Bobby Thomas (jazz drummer)
| Bobby Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 14, 1932 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | October 20, 2013 |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | 1960–1999 |
| Labels | Atlantic |
| Associated acts | Junior Mance, The Montgomery Brothers, Dorothy Ashby, Billy Taylor |
Bobby Thomas (Robert C. Thomas) (November 14, 1932 – October 20, 2013) was a jazz drummer. A member of Junior Mance's trio in 1960, Thomas recorded with the Montgomery Brothers in New York in January 1960.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, to West Indian parents emigrated from the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts, Thomas began his music studies at age 12. He studied drums with Al Germansky. He continued his training through high school at Central High. He performed with the Nat Phipps Band during his teenage years and young adulthood. He served in the United States Army from 1953 to 1955 where he played in the Army Band.
After his military service, he attended the Juilliard School of Music and graduated with Bachelor of Science degree. While at Juilliard he worked and recorded with Wes Montgomery, Gigi Gryce, Junior Mance, Illinois Jacquet, Roland Hanna, Hubert Laws, Don Ellis, Wayne Shorter, Richard Williams, Richard Davis.
On August 29, 1966 Thomas recorded on some unreleased Atlantic Records tracks with the Dorothy Ashby Octet, featuring Clark Terry, Hubert Laws, John Patton, Richard Davis, Ray Barretto, Randall Hicks, and on the following day, a further series of tracks, also unreleased, by the Dorothy Ashby Nonet, with the same personnel, minus Laws and with Richard Williams, and Clifford Jordan instead.
In his years studying at the Juilliard School he often played drums for dance classes and befriended choreographer Michael Bennett with whom he later worked as musical coordinator (credited as Robert Thomas) developing the critically acclaimed and Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway show A Chorus Line. His other Broadway musical credits include "Henry, Sweet Henry", " Promises, Promises", "Coco", "Company", "Don't Play Us Cheap".
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