Archie Thompson, San Diego jazz
musician par excellence, leans back in the chair of his office in the First
Presbyterian Church on downtown San Diego’s 4th Avenue, in a small office space
secreted above the chapel in the balcony, next to the pipe organ. The space is
small, filled with his computers, a small drum kit, chairs, microphones, cables
and assorted recording devices and various instruments and books filling every
inch .This is the creative clutter of a busy man. Fashioning a broad smile and
looking casually resplendent in golf cap, black tee shirt and jeans, Thompson
is a man thoroughly enjoying this time of his life. It’s hard to think otherwise.
Article originally published in San Diego Troubadour. Used with kind permission. |
He leans forward “I am a
journeyman musician myself. I have to pitch myself. I am 54 years old and I
have never done anything except play music. I live in San Diego, owned a home
for twenty two years, and raised two kids, all through music. I love it.”
“You’re the kind of person I’d
‘the world’s luckiest man’” I offer. Thompson leans back in his chair again
while the smile grows wider and he folds his hands behind his head. The smile
is ubiquitous, freely offered.
“Yes, that’s what it feels like”
he replies.
What strikes you about Archie Thompson
almost at once is that his easy-going persona isn’t a veneer, a façade, but the
genuine article. Gregarious, cordial, quick to extend the hand, he seems at
once intense and sublimely relaxed, a quality he brings to his dates at various
restaurants and clubs that feature live music. A recent appearance with his
trio at Eddie V’s
in Seaport Village, an elegant
eatery where her performs every Thursday ,Thompson and his trio Jason Littlefield , a melodic and quick
witted bassist, and the percussive insightfulness of drummer Charlie Weller
livened up the with an set off
jazz was the perfect balance of elegance and funk. Firmly rooted in a blues groove, the trio
swung mightily through a surprisingly diverse set list, commencing with a
riveting adaptation of Cannonball Adderly’s “Work Song”, the Willie Dixon penned Little Walter
classic “My Babe” and a very fine reconsideration of Albert King’s “Born under
a Bad Sign”.
Thompson sweetens the signature riffs
with rich, ringing piano chords and
short phrases to underscore the humor and the dolefulness of his expressive
vocals, often looking up to both Weller and Littlefield as the tempo slows down for a
time and then picks up the pace, or
breaks into a different time signature.
Bass and drums weave suitably tight and organic patterns under
Thompson’s piano work, which responds with a continually inventive
improvisation. A combination of styles intersect in his
playing, with quotes from classical pieces, pop
tunes, bits and pieces of melody made part of the enjoyable, rumbling
eloquence the trio puts forth.
Most notably, the music swings while not
losing the grounded grit of the blues.
Even on an interpretation of the Turtles pop hit “Happy Together”, a
song generally not found in most jazz trio’s book of tunes, these three
retained the oldie’s classic arrangement and even excel at bringing forth the
song’s signature chorus, the solo section is solid jazz, with a finely composed
piano solo from the ever resourceful Thompson over a bass and drums interplay
that pushes the tune with a verve only an intuitive grasp of the other’s
playing provides. Thompson, of course, is an especially soulful
saxophonist with a style that combines the honking grit of Illinois Jacquet and
King Curtis (too formative influences he speaks highly of) and the hard bop
panache of Nat Adderly and Dexter
Gordon. Thompson though is one of those players you make note of, where
you can simultaneously hear who inspired him in his playing as well experiencing
the personal voice built on the lessons he learned. The combination of Thompson, Littlefield and
Weller results in a night of fun, funky, continuously surprising music.
Born in San Carlos in San Diego’s
east county and a resident most of his life, Thompson grew up in a musical
family, with two brothers who were also musicians and parents who supported and
encouraged them with their passions. Archie was the youngest of three boys and
it was when he was very young their passion music became his.
“I started on piano at 6” he
recalls,” I’m from a musical family. I am really fortunate, I have two older
brothers. My oldest brother, eight years my senior, was a real music prodigy. He
had perfect pitch and he was quite accomplished by the time I was born. We
realized he had perfect pitch by the time he was in second grade or something
like that. I was really fortunate to grow up in that environment, in San Carlos
out in East County. We all started out on piano and then we all picked up the
horn. I wanted to play the horn, but we had to learn piano first, and thank god
for that because it’s t he foundation for theory, harmony. We all took lessons
from the same elderly piano teacher who had a classical emphasis.
She had a great way of teaching
harmony and theory and the basics. If we heard a song on the radio that we
liked, she would write it out for us. So we were playing things that were fun
to play, which makes a big difference to an eight year old kid. So then
saxophone started when I was about ten years old. We all played in Ozzie’s
Marching Chargers; Ozzie’s was a music store that put this band together. We
did all the Charger half time shows back in the day. That was great experience
as well. I wanted to be a drummer as well and my parents bought me a drum set
when I was six. And there were guitars, lots of guitars around the house. My middle brother was a bass player and there
were always instruments around. We were always picking them up and playing. My
parents were very supportive of us.”
