Eli “Lucky” Thompson (1924-2005) played tenor and soprano saxophone. He was one of the earlier musicians, along with Coltrane and Steve Lacy, to reintroduce the soprano sax as a jazz instrument.
His career arc saw him starting out playing swing with the orchestras of Lionel Hampton, Don Redman, Billy Eckstine (along with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker), Lucky Millinder, and Count Basie. He worked in rhythm and blues, then in bebop and hard bop with Kenny Clarke, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Milt Jackson.
Jason Ankeny at AllMusic writes:
Born in Columbia, SC, . . . tenor saxophonist Lucky Thompson bridged the gap between the physical dynamism of swing and the cerebral intricacies of bebop, emerging as one of his instrument’s foremost practitioners and a stylist par excellence.
Due in part to a distaste for the music business, he moved to Paris in the late ’50s and early ’60s where he recorded and also during this time began playing soprano sax. Some time in the mid-70s he left the music business entirely. Sadly, it was reported that he was homeless by the early ’90s. He died in an assisted living facility in 2005.
In all, he put out 14 albums as a leader, and several more as a sideman with Oscar Pettiford, Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Thelonious Monk, Stan Kenton, and Dinah Washington. The album Lucky in Paris on which “Have You Met Miss Jones” appears, was recorded in 1959, but not released until 1999.
Personell are Lucky Thompson (soprano and tenor sax), Martial Solal (piano), Michel Hausser (vibes), Gilbert Gassin (bass), Gerard Pochonet (drums). As for the album in its entirety, the folks at AllMusic write that “[t]his might very well be his best recording. Highly recommended.”
