Danny Ray Thompson has died

Danny Ray Thompson has died. He was 72. The Sun Ra Arkestra tweeted the news mentioning that the player passed away two days ago. On the Arkestra website there is a tribute: ''Danny Ray Thompson… was on 72 Arkestra recordings and performed on …

Published: 14 Mar 2020. Updated: 4 years.

Danny Ray Thompson has died. He was 72. The Sun Ra Arkestra tweeted the news mentioning that the player passed away two days ago.

On the Arkestra website there is a tribute: ''Danny Ray Thompson… was on 72 Arkestra recordings and performed on baritone sax, alto sax, flute, Neptunian libflecto (bassoon with French horn or saxophone mouthpiece), percussion, and vocals within the band. He performed 45 years in the Sun Ra Arkestra, first joining it in 1967. He also served as Band Manager during his Arkestra tenure. Danny Ray Thompson is now travelling the spaceways, joining the many beloved Arkestra members who have previously left the planet and who now soar with the spirit of Sun Ra.''

Known by the nickname Pico he ''arrived on the planet'' in Sun Ra lingo on 1 October 1947, born in New York City. With his family he later moved to Los Angeles and after high school moved back to Harlem and studied at night school at the Julliard School of Music. His teachers included Garvin Bushell on flute and alto sax and again on flute James Spaulding. His first professional gig was with fabled Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatunji in 1966. Through Marshall Allen and John Gilmore Thompson first met Sun Ra. He later became the Arkestra manager and after leaving for an extended period rejoined in 2002.

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Robin McKelle, Alterations, Doxie Records

A bit disappointing this far flung over-nice female singer-themed album turns out. Packed full of songs that are too familiar it would take considerable genius to reinvent even one of them let along all. That isn’t on the menu. To be fair Robin …

Published: 14 Mar 2020. Updated: 4 years.

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A bit disappointing this far flung over-nice female singer-themed album turns out.

Packed full of songs that are too familiar it would take considerable genius to reinvent even one of them let along all. That isn’t on the menu. To be fair Robin McKelle gives it a good go. With her are pianist and arranger Shedrick Mitchell, heard by marlbank live with Keyon Harrold during the London Jazz Festival; bassist Richie Goods; drummer Charles Haynes; and guitarist Nir Felder (again in the Harrold band that night at Ronnie’s). Abdullah Ibrahim saxophonist Keith Loftis is on McKelle original ‘Head High’ and trumpeter Marquis Hill is on Lana Del Rey’s 'Born to Die'.

I wasn’t taken much by the nonetheless accomplished treatment of Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back to Black’ or Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’. But ‘Head High’ is far better and I wish there were more originals on the album because this of more jazz interest and fresh, but the angle here overall on Alterations is aiming not at jazz fans but at a mass market. Mitchell’s accompaniment on this McKelle song is engaged and bright. ‘You’ve Changed’ is certainly a world away from Billie Holiday’s version but gets lost in the update when all the rough edges are smoothed off.

McKelle's voice redeems most of the so-so song choices. Hers is a sweeping soul-soaked instrument reminiscent of a cross between Susan Tedeschi’s and that of Ronnie Scott's soul singer Natalie Williams. I skipped on to Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ that McKelle seems to warm to more and where she delivers a Janis Joplin-like flourish. Against the odds this works. As for Joni’s ‘River’ it’s OK and Sade’s ‘No Ordinary Love’ started off with a bass introduction is again perfectly nice. ‘Mercedes Benz’ occupies territory McKelle is a lot more comfortable with and if all the songs revolved around this gutsier axis like some of her previous work with the Flytones then it would be a lot better. Carole King’s 'You’ve Got a Friend' again returns to default pleasantness. SG Rating: 3 stars.