Barbara Thompson MBE (born Barbara
Gracey, 27
July 1944 in
Oxford, England) is a jazz saxophonist,
flutist
and composer. Since 1967, she has been married to drummer Jon
Hiseman.
She studied clarinet, flute, piano and classical composition at the Royal College of Music, but
the music of Duke Ellington and John
Coltrane made her shift her interests to jazz and saxophone.
Around 1975, she was involved in the foundation of two bands:
- the United Jazz and Rock
Ensemble, a 'band of bandleaders' with Wolfgang
Dauner (p), Volker Kriegel (g), Albert
Mangelsdorff (tb), Eberhard Weber (b), Ian Carr (tp),
Charlie Mariano (sax), Ack van Rooyen (tp) and Jon
Hiseman (dr).
- Barbara Thompson’s
Paraphernalia, her own jazz fusion band with varying personnel,
among others Colin Dudman (p, keyb), Peter
Lemer (p), Dill Katz (b) and her
husband on drums.
She was awarded the MBE in 1996 for services to music. Due to Parkinson's
disease diagnosed in 1997, she retired as an active saxophonist in 2001
with a farewell tour. After a period of working as a composer
exclusively, she returned to stage in 2004 to replace the unwell Dick
Heckstall-Smith during Colosseum's "Tomorrow's Blues"
tour, and in 2005 she performed live with Paraphernalia in their "Never
Say Goodbye" tour.
She cooperated closely with Andrew
Lloyd-Webber for musicals like Cats
and Starlight Express
and his requiem.
She wrote several classical compositions, music for movies and TV, a
musical of her own and songs for the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble,
Barbara Thompson’s Paraphernalia and her bigband 'Moving Parts'.
Discography
- Angle Howard Riley Trio 1968
- Valentyne Suite Colosseum 1969
- Daughter of Time Pop Chronik Colosseum
1970
- Michael Gibbs Michael Gibbs 1970
- Little Big Band Keef Hartley Band 1971
- The Beginning - Vol. 6: Keef Hartley Band
Keef Hartley Band 1973
- Kaleidoscope Of Rainbows Neil Ardley 1976
- Heavenly Bodies Barbara Thompson 1976
- Live Im Schuetzenhaus United Jazz and
Rock Ensemble 1977
- NDR Jazzworkshop '77 Various Artists 1977
- Barbara Thompson's Jubiaba Barbara
Thompson 1978
- Variations Lloyd Webber, Andrew 1978
- Harmony of the Spheres Neil Ardley 1978
- Teamwork United Jazz and Rock Ensemble
1978
- Wilde Tales Barbara Thompson's
Paraphernalia 1979
- Tell Me On A Sunday Marti Webb 1979
- The Break Even Point United Jazz and
Rock Ensemble 1979
- Wilde Tales Barbara Thompson's
Paraphernalia 1979
- Chance Manfred Mann's Earth Band 1980
- Ghosts Barbara Thompson/Rod Argent 1981
- Cats Andrew Lloyd Webber 1981
- Live in Berlin United Jazz and Rock
Ensemble 1981
- Zwischenbilanz-Das Beste aus den Jahren 1977 - 1981
United Jazz and Rock Ensemble 1981
- Mother Earth Barbara Thompson 1982
- Ghosts Barabara Thompson/Rod Argent 1982
- Cool Cat Jeff And Friends Wohlgenannt
1983
- Requiem Andrew Lloyd Webber 1983
- Pure Fantasy Barbara Thompson's
Paraphernalia 1984
- United Live Opus sechs United Jazz and
Rock Ensemble 1984
- Frauen-Power Various Artists 1985
- Shadow Show Barbara Thompson/Rod Argent
1985
- Live im Berliner Metropol-Theater
Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia 1985
- Heavenly Bodies Barbara Thompson 1986
- Ganz schoen heiss, Man! About Time Too!
United Jazz and Rock Ensemble 1986
- Highlights II United Jazz and Rock
Ensemble 1987
- A Cry From The Heart Barbara Thompson's
Paraphernalia 1988
- Songs From The Center Of The Earth
Barbara Thompson 1990
- Perspective '92 Various Artists 1991
- Breathless Barbara Thompson's
Paraphernalia 1991
- Round Seven United Jazz and Rock
Ensemble 1992
- Everlasting Flame Barbara Thompson's
Paraphernalia 1993
- Barbara Song Barbara Thompson and the
Medici String Quartet 1995
- Lady Saxophone Barbara Thompson's
Paraphernalia 1995
- Die Neunte von United United Jazz and
Rock Ensemble 1996
- Women's Music From Celestial Harmonies
Various Artists 1996
- Shifting Sands Barbara Thompson's
Paraphernalia 1998
- The Sound Inside / Music And Architecture
Various Artists 1998
- United Jazz and Rock Ensemble 1999
- Thompson's Tangos and other soft Dances
Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia 2000
- In the Eye of a Storm Barbara Thompson's
Paraphernalia 2003
- Never Say Goodbye Barbara Thompson's
Paraphernalia 2005
External links
