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RIP Barbara Thompson
Jul 15, 2022
Revered British saxophonist
Barbara Thompson has passed on at 77, having suffered from Parkinson’s disease for 25 years. Though you may not have heard of her, it’s quite possible you’ve heard some of her collaborations — with Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Andrew Lloyd Weber (including the original Cats recording), Isaac Hayes, the historic jazz-rock fusion group Colosseum, the Robert Wyatt tribute album “Soupsongs,” and the theme song for the British TV series “A Touch of Frost.” Her playing is typically British: elegant and innovative, with just a touch of grit. (Biography and discography available at AllMusic)
Here she is with a 2013 ensemble playing an updated version of the “Frost” theme:
