Bubbha Thomas

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Bubbha Thomas (* 1937 - March 28, 2020 in Houston ) was an American funk and jazz musician ( drums ) and music teacher who was active in the Houston music scene.

Live and act

Thomas grew up in a musical family. He attended Booker T. Washington High School and divided his time between music and basketball. He excelled in both fields and received all state awards in basketball. He took music lessons from Houston jazz legend Conrad "Prof" Johnson. Thomas continued his studies at Wiley College and served as a soldier in the Korean War. In the 1960s he returned to Houston, where he found work as a session musician for Don Robey's Duke and Peacock labels from 1963 . With the guitarist Clarence Hollimon (1937-2000) and the bassist Lawrence Evans he formed the studio band for the sublabels Back Beat and Sure Shot. with them Thomas worked on recordings of OV Wright, Buddy Ace and the Mighty Clouds of Joy, as well as Verna Ray Clay ("He Loves Me, He Love Me Not") and Bobby Williams ("Play a Sad Song" and "Try." Love ").

In 1970 Thomas released the album Free as You Wanna Be with his band The Lightmen . In Thomas' band Ronnie Laws played on saxophone and blues guitarist Kinny Abair on guitar. This and the other Lightmen albums Energy Control Center , Fancy Pants and Country Fried Chicken were re-released on the Now-Again record label in 2019. In addition, Thomas worked as a music teacher; He founded and ran the Summer Jazz Workshop , which he had launched in the early 1970s with his mentor Conrad Johnson. Thomas' summer program included courses in music theory , music history, and the music industry . Bubbha Thomas also worked as a producer of music education school programs, songwriter, music producer and columnist; he wrote the book NCAA: National Collegiate Affirmative Action .

Pianist Jason Moran , a graduate of Houston High School for the Performing and Fine Arts, remembered Thomas as an educator; he had carried out a jazz and poetry project at his elementary school. "I remember attending the Summer Jazz Workshop and realizing that it was cross-generational ... (Bubbha Thomas) and Conrad Johnson were the ultra-cool". About the music he said:

"Bubbha had the funk and the soul of jazz and knew how to share it with everyone."

Discographic notes

  • The lightmen . Free As You Wanna Be (Judnell, 1970), with Carl Adams, Joe Singleton, Ronnie Laws, Doug Harris, Ed Rose, Mike O'Connor, William Jefferies, Kenny Abair
  • The Lightmen Plus One: Fancy Pants (Judnell, 1971), with
  • The Lightmen Plus One: Energy Control Center (Lightin 'Records, 1972)
  • Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen: Country Fried Chicken (Lightin 'Records, 1975)
  • Bubbha Thomas: Love Ain't Enough (Lightin 'Records, 2004)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Legendary Houston musician and educator Bubbha Thomas dies. Houston Chronicle, March 28, 2020, accessed March 30, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Andy Bradley, Roger Wood: House of Hits: The Story of Houston's Gold Star / SugarHill Recording Studios . University of Texas Press, 2000.
personal data
SURNAME Thomas, Bubbha
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz musician (drums)
DATE OF BIRTH 1937
DATE OF DEATH March 28, 2020
Place of death Houston