Lucky Thompson

Deep passion....

You know, I lost my interest in music. I had to run from place to place at the mercy of the people who manipulated me but I never rejected music; it constitutes a great part of my soul

- Lucky Thompson

The first time I heard Lucky Thompson was on this Oscar Pettiford album.

I picked up this album in a package deal at a record store in Pacific Grove, California in the early 1990s. I used to walk by the store on my way to the KAZU radio station, where I was a DJ.

I had been in the record store many times, and the owner knew my tastes. One day when I walked in, he grabbed a stack of albums and told me, “Some guy just dropped these off, and you need to buy these records.” In the stack were both Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi volumes on the ABC-Paramount label and four of Helen Merrill’s first five EmArcy records. I remember he told me they were rare and that he wanted $100 for all six. Done. Not only was this one sale my introduction to Lucky Thompson, it was also my introduction to three of my all-time favorite jazz musicians: Oscar Pettiford, Helen Merrill, and Clifford Brown.

I remember the first time I listened to Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi. That big band sound with two french horns and harp on The Pendulum At Falcon’s Lair made me sit back and take note. But more than that, I was struck by two other more distinctive qualities of this album: 1.) Pettiford’s cello solos - wow; and 2.) Lucky Thompson’s consistently engaging tenor, particularly on is own composition, Deep Passion.

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Eli “Lucky” Thompson studied tenor saxophone with American bandleader, trombonist Bobby Bryne’s father at Cass Technical High School in Detroit and later clarinet with Francis Hellstein of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. His first professional job was with Erskine Hawkin’s Bama State Collegians in late 1942 and early 1943. In the summer of 1943, he moved to New York City, where he gigged around until Hot Lips Page hired him, with whom he made his first recording in March 1944. In the summer of that same year, he had his first big break when he went on tour with Billy Eckstine’s orchestra, which included Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Howard McGhee, Leo Parker, Art Blakey, and Sarah Vaughn. However, Eckstine’s band found limited success, and Thompson joined Count Basie’s band, replacing Don Byas as lead tenor sax. By this time, Lucky Thompson was considered the best tenor saxophonist of his generation.

When Basie’s band went to Los Angeles in October of 1945, Thompson stayed. This short time in Los Angeles was an extremely prolific period for Thompson. He took up playing on and arranging a number of recording sessions for Leon and Otis René’s Exclusive and Excelsior labels. For the Apollo label in December 1945, he recorded a series of songs as Lucky Thompson and His All-Stars with Dinah Washington.

Here she is singing Chewin’ Mama Blues (interesting that the 78rpm says Woman rather than Mama, as stated on the 1992 Delmark reissue):

Thompson is joined on this session by a young Charles Mingus on bass and Milt Jackson on vibes, with whom he would record in the 1950s - check out their The Jazz Skyline album on Savoy from 1956.

In January 1946, Thompson played on the debut recording of pianist Dodo Marmarosa on the Atomic label:

Dig the cool label. Lucky Thompson’s solo on How High The Moon is recognized as one of the finest tenor solos of the period.

In March 1947, Thompson joined Charlie Parker for his seminal March 28, 1946 Dial session, resulting in Moose the Mooche, Yardbird Suite, Ornithology, and A Night In Tunisia:

Here’s Lucky Thompson playing tenor sax on Yardbird Suite from that session:

In April 1947, Lucky Thompson and His Lucky Seven recorded this incredible 78rpm for the RCA Victor label. He is joined by Neal Hefti on trumpet, the great Benny Carter on alto, Bob Lawson on baritone, Dodo Marmarosa on piano, Barney Kessel on guitar, Red Callender on bass, and Lee Young on drums.

On these early tracks, you can really hear that distinctive Lucky sound.

Thompson returned to New York in 1947, leading his own band at the Savoy Ballroom; however, things did not go as he had planned. Thompson recalled, “When I came back, the club owners were hiring the leaders and picking all the men as well. I didn’t go for that, but the majority of the musicians were catering to the owner’s wishes. Anyway, I worked with Shearing for a while and then both of us played with Oscar Pettiford and J. C. Heard.”

Disillusioned, in February of 1948, he went to Europe. However, a year later he returned to New York and joined an all-star band led by Oscar Pettiford. I think it was his association with Pettiford that yielded some of his best music.

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From 1948 until 1958, Thompson became discouraged again with the state of the music business. He recalls, “I lost all around, and as a result of my bucking the club owners, the word got around I was difficult, and from 1949 to 1954, I was never given a gig in a major jazz club in New York City. It wasn’t until 1954 when Miles Davis had to have a tenor for a Birdland date that I played in one of those clubs. He called me, and I went on with him to Basin Street. But that was the first time in five years.”

It was during this time that Thompson, like Gigi Gryce, created his own music publishing company, Great Music. Unfortunately, it only lasted a few years. He recalls, “It seemed useless for me to try to perform on my horn; they had me locked up in so many ways, so I tried this. I put everything I had into the publishing business and tried always to pick the right artists for each song. But I had never realized until then that most artists have so little to do with their own affairs.” After another short stay in Europe, he returned to the states and again joined Pettiford.

Oscar Pettiford had enlisted Lucky Thompson and Gigi Gryce as the primary arrangers and key sidemen for his new orchestra. In June of 1956, the Pettiford orchestra made the first of two remarkable recordings produced by Creed Taylor for the ABC-Paramount label. Four of the ten tracks were arranged by Thompson, Gryce arranged the other six. Thompson and Pettiford would go on to record two more albums together for the ABC-Paramount label.

Here are a couple classics from those sessions. First, one of Thompson’s originals, Deep Passion, from Lucky Thompson - Featuring Oscar Pettiford:

And Once There Was from Lucky Thompson - Featuring Oscar Pettiford Vol 2:

Another great album released in 1956 is Lucky Thompson’s Accent On Tenor Saxophone on the Urania label:

This is an excellent sleeper album with some of Thompson’s best tenor. Here’s the Rodgers and Hart classic, Where or When:

During the 1960s, Lucky Thompson recorded some great and seldom heard records, like Lucky Is Back (Then, So Is Love) recorded in 1965 on the Rivoli Records label:

Passionately Yours from that album is wonderful:

Kinfolks Corner, also recorded on Rivoli Records, is another classic and dig the cover!

From this album, here is I’ll Be Around, with Tommy Flanagan on piano and Walter Perkins on drums - this might be my favorite Thompson tune - it just sounds like the title to me:

Like Lennie Tristano, Lucky Thompson had a strong spirit and was often seen as difficult and hard-headed; however, it is that strength of spirit that I admire about him. When Thompson returned to the states from Europe for the third and final time, he took up a teaching position at Dartmouth College from 1973 to 1974. Then he completely left he music scene and dropped out of site. It is believed that he went briefly to Canada, then later to Savannah, Georgia. By the early 1990s, he was homeless. He died in an assisted living facility in Seattle in 2005. He was 81 years old.

Here is one more for the road, again from Lucky In Paris. We’ll Be Together Again is Lucky at his best, with fine work by Martial Solal on piano.

After listening to just this small sample of Lucky Thompson’s work, it is clear to me why Anthony Braxton stated in 1985 that Lucky Thompson, along with Warne Marsh and Von Freeman, has been one of the most misunderstood, undecorated, and under-respected saxophonists of the last thirty years. Perhaps he may not have been so lucky in his career, but with the awesome body of workLucky Thompson left behind, we’re the lucky ones now.

Next week on that Big River called Jazz, we’ll dig our paddles into the music of American Latin jazz musician Cal Tjader.

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Until then, keep on walking….