Danny Ray Thompson

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]

Danny Ray Thompson
Thompson (right), in 2008
Background information
Born	October 1, 1947 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	March 12, 2020 (aged 72) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Genres	Avant-garde jazz, free jazz, experimental
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Baritone saxophone,[1] bassoon[2]
Associated acts	Sun Ra

Early life

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]

Career

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]

References

1. Pinnock, Tom (March 1, 2019). "Sun Ra: "There's a lot of strange stuff that goes on around the pyramids – why don't you bring a tape?"". Uncut. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
2. Helfet, Gabriela (September 24, 2019). "Sun Ra's 1986 Poland concert recording released for the first time". The Vinyl Factory. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
3. Russonello, Giovanni (March 20, 2020). "Danny Ray Thompson, 72, Dies; Mainstay of Sun Ra's Otherworldly Band". The New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
4. Bloom, Madison (March 20, 2020). "Sun Ra Arkestra's Danny Ray Thompson Dead at 72". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
5. Shanahan, Mark (February 23, 2014). "Sun Ra has a 100th birthday celebration". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 21, 2020.