Les Thompson

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Les Thompson (born August 13, 1923 in Warwick (North Dakota) , † August 8, 2013 ) was an American jazz musician ( harmonica ).

Live and act

Thompson came from Warwick (North Dakota) and began his music career in Los Angeles. Thompson worked in the Southern California music scene from the 1940s; The first recordings were made in 1951 for Capitol Records when he played titles such as “Stairway to the Stars”, “Chromatic Boogie” (a cover version of the Lionel Hampton number “Hey-Ba-Ba-Re-Bop”) and “It's a Wonderful World ”. Further jazz numbers such as " Take the" A "Train " and " Stardust " were created in 1952 under his own name with Conte Candoli , Dexter Gordon , Wardell Gray , Bobby Tucker , Don Bagley and Chico Hamilton or with Bob Harrington (p), Red Callender and Bill Douglass ( Gene Norman Presents "Just Jazz" , RCA Victor ).

In August 1952, Thompson performed with Al Haig , Chet Baker , Sonny Criss , David Bryant and Larry Bunker at The Trade Winds jazz club in Inglewood (soloist in " Avalon "), a month later with Shorty Rogers All-Stars at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa Beach . Further recordings (probably with Red Callender and Earl Palmer ) were made in Los Angeles in December 1957 (“They'll Never Be Another You”, “Don't Take Your Love from Me”) and in early 1958 ( Sessions, Live ). In 1972/73 he took up jazz standards such as "But Beautiful", " Bye Bye Blackbird ", " Honeysuckle Rose " and " Lullaby of the Leaves " and the like. a. with Bryce Rohde , Harry Babasin and Jimmy Wyble on ( Mouth Organ Madness ). In the field of jazz he was involved in nine recording sessions between 1951 and 1973. In the course of his career he also accompanied musicians such as Al Jarreau , Hall & Oates and Jaye P. Morgan .

Discographic notes

  • Les Thompson: Gene Norman Presents Just Jazz (RCA Victor, 1953)
  • Buddy Collette , Abbey Lincoln and Les Thompson: Sessions, Live (Calliope, ed. 1976)
  • Les Thompson: Mouth Organ Madness (Jazz Chronicles, 1978)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Marc Danval: Toots Thielemans . 2006, p. 41
  2. ↑ Recording of a performance in the Pasadena Civic auditorium.
  3. ↑ Tom Lord : The Jazz Discography (online, accessed March 22, 2018)
  4. ↑ Kim Field: Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers: The Evolution of the People's Instrument . Cooper Square Press, 2000, p. 258
personal data
SURNAME Thompson, Les
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH August 13, 1923
PLACE OF BIRTH Warwick, North Dakota
DATE OF DEATH August 8, 2013