Eli "Lucky" Thompson (June 16, 1924 – July 30, 2005) was an American jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist whose playing combined elements of swing and bebop. Although John Coltrane usually receives the most credit for bringing the soprano saxophone out of obsolescence in the early 1960s, Thompson (along with Steve Lacy) embraced the instrument earlier than Coltrane.
Early life
Thompson was born in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, and moved to Detroit, Michigan, during his childhood. He had to raise his siblings after his mother died, and he practiced saxophone fingerings on a broom handle before acquiring his first instrument. He joined Erskine Hawkins's band in 1942 upon graduating from Cass Technical High School.
Career
After playing with the swing orchestras of Lionel Hampton,
Family
Thompson was married to Thelma Thompson, who died in 1963. Thompson's son, guitarist Daryl Thompson, played with Peter Tosh and Black Uhuru before embarking on a jazz career in the late 1980s. Thompson also had a daughter, Jade Thompson-Fredericks, and two grandchildren.
As leader/co-leader
- 1944–46: Lucky Start
- 1944–47: The Chronological (Classics)
- 1954: Lucky Thompson & his Lucky Seven (MCA)
- 1954: Accent on Tenor Saxophone (Urania, 1954) – reissued by Fresh Sound
- 1956: Lucky Thompson Featuring Oscar Pettiford Vol. 1 (ABC Paramount, 1956)
- 1956–60: The Complete Vogue Recordings Vol. 1 & 2 (BMG, 1998) – the recordings made in France for the Vogue label
- 1956–59: Complete Parisian Small Group Sessions 1956–1959 (Fresh Sound, 2017)[(4×CD]
- 1956: In Paris 1956: The All Star Orchestra Sessions (Frech Sound, 2017)
- 1956: Thompson plays for Thompson (Jazztime)
- 1956: Modern Jazz Group (Le Club Français Du Disque, 1957) – reissued by Gitanes/Universal (2000) in the Jazz In Paris collection, by EmArcy (undated),
With Oscar Pettiford
- The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi (ABC-Paramount, 1956)
- The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi Volume Two (ABC-Paramount, 1957)
With Ralph Sharon
- Around the World in Jazz (Rama, 1957)
With Martial Solal
- Martial Solal et Son Grand Orchestre (Swing, 1957)
With Dinah Washington
- Mellow Mama (Delmark, 1945 [1992]) Apollo Records recordings