Luther Thomas & Dizzazz – Yo’ Momma (LP 01088)

Free jazz on the dance floor. Alto saxophonist Luther Thomas came out of the legendary Black Artists Group of St. Louis and became the wildest voice of the New York downtown scene. In the early 1980s he led his own band, Dizzazz. Yo’ Momma was recorded in May 1981 at OPAL Recording Studios in New York. It’s a party record with three guitars, horn section, percussion, backing singers and even a handclap crew.

Thomas sings and plays alto sax up front. Behind him, lead guitarist Billy “Spaceman” Patterson, rhythm guitarists Ronald Muldrow and Dani Petroni, bassist Stanley Banks and drummer Warren “Dengel” Benbow lay down a hard funk groove. Frank Cruz and John K. Mulkerin (trumpets), Marvin Neal (trombone) and Steve Kroon (percussion) complete the band. The tracks range from “Rapp Time” and “Raggetty Reggae” to “Nervous Breakdown”, “Deathwish” and “Takin’ Off Blues”. The two-part “Dizzazz” frames the whole album.

This is a must for fans of free funk, No Wave, James Chance, Defunkt and Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time.

Original pressing from the label’s own stock. This LP comes from Moers Music’s original stock. It’s not a reissue or a re-pressing. Buy directly from the label, originals only.

The Side Story

Luther Thomas was born in 1950 and joined the Black Artists Group (BAG) in St. Louis in the late 1960s. The collective also produced Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill, Baikida Carroll and Joseph Bowie. In 1973 he recorded the cult album Funky Donkey with the Human Arts Ensemble, an early mix of funk and free jazz, with Lester Bowie on trumpet.

Moers had already met Luther Thomas before Dizzazz. In 1979 he recorded Live at Moers with the Saint Louis Creative Ensemble, which was released on Moers Music. In New York he played with James Chance and the Contortions and with Defunkt, the bands that brought free jazz into the No Wave clubs. Yo’ Momma is the next step: Luther Thomas’ own take on that sound. He later moved to Denmark, where he died in 2009, aged 59.

Tracklist

• Side A

  1. Dizzazz (Part 1)

  2. Rapp Time

  3. Six Month in Reform School

  4. Raggetty Reggae

  5. Nervous Breakdown

• Side B
  6. Turned Me On – Turned Me Out
  7. Deathwish
  8. Yo’ Momma
  9. Takin’ Off Blues
  10. Dizzazz (Part 2)

Personnel

• Luther Thomas – lead vocals, alto saxophone

• Billy “Spaceman” Patterson – lead guitar, backing vocals

• Ronald Muldrow – rhythm guitar

• Dani Petroni – rhythm guitar, backing vocals

• Frank Cruz, John K. Mulkerin – trumpet

• Marvin Neal – trombone

• Stanley Banks – electric bass

• Warren “Dengel” Benbow – drums

• Steve Kroon – percussion

• Clarice Taylor, Flame Braithwaite, Rickie Arlita Byars & The Dizzazzters – backing vocals

• Axel Markens, Carol Edwards, Clement Cann, L. C. Petty & The Claps – handclaps

Details

• Format: Vinyl LP

• Label: Moers Music

• Catalog no.: momu 01088

• Recorded: May 12–16, 1981, OPAL Recording Studios, New York

• Released: 1981

• Price: €17.00