Clifford Thornton

Clifford Edward Thornton ( born September 6, 1936 in Philadelphia / Pennsylvania, † November 25, 1983 in Geneva) was an American jazz trombonist and trumpeter.

Life and work

Thornton studied in the 1950s with trumpeter Donald Byrd and worked with the tuba player Ray Draper. After his army service, he settled in New York, where he among other things, as a sideman recorded with Sun Ra, Archie Shepp, Sam Rivers and Sunny Murray.

He then worked as a band leader (including the New Art Ensemble ) and composer and founded his own record label ( Third World Records ). In 1967 he released his first album ( Freedom & Unity ), the others followed in rapid succession. In 1971 he played with Joe McPhee ( Survival Unit II with Clifford Thornton: At WBAI 's Free Music Store, 1971). Since the early 1970s he lived mainly on in Europe.

Disco Graphical Notes

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