Malachi Thompson

Malachi Richard Thompson, ( born August 21, 1949 in Princeton (Kentucky), † July 16, 2006 in Chicago ) was an American jazz trumpeter.

Thompson was encouraged by his mother early jazz inspired musical; from the age of 5 he began piano lessons in Chicago, where he grew up. When attending a concert by the band of Count Basie, he discovered the trumpet as his instrument. He studied it in college and university and took private lessons with Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw. After a first experience in Rhythm & Blues groups he joined the ensemble in 1966 by Troy Robinson. In 1967 he came into contact with AACM musicians such as Muhal Richard Abrams, Leroy Jenkins, Henry Threadgill and Lester Bowie. But he played in Operation Breadbasket Big Band of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and escorted there Cat Anderson, Donald Byrd or Nat Adderley. He also played with Joe Williams and Von Freeman, but also founded their own groups. After graduating, he moved to New York, where he worked with both Frank Foster or Sam Wooding and with Joe Henderson and Jackie McLean. In addition, he was also active in the Loft Scene, where he worked both within as well as Sam Rivers of Archie Shepp. In 1974 he also founded, together freebop his first band to open the game view of the hard bop for greater improvisational freedom. Were involved, inter alia, Carter Jefferson, Victor Lewis, David Murray, Oliver Lake, James Spaulding, Gary Bartz, Paul Quinichette. In addition, with Norman Spiller, he founded a large trumpet ensemble with rhythm section. In 1982, he then joined the Hot Trumpet Repertory Company of Lester Bowie, the later Brass Fantasy, which he served until 1988. In 1983 he moved to Washington DC, in 1985 to Vienna, where he remained until 1989. Upon his return to Chicago, he had to pause because of a blood cancer disease, wrote the play " The Jazz Life" ( 1990) and worked as a jazz educator and as a journalist. In 1991, he was able to once again focus on the active music making and founded again freebop own band, which presented several panels. But soon moved to work with another formation, Africa Brass, in the foreground, (1994 ) was amplified by a choir for the production of " Lift Every Voice." In addition, Thompson played a theater music. Thompson also participated in recordings of Gil Scott -Heron, Quincy Jones, Erroll Parker, Hubert Eaves and Shamek Farrah.

Swell

• Martin Kunzler, Jazz Encyclopedia Vol 2 ISBN 3-499-16513-9