ...

Frank Pazzullo Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curr ...

Larry Green (bassist) Lawrence Edward Green (July 2, 1895 – August 8, 1960) was a professional football player in the National Football League with the Canton Bulldogs The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. T ...

Arch Martin Archie Eugene Martin (born April 9, 1931 Independence, Missouri - March 1, 2009 San Diego) was an American jazz trombonist, who was active in the jazz scene of Kansas City. Life Arch Martin graduated from William Chrisman High School in 1949, th ...

, and

Warrick Carter Warrick may refer to: People Given name * Warrick Brown, fictional character on ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' * Warrick Brownlow-Pike (born 1985), British puppeteer * Warrick Couch (born 1954), Australian astronomer * Warrick Dunn (born 1975 ...

"Bunky Green Discography"
/ref> * ''In Love Again'' (1987,

) - with

As sideman

With

and

Tito Puente Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz c ...

* ''Herman's Heat & Puente's Beat'' (1958, Everest) With

* ''Sister Salvation / Somethin' Sanctified / Live at Birdland'' (1960, 1961,

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

/Fresh Sound) * ''Two Sides of Slide'' (1961, Charlie Parker Records) (as William Thomas) * ''Jazz with a Twist'' (1962,

) With MJT+3 * '' MJT+3'' (

Vee-Jay Records Vee-Jay Records is an American record label founded in the 1950s, located in Chicago and specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The label was founded in Gary, Indiana in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken, a h ...

) with

Harold Mabern Harold Mabern Jr. (March 20, 1936 – September 17, 2019) was an American jazz pianist and composer, principally in the hard bop, post-bop, and soul jazz fields.Feather, Leonard; Gitler, Ira (2007) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz''. p. 42 ...

, and

Walter Perkins Walter Perkins may refer to: * Walter Perkins (musician) (1932–2004), American jazz drummer * Walter Perkins (Stroud MP) (1903–1988), Conservative Party politician in England * Walter E. Perkins Walter Eugene Perkins (1859–1925) was an Am ...

* '' Make Everybody Happy'' (1961,

) With

* ''Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss Peggy Lee'' (1961,

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

) With Bill Henderson * ''His complete Vee-Jay Recordings Vol. 1'' (1993,

Koch Jazz Koch may refer to: People * Koch (surname), people with this surname * Koch dynasty, a dynasty in Assam and Bengal, north east India * Koch family * Koch people (or Koche), an ethnic group originally from the ancient Koch kingdom in north east In ...

) With

Bill Barron William Barron (26 October 1917 – 2 January 2006) was an English sportsman, who played football in the higher leagues before the Second World War and, along with some football, first-class cricket afterwards. Sporting career William Barron ...

* ''

West Side Story Bossa Nova ''West Side Story Bossa Nova'' is an album by saxophonist Bill Barron featuring bossa nova versions of tunes from the Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim musical ''West Side Story'' which was recorded in 1963 and first released on the Dauntles ...

'' (1963, Dauntless)'' High Fidelity'' (1963)
"Review: West Side Story Bossa Nova"
Vol. 13, Part 1. p. 72.

Books

The ''Jazz Anyone.....?'' series, published by

Alfred Music Alfred Music is an American music publishing company. Founded in New York in 1922, it is headquartered in Van Nuys, California, with additional branches in Miami, New York, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. History In New York City ...

: *''Jazz Anyone.....?, Bk 1: Play and Learn (B Flat Tenor Sax Edition)'' *''Jazz Anyone.....?, Bk 1: Play and Learn (E-Flat Instruments)'' (Book & 2 CDs) *''Jazz Anyone.....?, Bk 1: Play and Learn (Teacher Edition)'' (Book & 3 CDs) *''Jazz Anyone.....?, Vol 1: Play and Learn Jazz Combo Collection (Easy)'' *''Jazz Anyone.....?, Bk 2: Play and Learn Blues and More (Bass Edition)'' (Book & 2 CDs) *''Jazz Anyone.....?, Bk 2: Play and Learn Blues and More (Teacher Edition)'' (Book & 2 CDs) *''Jazz Anyone.....?, Bk 3: Making Music -- A Simple Language System for Jazz (Teacher Edition)'' (Book & 2 CDs) *''Jazz Anyone.....?, Bk 3: Making Music -- A Simple Language System for Jazz (E-Flat Instruments)'' (Book & 2 CDs) *''Jazz Anyone.....? Rhythm Manual'' *''Funtime Blues Pack (Student's Book) (A Jazz Curriculum for K-6)''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Willie American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters Hard bop trumpeters 1931 births Bebop trumpeters 20th-century American musicians 20th-century trumpeters 21st-century trumpeters Living people 21st-century American musicians Jazz musicians from Florida Musicians from Orlando, Florida 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians