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Monday, September 14, 2009

Music / Post No Bills RIP jazz saxophonist Luther Thomas and Brazilian berimbau master Ramiro Musotto

Posted by Peter Margasak on Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 5:37 PM

Luther Thomas

Dynamic Saint Louis saxophonist Luther Thomas—a member of the city’s influential Black Artists Group, who found brilliantly effective ways to fuse free jazz and hard funk—died Saturday at 59. In addition to playing in Saint Louis groups like the Human Arts Ensemble, he worked with Defunkt and James Chance. Earlier this decade the local Unheard Music Series released two killer albums he made as a bandleader: a reissue of Funky Donkey and a previously unreleased 1973 session, Banana.

Ramiro Musotto

Ramiro Musotto, a Brazilian percussionist and producer who pushed the distinctly tropical berimbau into new contexts, died Friday in Salvador from pancreatic cancer; he was 45. On his final album, Civilização & Barbarye (Circular Grooves, 2007), he transplanted Brazilian roots music into starkly modern settings, often enhancing the big grooves with electronics and dubby production.

Tags: Luther Thomas, Black Artists Group, Human Arts Ensemble. Saint Louis, Defunkt, James Chance, jazz, Brazil, Ramiro Musotto, berimbau

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Monday, September 14, 2009

Music / Post No Bills RIP jazz saxophonist Luther Thomas and Brazilian berimbau master Ramiro Musotto

Posted by Peter Margasak on Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 5:37 PM

Comments (0)

Latest in The Blog

Released mental patient Ray Milland uncovers a Nazi spy ring in Fritz Lang's 1944 noir "Ministry of Fear," screening Sunday 1/3 at Delilah's.

Eugenio Martin's 1973 Spanish exploitation thriller "Candle for the Devil" screens Saturday 1/2 at Delilah's.

Shows curated by Scott Wolniak and Ryan Christian open at Western Exhibitions.

Author Archives

DJ Spooky keeps talkin' the talk, but his music isn't walking the walk.

British guitarist Ben Reynolds plays Heaven Gallery on Wednesday in one (or more) of his many musical guises.

Brilliant fingerstyle guitarist Jack Rose has died at 38.

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