Danny Ray Thompson | |
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Background information | |
Born | New York City, New York, U.S. | October 1, 1947
Died | March 12, 2020 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | (aged 72)
Genres | Avant-garde jazz, free jazz, experimental |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Baritone saxophone, [1] bassoon [2] |
Danny Ray Thompson (October 1, 1947 – March 12, 2020) was an American jazz musician. [3] He played baritone saxophone with the Sun Ra Arkestra and managed the band for a period of time. [4]
Thompson was born in New York City, to Elgie and Oscar Leonard Thompson. [3] Soon his family moved to Los Angeles, California but after high school Thompson returned to New York City and attended night classes at Juilliard School. [3]
Thompson's first concert was with Babatunde Olatunji and after meeting Marshall Allen, Thompson was introduced to Sun Ra. [3] The first Arkestra album Thompson appeared on was 1967's Atlantis. [4] He made his first live appearance with the Arkestra in April, 1968 at Carnegie Hall. [3]
Thompson, along with fellow Arkestra members Marshall Allen and Charles Davis, was present for a 100th birthday celebration for Sun Ra at the Berklee College of Music in 2014. [5]