Thompson recalls that the period
he spent living in Los Angeles after graduating high school in San Diego was a
cornerstone in his decision to make a
career as a musician.
“A huge influence on me was moving to Los Angeles after High
School. I was fortunate to tag along on a bunch of my brothers' recording
sessions As an 18 year old sax player I wasn't polished enough to compete with
guys like Tom Scott, and Pete Christie, but it worked out to my advantage.
I would sit in the control room and watch the producers and engineers
work. Many of these sessions were Motown Records sessions; I learned so
much as a "fly on the wall". Not only technically how a studio
operates, but how to work with musicians, and singers, how to get great
emotional performances, to get the best out of your musicians and singers.
I worked the clubs on the "chitlin circuit", which was what
the black club circuit was known as. Backing up singers and playing with
some of the great Motown musicians that were present at those recording
sessions. It was an education, one that you do not get in college, or by
formal training, and it helped to shape me into the musician I am today. I
played deep in ‘the hood’, and it was nothing but a positive thing. My
brother and I would be the only white people in the clubs; I played pool with
hustlers, drank whiskey with old-timers, and blew my horn with the baldest
dudes in town. I am so grateful for those experiences.”
Thompson often expresses s
amazement and gratitude that he’s been able to earn his keep and, in the long
run, flourish through creating and performing the music he loves. He is one of
those musicians who make you think of the James Brown honorific, “the hardest
working man in show biz”. In any event, a visit to his website (www.archiethompson.com)
reveals a musician involved in many projects tailored to different audiences,
his many permutations evidenced in his principle group The Arch tones, as well
as a with vocalist David Stranger called the New Moon Flyer in the vein of
Sinatra, Bobby Darin and Nat King Cole that gives tribute to the Great American
Songbook. Ever versatile and expansive in his tastes, Thompson also headlines
the surf combo Archie T and the Tidesmen, and a cocktail lounge solo piano/saxophone
act. Thompson adds to his schedule with frequent work as a producer and songwriter and a
busy schedule of regular performances. In addition to the weekly Jazz Vespers
services on Saturdays at 4:30PM, , he performs at the elegant
U.S. Grant Hotel Saturdays from
8pm to 12am, holds forth with his trio at the posh Eddie V’s in Seaport Village on Thursday , at the U.S. Grant Hotel from
8pm to 12am, and appearing as a solo act four nights a week at Truluck’s in La Jolla . A considerable amount of activity for
the working musician, but it’s a full schedule Thompson built from the ground
up acting as his own booking agent. It’s a skill he acquired in the earliest
days of his professional life.
“What was really cool was I was
14 or so I got into a band and not a garage band. I already had a reputation
because of my brothers. And I was pretty good on the sax by then and I joined a
band with guys who in their early 20s. They got me in the band, probably,
because they knew my family got all the gigs. My mom and dad were managing and
booked the gigs for a long time by the time I had started to play live. By the
time I was 14 I was in a band and out making money. At 16 I was playing night
clubs 5 nights a week starting in high school. That was probably not the best
place to be for a 16 year old boy, but you get an education that you probably
don’t get in a class room. From my older brothers band my dad would go out and
be the band manager on site, or my mom would. By the time I came around they
were over it. I was the fourteen year old in the band but I was the one was the
band leader. We played all the Navy
Clubs all over, Camp Pendleton, all the military installations. They all had
live music, even over here at Balboa Hospital. We played navy clubs, marine
bases, sub bases, church dances, high school dances, after game dances every
week, Sadie Hawkins dances. You know
live bands in the gymnasium!
I was the point of contact for
the account. I was the one who got paid; I was the one they came to if we were
too loud. I handled a multitude of problems. I don’t think my brothers got the
business smarts as I did because they didn’t have to do it. Basically I tell
people that I have been doing the same thing since then, but doing it bigger
and better. The booking aspect of what I do led me to working 6 nights a week
and twice on Saturday, and I used to give gigs away. I’d get a call for a gig
and I would say ‘call so-and-so’. But then I thought after a while why am I
giving gigs away? There is a value in
that they’re calling me. I’ve spent 30 years building my brand here so I
thought why don’t I just start booking stuff? I book The Grand and other venues
and we’re looking to grow that more downtown.”
Thompson is also a prolific
songwriter whose songs and instrumental compositions have found a productive
and profitable niche in work he’s been commissioned to write for publishers who
work in the film industry; particularly in items they call “sound alikes.” It’s
clearly something else Thompson gets great pleasure in doing.
