Album Notes

Lucky Thompson was 31 years old at the time of these sessions and had amassed professional credentials which speak for themselves. He spent his teenage years working local jobs in Detroit with such contemporaries as Milt Jackson, Hank Jones, Al McKibbon and Sonny Stitt. He went on the road for the first time in '42, and over the next four years gained experience with the big bands of Lionel Hampton, Bill Eckstine, Lucky Millinder, and Count Basie.



This session was taped during a brief visit to Paris. Thompson fronts the group of drummer Gerard Pochonet, Michel Hausser on vibes, Algerian pianist Martial Solal, go-to French session bassist Pierre Michelot, and guitarist Jean Pierre Sasson. Thompson's poetic sense of phrase is especially moving on the slower material, and his sophisticated harmonic approach produced striking chordal substitutions. Both the experienced fan and the occasional listener will recognize in Lucky Thompson an inspiring and unique voice in the jazz world.