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| Leon Thomas possessed a voice that went far beyond what was once thought possible in singing. His trademark yodeling (for lack of a better term) turns jazz "scatting" on its head, transforming the art of song into a deeply cosmic exploration of the soul. On Anthology's two most rewarding tracks, "Prince of Peace" and "The Creator Has A Master Plan (Peace)," Thomas' instrument-like voice soars to a plane of higher spiritual consciousness, becoming one with the transcendent saxophone sounds of Pharoah Sanders. According to Thomas, it was during his partnership with Sanders that he spontaneously invented his unique style of singing: "I didn't know where it came from. I realized that the ancestors had arrived and had given me what we call throat articulation...This voice is not me, my voice is ancient." Anthology compiles the finest recordings Thomas made for the legendary Flying Dutchman label from 1969 through 1973. Sadly, this is the only available work of his still in print. Soul Brother Records cherry picked 12 of Thomas' best songs from his most creative period, making this collection a must hear introduction to his music. Track after track, drummers Roy Haynes and Bernard "Pretty" Purdie keep a solid beat behind such A-list innovators as Pharoah Sanders, Sonny Sharrock, Lonnie Liston Smith, Larry Coryell, and Joe Farrell. Relentlessly passionate and original, the music on Anthology covers a lot of ground: Gil-Scott Heron flavored political grooves ("Just In Time To See The Sun," "Shape Your Mind To Die" and "It's My Life I'm Fighting For"), heavy soul-blues ("C.C. Rider"), and avant-garde jazz scatting ("Song For My Father" and "Bag's Groove"). At the time these recordings were made, Thomas was poised on the verge of stardom. Santana even briefly brought him in the band in 1971. But somehow his career ran aground by the mid-70s, perhaps due to the collusion of commercial radio programmers and stadium rock promoters, who together succeeded in keeping much of the best music under wraps. Thomas passed away in 1999, remaining till the end an uncompromising underground figure, celebrated in obscurity, still ripe for rediscovery. --John Ballon (email)
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