Lucky Thompson
New York City, 1964-65
Uptown Records 27.57 & 27.58
www.uptownrecords.net
By George W. Harris

The career of saxist Eli “Lucky” Thompson is exactly like that old
redneck joke: “Reward for lost dog: Blind in left eye, back right leg
missing, torn left ear, half of hair missing from mange. Answers to
‘Lucky’.”

Thompson made his name initially on a few Charlie Parker sessions in
the late 40s, and then almost stole the show on Miles Davis’ 1954
“Walkin’” session with some gorgeous tenor work. He put out a few great
sessions like 1964’s Lucky Strikes, but he basically lived an obscure
and sad life until finally dieing homeless about a decade ago. He’s
really one of the heartbreaking stories of jazz, all the more
frustrating as his recording legacy is unbelievably fresh and alive.
Anything he put out is a rare find, and this 2cd collection of two
concerts is a plum.

The first disc is a 1964 concert with an octet consisting of some first
rate boppers: Dave Burns/tp, Danny Turner/as, Cecil Payne/bari, Benny
Powell/tb and a rhythms section of no less than Hank Jones/p, Richard
Davis/b and Al Drears/d. All of the tunes are from Thompson’s pen, and
are arranged ingeniously with class and swing. “Theme” shows how
Thompson’s soprano work was completely uninfluenced by anyone, and is
as clear and pure as crystal, while his tenor is dreamy on t
he ballad
“’Twas Yesterday.” The rhythm section cooks like a short order
specialist on the uptempo “The Fire Bug” with Payne delivering some
yummy soloing. Unbelievably great gig!

The 1965 gig is a quartet scene with Paul Neves/p, George Tucker/b and
Oliver Jackson/dr making Thompson sound a bit more modal this time
around. Thompson’s pristine soprano just glistens on a definitive
“What’s New” while his smooth as silk tenor slides through “Lady Bird”
and a cleverly swinging “Strike Up The Band.”

This set is just some great stuff by a tragically overlooked genius. If
you’re looking for something fresh in the pre-fusion genre, look no
further.