Leon Thomas Select Discography 2


Recordings As A Guest Or Supporting Artist

Count Basie: POP GOES THE BASIE/THIS TIME BY BASIE
Reprise 1964/65. Produced by Quincy Jones CD.

Capsule Info: Recorded in Nov. 1964. (incomplete info; I haven't heard this).

Count Basie: BASIE PICKS THE WINNERS
Verve 1965. Produced by ? No CD?.

Capsule Info: Recorded in Jan. 1965. (incomplete info; I haven't seen this).

Roland Kirk & Al Hibbler: A MEETING OF THE TIMES
Atlantic 1966/1972. Produced by ? No CD.

Capsule Info: Recorded in 1966 but released several years later; Leon Thomas is featured on one cut. I've never heard this and don't know if that's Lonnie Liston or Non-Liston Smith on keys.

Pharoah Sanders: IZIPHO ZAM (MY GIFTS)
Strata East 1973/Bellaphon 1993/Charly 1998. Produced by Clifford Jordan, Jr.. CD.

Capsule Info: Recorded in 1969 and released by groundbreaking black jazz label Strata East. The classic "Prince Of Peace" makes its debut here, and the whole album is joyous.

Pharoah Sanders: KARMA
Impulse! Records 1969/MCA 1995. AS-9181. Produced by Bob Thiele. CD.

Capsule Info: Leon Thomas and Pharoah Sanders wrote their chapter in history with "The Creator Has A Masterplan", probably the best-known song for each of them. Thomas' voice is not only lyrical but a competitive instrument for Pharoah's squealing sax.

Archie Shepp: FOR LOSERS
Impulse! Records 1970. AS-9188. Produced by Ed Michel. No CD.

Capsule Info: I've only seen this album briefly. Recorded in 1968.

Pharoah Sanders: JEWELS OF THOUGHT
Impulse! Records 1970. AS-9190. Produced by Ed Michel. CD.

Capsule Info: Leon Thomas here revisits "Prince Of Peace" from the IZIPHO ZAM album, a wonderful kind of sequel to "The Creator Has A Masterplan." Finally reissued on CD with 20-bit mastering in 1998.

Louis Armstrong: LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS FRIENDS
Flying Dutchman 1970. Produced by Bob Thiele. CD.

Capsule info: When Larry Nai told me about this album I thought one of us was hallucinating. But there he is, Satchmo, singing in duet Leon Thomas' transcendental lyrics to "The Creator Has A Master Plan". And then as he starts growling those throaty mucousy noises he makes, Leon Thomas starts to yodel. Sheer, divine madness. It's actually very very beautiful, from one of Louis Armstrong's last albums. Bob Thiele and Oliver Nelson must have had an amazing laugh when they figured out they could do this. (On CD available as RCA/Bluebird CD WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD, 1970/1988.

Johnny Hodges featuring Oliver Nelson and Leon Thomas: THREE SHADES OF BLUE
Flying Dutchman 1970/BMG France 1998. Produced by Bob Thiele CD Europe.

Capsule Info: Recorded in March 1970. Are these same versions of blues songs as on Oliver Nelson's BLACK BROWN AND BLUE and Thomas's FACETS?. (incomplete info; I haven't seen this).

Oliver Nelson: BLACK, BROWN, AND BEAUTIFUL
Flying Dutchman 1970/Bluebird BMG 1989. Produced by Bob Thiele. CD.

Capsule Info: A big-band blues outing for Nelson; some singing by Leon Thomas. From what I know Oliver Nelson never quite did anything as beautiful after "Stolen Moments", but this is nice material nevertheless.

Ornette Coleman: FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
Flying Dutchman 1970/BMG France 1990s. Produced by Bob Thiele? CD Europe.

Capsule Info: (incomplete info; I haven't seen this).

Theresa Brewer: SINGIN' A DOO DAH SONG
Flying Dutchman 1972. Produced by Bob Thiele. No CD.

Capsule info: I guess if you're married to Flying Dutchman president Bob Thiele, as Brewer was, you can get whoever the heck you want on your record! The liner notes suggest Thomas is also featured as percussionist on a second song including Gato Barbieri as soloist.

Santana: WELCOME
Columbia Records/ Sony 1973. Producer not listed. CD Europe.

Capsule Info: My favorite Santana album. The group performs "Going Home" with the Alice Coltrane arrangement from her LORD OF LORDS album, and John Coltrane's "Welcome". In an inspired match, Leon Thomas had joined the band during as the group's lyrical content became more and more spiritual.

Santana: LOTUS
Columbia Records/ Sony 1974. Produced by The New Santana Band. CD; 2-disc set.

