JOHN THOMAS & LIFEFORCE - 3000 WORLDS
John Thomas & Life Force for Nabel from 1981.
Bass - Gunnar Plümer Drums - Garcia Morales Guitar - John Thomas Percussion - Eddy Veldmann , Ponda O'Bryan Piano - Andy Lumpp Vocal(Like a Samba)-Monika Linges
Hard to track down piece of kraut latin fusion best known for the storming dance floor filler "Like A Samba" which was comped on the first Glucklich compilation from Rainer Truby.Check out "Promontory" - speed samba for the nifty of foot!
Here's a bit more about Mr Thomas from jazz.com
Appearing with some of the greatest names in jazz, his professional gigs since 1972 include the AACM Big Band, Stanton Davis, Carter Jefferson, Andrew Cyrille, Kenny Drew, John Lewis, Harold Ousley, and Chet Baker. Additionally, he has performed as a regular sideman with Jimmy McGriff and Joe Henderson here in the United States. Although only 19 at the time, both Henderson and McGriff enlisted his services as a sideman on recordings and concerts.
After his 1977 move to Europe, he toured the Middle East, Africa, and the Far East performing extensively with Charles Tolliver, Joe Henderson, Art Taylor, Dizzy Gillespie, Malachi Thompson, Sonny Stitt, Tony Scott and many others. He joined the Art Taylor (Coltrane's first drummer) Quartet in 1978, and performed with it until 1984. He was tapped by Charles Tolliver in 1980, with whom he continued his relationship as a sideman until 1990. "Birth of the Cool" trombonist Mike Zwerin enlisted John for two tours in Africa in 1980 and 81 respectively. Mike is also well known as a journalist for the "Village Voice" and music editor for the "Herald Tribune". He has also toured and performed with his own bands, "John Thomas and Lifeforce", "Serious Business", "John Thomas Quartet", and "Extremely Serious Business" at festivals, concerts, and clubs throughout Europe and Africa.
In 1980 he received the endorsement from the National Endowments "Arts America" program on whose active list he remained for ten years. In 1986 his group "Extremely Serious Business" traveled to sub Saharan Africa under the auspices of this US State Department program. Since his return to the United States in 1991, he has appeared with his own quartet, trio, and an updated version of "Extremely Serious Business" which performs his own compositions. It was also at this time that he began a two year relationship with organist Charles Earland. He came to Boston in 1994 where he performs regularly with his different formations. In summer 2002, drummer Kenwood Dennard asked John to join him in his "Real Thing" group, which has made TV, radio, and club dates.
In addition to his activities as a performing artist and composer, he is a veteran clinician, having done workshops throughout Europe. John is currently on the faculty at Berklee College in Boston where he holds the rank of associate professor. His teaching activities go back to 1977 when he was first engaged by the University of Duisburg's Jazz Department, where he taught until 1990. He was also an instructor at the famous "Robert Schumann Hochschule fur die Kunst" in Dusseldorf from 1979 to 1990. His teaching skills were also in demand at the "German Army School of Music" in Hilden from 1981 to 1991 where he taught jazz guitar and electric bass to students for their different big band and concert/gala band formations.