“What I’m concentrating on is
writing songs for publishers who can then plug them into their
productions. You don’t make music selling CDs unless you’re Kanye or Beyonce. CDs
are really just business cards. Music
licensing is where you can make a living, TV, film, commercials. I got a contract with a publisher out o Hyde
Park in Chicago named Ed Caldwell to produce. He catalogues about 25000 songs
in a lot of places. He’s an African American guy, and he loves retro-soul. He asked me once “Hey Archie, can you do
something like Blaxploitation?’ like the theme from Shaft and Superfly?”
And I said “Oh Yeah, I can do that”. I
cranked out a bunch a bunch of those, so now whenever he needs authentic black
music he calls the white guy in San Diego”. It’s interesting because a lot of
the young black musicians are coming from Hip Hop culture, which is not the
same thing…”
A lot of times a publisher will
request a sound alike, and you have to be very careful. They want a particular
sound to go into a movie, but they
don’t want to pay Isaac Hayes for his song, but they want something similar,
but not too close. I have gotten pretty good at sound alikes; I go for tempo
and overall feel. You have to be
careful. If you say this a
particular artist’s song influenced you, you can be sued. And I mean, come on,
every song out there is influenced by
another song by another artists.”
Thompson has had a checkered
music career with regards to the kinds of music he played as he learned his
craft both as musician and performer. His
words make you think of someone who is glad he played each and every lick of
each and every kind of music on his journey to being a full time, flourishing
musician.
“The first band I got into was around
75-76, right in the heart of the disco era, and I was the sax player and we
played a lot of 7os stuff. Tower of Power, Earth Wind and Fire, Average White Band.
I loved all that stuff. I always loved Black music. We played rock like Peter
Frampton and Doobie Brothers and all
that stuff. But we’d throw in some jazz stuff, like Les McCann and Eddie
Harris and their song “Compared to What.” But while I was playing that pop
stuff I knew I really loved black music and really just got into it, Charlie
Parker, Miles Davis and Coltrane. I remember the first time I saw Ray Charles
on the Cher Show and he did “Georgia on my Mind” and that was it! So then I really got into Ray, and I was a huge
James Brown fan. While other kids were listening to Boston, I was in my room
wearing out my James Brown records, as well as Parliament Funkadellic and
Coltrane and Pharo Sanders. I was a bit
of a freak compared to most high school kids.
“I wanted to be a jazz musician.
I remember in 7th grade they had a
vocational fair where they tried to find your aptitude and what you wanted to
be. You would choose your occupation and research it. I wanted to be a jazz
musician. Other classmates wanted to be doctors and I remember being told I
would make really lousy money and be out at really smoky clubs. I wanted to be
a sax player . I loved playing piano and had to keep it up in order to work, especially with the
advent of new wave music. there is no saxophone in most of that stuff. I’m a
bar musician.
“I was playing more rock up and I
was drinking a lot. I quit drinking at 27
in 1989. I’d been fired from one of the popular working rock bands not
because of my musical skills but because of my shenanigans. It’s an
occupational hazard. Then I decided that I had had it, I wasn’t working as a
sideman anymore. I started doing a solo act. I was going to leave the past
behind and concentrate on the music I loved. I started the solo act in 88 and booked
a gig at Humphries in 89 playing solo
piano at happy hour five nights a week.
I played some sax a little bit, cheating by using some tracks I created. You can’t just played unaccompanied sax. That’s where I put my sound together. I was
there from 89-2001, for twelve years. 90-91. the name of the first band was
Archie Thompson and Team Moro. I got a
gig at Croce’s Top Hat. And playing the Jazz Room, around 2002, the trio
concept came into play. Playing Piano, drums and bass, acoustic. We play everything.
A million standards, Ray Charles, a great song is a great song, we play “Happy
Together “ by the Turtles, Johnny Cash, but we swing it up. “
With their two children now grown
and moved out of their home in San Carlos, Thompson and his wife Trish moved to downtown San Diego a few
years ago and enjoy the growing hustle and
bustle of an area where the urban experience is constantly improving and
becoming more exciting for both San Diegans and visitors. As with any person who has had the good
fortune of making a decent livelihood doing what they love, Thompson’s ability
to thrive as a working musician, producer, and songwriter has much to do with
taking a realistic assessment of the city he wanted to work and live in.
“San Diego is a good gigging
town,” he says, “There are a lot of gigs here. But is it a great jazz gigging
town? Here’s where the line gets drawn, though. True jazz musicians look down
upon the working musicians. When I play most of the time, it’s to enhance the
atmosphere. My niche is upscale lounge and fine dining venues. People are not
there for the music, they are there for a thing the establishment offers and my
job is to enhance the environment. Basically, I’m a liquor salesman.