Capsule Info: Recorded live in Japan in 1973, during Santana's more religious period. The multi-panel cover art is full of religious icons combined with trippy space imagery. Leon Thomas is the vocalist, and the group performs "Going Home" with the Alice Coltrane arrangement from her LORD OF LORDS album. Unfortunately most of the Leon Thomas signature tunes performed by Santana on that tour-- "The Creator Has A Masterplan", "Japan", "One," "Um Um Um", etc.--didn't make it to disc and only survive on bootleg tapes.

Archie Shepp: KWANZA
1974(?) Impulse AS-9262. Produced by Ed Michel. CD Japan.

Capsule Info: Recorded in 1968 and 1969, this is kind of an African-diasporic music sampler, covering blues, funk, avant garde jazz and all manner of rhythms; dedicated to the newly created African-American holiday of Kwanza. An all-star cast; a great CD reissue package. Leon Thomas appears on one cut.

David Liebman: LIGHT'N UP, PLEASE
Horizon/A&M 1976. Produced by David Liebman, Pee Wee Ellis and John Snyder No CD.

Capsule Info: Mediocre blues-flavored jazzfunk with a heavy pop-disco sheen. Hey, it was 1976. Featuring longtime collaborator PeeWee Ellis.

Pee Wee Ellis: HOME IN THE COUNTRY
Savoy/Arista 1977. Produced by Bob Porter and Pee Wee Ellis No CD.

Capsule Info: Very much in the vein of the above David Liebman album.

The Louis Hayes Group: VARIETY IS THE SPICE
Gryphon Productions/Lewis Entertainment. Produced by Norman SchwartzNo CD.

Capsule Info: Leon sings two ballads, including lyrics he wrote for Freddie Hubbard's classic "Little Sunflower". From the liner notes: "By reason of habit and ignorance, Leon Thomas is still being labeled a singer. I certainly don't mean to suggest that he is not, it's just that there is so much more to the story. His is the original instrument (the human voice) and by virtue of its natural grace it is one of the finest you'll hear. What he can do with it is truly the love between him and God. To hear him use it flat out is startling." This recording is not fiery or out at all, but Leon's voice shows great warmth and sensitivity. "Little Sunflower" is anthologized on his ANTHOLOGY CD.

Pharoah Sanders: SHUKURU
Theresa Records, 1981 (and later Evidence). Produced by Pharoah Sanders and Allen Pittman. CD.

Capsule Info: Wiliam Henderson's early '80s novelty synthesized strings and voices are weird and dated, but it's great to hear Leon Thomas yodelling again.

Malachi Thompson: SPIRIT
Delmark 1984. Produced by ? CD.

Capsule Info: (incomplete info; I haven't seen this).

Wendell Harrison: REAWAKENING
Rebirth 1985?. Produced by Wendell Harrison and Billy WaldenNo CD.

Capsule Info: I haven't heard this.

Hank Crawford: MR. CHIPS
Milestone 1986/1991. Produced by Bob PorterCD.

Capsule Info: I haven't heard this.

Jamaaladeen Tacuma: MUSIC WORLD
Gramavision 1986. Produced by Jamaaladeen Tacuma. CD.

Capsule Info: Well it was the mid-1980s and this album frankly suffers from that era's fascination with sequencers and drum machines, but Tacuma brings in Leon Thomas to sing a mellow, gently sunny, 9-minute version of his classic and that's worth the price of admission.

Pharoah Sanders: OH LORD, LET ME DO NO WRONG
Signature/CBS Special Products 1989. Produced by Bob Thiele. CD.

Capsule Info: Again Pharoah is astoundingly eclectic: taking on reggae, Coltrane and the blues, with old partner Leon Thomas along for the ride.

Jeri Brown With Special Guest Leon Thomas: ZAIUS
Justin Time Records 1998. Produced by Jeri Brown and Jim West. CD.

Capsule Info: After a long hiatus from records, Leon Thomas appears on a co-starring spot on Canada-based singer Jeri Brown's sixth album. The two duet on tunes ranging from bebop-ish straightahead scat to covers of Thomas standards "The Creator Has A Master Plan" and "Sun Song." The combination of Brown's high feminine airiness to Thomas's deep masculine foundation is engaging. With David Murray or Don Braden sitting in for the Pharoah parts on "The Creator" it clocks a nice 8:26. Leon yodels, Jeri soars. A welcome return to the CD bins.

Leon Thomas is also featured on others (if you know of one, let me know!). Special thanks to Tetsuro Kubo for so much discographical information.

Leon Thomas | Album Gallery | Concert | Thomas & Santana | Discography 1 | Discography 2


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