Review: Lucky Thompson: Everybody Oughta Have One

(Philly Through My Ear * * *)

[Ratings: **** Excellent, *** Good, ** Fair, * Poor]

Drummer Lucky Thompson is musical director of Natalie’s Lounge, at 40th and Market, site of a fabled jam session on Saturday evenings from 5p.m. to 8 p.m.

This quintet set with Christian McBride’s father, Lee Smith, on bass, Umar Raheem on saxophone, Jeff Knoettner on piano, and Anthony “Tony” Smith on trumpet is a hard-driving affair that upholds the Natalie’s tradition while branching out at times in a smooth direction.

The recording quality and some of the arrangements are less than stellar. But the gaps are made up for by an unrelenting ardor. Raheem and Knoettner ride Thompson’s ramrod beat on “Rush Hour” to astounding effect. “The Prowler” sounds like a slammin’ old Lee Morgan tune, and “Isis” does some honest kicking.

Occasionally, the set gets overly warm and fuzzy. “Crystal” sounds like smooth jazz meeting the theme from Taxi – not a ride I wanted to take. “Lydia” exudes a numbing, dentist-office vibe that the players work hard to overcome. At its best, this is a show-no-quarter kind of set, raw but winning.

Karl Stark, Entertainment Editor, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, August 1, 2004, page H10.