“Not all, but for a good many jazz musicians
it’s about the art who want audiences to pay attention to their solos. I don’t
care about that. I want to go play my music and get paid for it, play what I like.
There are perimeters I have to stay inside, not too loud, of course. It’s a
great gigging town. Now, is it a great jazz gigging town? I’m not so sure. If you’re able to put your ego in your back
pocket and play the rooms that do feature some jazz, then yes, it’s a good
gigging town. You can make a living supporting yourself. But if it’s all about
your artistry and you want people transfixed upon you, then no, I don’t think
you’re going to make it.”
In the 70s and into the 80s San
Diego had a number of clubs with solid jazz policies, such as Elario’s and
Chuck’s Steak House in La Jolla, the Catamaran Hotel in Mission Beach and the
Crossroads Bar in downtown’s Gaslamp District, all of which are closed.
“It’s sad that those types of
rooms don’t really exist now”, says Thompson, “The kinds of room that do
exist…take Eddie V’s for instance, they have eleven or some odd number of
restaurants around the country and they have a live jazz trio every night at
every restaurant. The owners are from New Orleans and they love jazz music and
their concept is that they don’t want karaoke or a pop singer; they want a
bass, a piano and a drum, with some vocals. Those are the types of rooms you
can do well in. They are steady and they make good money. They are able to pay
pretty well.”
As you talk to him, it becomes clear that
playing music is not just a means to make a living, but also a spiritual
foundation. Among the many hats he wears, he is music director for the First
Presbyterian Church on Fourth Avenue in Downtown San Diego, where he’s
presented the Weekly Jazz Vespers for the last six years. An evening prayer
service highlighting Thompson and his band The Archtones and various guest
musicians, the music is jazz, blues and gospel. The services take place in the
church’s chapel with its near perfect acoustics and, as Archie advises,
everyone is invited. “You can come just for the music, that’s just fine, or you
can participate in the service and take
communion and fellowship, that’s perfect as well.”
Founded in 1860, the Church has been a
constant in downtown life, witnessing both growth and decline in its
congregation as downtowners moved to the suburbs and subsequent growth again.
Pastor Andrews , witnessing the rapid growth in the downtown area over recent years and aware that
there was a diverse population of citizens ranging from the upscale , middle income, seniors on fixed
incomes and the too- many who make their
homes on San Diego streets,
became interested in establishing a jazz service, a Jazz Vespers. Such services
have been long established in Detroit, Kansas City, Chicago and Los Angeles,
usually scheduled on a monthly basis. The San Diego Vespers became that rarity,
a religious jazz service presented weekly, every Saturday at 4:30pm in the
Churches 4th Avenue Chapel. Around 2011, Pastor Andrews began asking musical
friends and congregation members if anyone knew of local musicians who would be
the best fit to organize and conduct the music for ongoing jazz service.
Thompson’s name was mentioned, and Pastor Andrews went to see he and his band
at the belated Croce’s restaurant and jazz club on 5th Avenue in downtown’s
Gaslamp District. After the set, Andrews approached Thompson. They spoke and
Andrews made his proposal.
“I have been affiliated about six
years now; I grew up in a Methodist church. Jerry Andrews, the pastor for First
Presbyterian, had the idea for Jazz Vespers and asked Kevin Womac “Hey do you
know anybody who can lead a jazz service?” Jerry tells the story that Kevin
began to answer the “A yeah I do…ah, no…
Then Jerry said ‘It’s on a
Saturday night, and Kevin said ‘Oh yeah I do’. Jerry came down to Croce’s where
I was playing and asked me there. We did a few pilot programs in the
spring 2011 to get some feedback from some folks to see if it was going to work , and after
that we started to do Jazz Vespers
in September of 2011 year. We received a
grant from the Presbytery for Jazz Vespers a couple of years after that which
was a nice grant, we received $45,000. With that we recorded and released the
three Jazz Vespers records. We might do another record.
If you told me 20-25 years ago that I would be leading a church service;
I would have told you were crazy. I
love it, it’s great, and the chapel where the services are performed as great
acoustics and the people are paying attention… We had Matt Hall in here, this
guy on trombone, last week at last
week’s service, and he did ‘Memories of You’ , his featured tune written by Eubie Blake .I
just love it. 86 years old and he put tears in my eyes on the trombone, it’s more than just the
musician, it’s the context, and it’s the reverb. It’s a solemn atmosphere, you
know, and I have had some of most beautiful moments here. For me, anyhow, this
is what worship should be like.”
To those words, I might add that
the quality brings to his live gigs, a combination of imagination, technique
and contagious joy that impresses and moves the listener and which elicits the
best work from the superb roster of musicians he works with over his broad
swath of projects and collaborations, is what music should always be:
expressing the inexpressible in terms of the unforgettable.
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