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****Lucky Thompson Corner****


Clunky

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Someone at AAJ has just posted that the most recent news* about Lucky T show he´s still a confused man who has no interest in touching a saxophone.

Literally:

The last I know is that he is still in his room at the nursing home. He

still doesn't have much going, but living. (If you call that living).

* from a very good source, it seems: Lola Pedrini who did her best to get him off the streets of Seattle and into a facility where he'd be cared for

Sad news!

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I would also like to recommend "Lucky Strikes". It is a very relaxed session, with the great lineup of Hank Jones, Richard Davis (who was suddenly on just about everybody's date at that time) and Connie Kay. As someone mentioned, Lucky is also great on soprano, and that's one reason to get this album, which is, of course, easily available as an OCJ - makes a nice change from trying to hunt down that rare Japanese CD that someone's brother thought he saw at such and such a store.

I'm particuarly fond of Richard's playing on pieces in triple time, and there's a good one on this album.

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I've posted a rarely (if ever) seen photo of Lucky on my website, detroitmusichistory.com, it's in the Willie Anderson article.  The pic is from 1939-40 and shows Lucky with Milton Jackson (as he was then known).

Here' a link - nice site that is!

Edited by mikeweil
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I've posted a rarely (if ever) seen photo of Lucky on my website, detroitmusichistory.com, it's in the Willie Anderson article.  The pic is from 1939-40 and shows Lucky with Milton Jackson (as he was then known).

Here' a link - nice site that is!

yes it is, lost some time reading myself around there... :tup

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I've posted a rarely (if ever) seen photo of Lucky on my website, detroitmusichistory.com, it's in the Willie Anderson article.  The pic is from 1939-40 and shows Lucky with Milton Jackson (as he was then known).

Here' a link - nice site that is!

Thanks Mike for providing a link to the site. A fascinating one.

Had never heard of Willie Anderson before. Sounds like a major unheard musician.

There is a mention in the article that Uptown is going to publish a CD compilation 'Detroit Jazz Before Motown 1945-53' where he and other Detroit jazz greats will be heard in rare and previously unissued recordings.

Could Chuck advise when this is scheduled to be published? This looks like another Uptown to purchase.

Also there is a photo of Willie Anderson with Stan Kenton musicians in Detroit in February 1948 in that article. The unidentified trombone player has to be Kai Winding!

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  • 2 weeks later...

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

I believe Thompson took to the soprano before Coltrane made it fashionable.

Lucky avoids the snake charmer approach as well as the Bechet vibrato attack. He has a sound of his own on the fish horn

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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.

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There is a mention in the article that Uptown is going to publish a CD compilation 'Detroit Jazz Before Motown 1945-53' where he and other Detroit jazz greats will be heard in rare and previously unissued recordings.

Could Chuck advise when this is scheduled to be published? This looks like another Uptown to purchase.

Wow! Any confirmation on that, Chuck? I did a two-part show on BEFORE MOTOWN a couple years back, and JamesJazz sent me some wonderful material from that time... that's another Uptown I'd buy right out of the gate!

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There is a mention in the article that Uptown is going to publish a CD compilation 'Detroit Jazz Before Motown 1945-53' where he and other Detroit jazz greats will be heard in rare and previously unissued recordings.

... that's another Uptown I'd buy right out of the gate!

Same here!!!

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  • 4 weeks later...

I just noticed that 2 tracks on the LT disc "Yesterdays Child" Musidisc 500602 are recorded live and though uncredited must be from the session "Live At Cook County Jail". The tracks are On green dolphin street and Everything happens to me

Missing from this session is Cherokee, any available sources??

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Hi,

Nobody speaks about the following LP that I'm looking for:

LUCKY THOMPSON - A LUCKY SONGBOOK IN EUROPE - MPS(G)15231

Lucky Thompson (ts, ss), Ingfried Hoffman (org), René Thomas (g), Fats Sadi (vib, congas, bongos), Eberhard Weber (b), Stu Martin (dm)

Villingen, Germany, March 13, 1969

Sauvabelin

Centreville

Street of dreams

Easy living

Soul City

Note: All titles also on MPS(G)2120699-8, CRM 699.

As you can notice it, the fabulous René Thomas is also present.

A CDR copy with color copy of the art cover will be appreciated.

Thanks for your help!

Claude

claude.schlouch.jazz@wanadoo.fr

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Hi,

Nobody speaks about the following LP that I'm looking for:

LUCKY THOMPSON - A LUCKY SONGBOOK IN EUROPE - MPS(G)15231

This one was floated as possible reissue by MPS but I'm not sure how concrete the plans might be. I'd certainly like to hear it

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Hi,

Nobody speaks about the following LP that I'm looking for:

LUCKY THOMPSON - A LUCKY SONGBOOK IN EUROPE - MPS(G)15231

Lucky Thompson (ts, ss), Ingfried Hoffman (org), René Thomas (g), Fats Sadi (vib, congas, bongos), Eberhard Weber (b), Stu Martin (dm)

Villingen, Germany, March 13, 1969

Sauvabelin

Centreville

Street of dreams

Easy living

Soul City

Note: All titles also on MPS(G)2120699-8, CRM 699.

As you can notice it, the fabulous René Thomas is also present.

A CDR copy with color copy of the art cover will be appreciated.

Thanks for your help!

Claude

claude.schlouch.jazz@wanadoo.fr

Why did you not ask for that one before? Guess who has this?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks to Chuck Nessa I found this beauty.

Tete is grand and Lucky is sensational. An incredible bargain at $2.99 at Berkshire By the way, on LP this is known as "Body & Soul".

Another great :tup for that disc. I´m currently listening to it and it´s a gem, IMHO. Lucky T plays soprano on 6 tracks and tenor on 4. I´d point out a beautiful version of "Body and soul" on soprano, and his originals.

BTW: I have the 1999 Ensayo CD reissue:

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  • 8 months later...

Up for some more LT, latest additions to my collection include

Fletcher Henderson 1950 Live- Trans Ark - Sextet with Thompson in great form , recorded for broadcast days apparently before FH had a CVA. Good sound, despite the bootleg like appearance of the LP cover.

Art Blakey - Soul Finger LP (UK)- worth it for the one track that LT plays on. The rest is second rate Art for sure.

Edited by Clunky
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