Thurman Barker (born January 8, 1948, Chicago, Illinois, United States)[1] is an American jazz drummer.
Barker's first professional experience was at age sixteen with Mighty Joe Young.[2] Barker took his bachelor's at Empire State College,[3] then studied at the American Conservatory of Music under Harold Jones[4] and at Roosevelt University.[5] He next served as an accompanist for Billy Eckstine, Bette Midler, and Marvin Gaye.[2] He was house percussionist at the Shubert Theater in Chicago for ten years.[2] In 1968, he joined Joseph Jarman's first ensemble, and soon after became a member of the AACM in its early days.[1] Aside from Jarman, he played in the late 1960s and 1970s with Muhal Richard Abrams, Pheeroan akLaff, Anthony Braxton, Billy Bang, Henry Threadgill, and Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre.[1] He recorded and toured again with Braxton in 1978-80 and with Sam Rivers in 1979–80.[5] In 1985 he played in a trio with Jarman and Rivers, and in 1987 he played marimba with Cecil Taylor.[5]
In the 1990s, Barker concentrated more on composition. His 1994 work Dialogue was premiered at the Merkin Concert Hall in New York City,[2] and he composed Expansions (1999) for the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra.[2] Since 1993 he has taught at Bard College, where he is currently Professor of Music.[3] In 1999, he was guest lecturer at Smolny University in St. Petersburg, Russia.[6]
^ abcColin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 175. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
^ abcde"Thurman Barker: Biography". All About Jazz. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
^ ab"Thurman Barker: Professor of Music". Bard College. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
^Sager, Jeanne (July 18, 2006). "Thurman Barker Is Ready to Play". Sullivan County Democrat. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
^ abcFeather, Leonard; Gitler, Ira (1999). "Barker, Thurman". The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 38.
^"About Thurman Barker". Bard College. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
ThurmanBarker (born January 8, 1948, Chicago, Illinois, United States) is an American jazz drummer. Barker's first professional experience was at age...
Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Charles Clark, Gordon Emmanuel, Maurice McIntyre, ThurmanBarker and Leonard Jones with vocals by Penelope Taylor and a poetry recitation...
Emmanuel (vibraphone), Charles Clark (bass), Leonard Jones (bass), ThurmanBarker (drums), Penelope Taylor (vocals), David Moore (vocals) 1969 Young at...
Bank of Myanmar, and political prisoner Peggy Ahwesh Diana Al-Hadid ThurmanBarker Jonathan Brent Franklin Bruno Ian Buruma Mary Caponegro Caleb Carr Anne...
Note label. The album features a concert performance by Taylor with ThurmanBarker, William Parker and Steve McCall with Earl McIntyre, Peter Brötzmann...
performances by Abrams, Joseph Jarman, Douglas Ewart, Amina Claudine Myers and ThurmanBarker. The New York Times wrote that "the instrumentation ... is provocative...
Leon Q. Allen Khari B JoVia Armstrong Harrison Bankhead Renee Baker ThurmanBarker Fred Berry Stephen E. "Steve" Berry Felix Blackmon Mwata Bowden Byron...
played with the rhythm section of bassist Charles Clark and drummer ThurmanBarker. For concerts he invited guests as Sherri Scott, who adds her voice...
Anderson, trumpeter Billy Brimfield, bassist Charles Clark and drummer ThurmanBarker was augmented for the record by another drummer, Steve McCall, and a...
Justice (Dacapo, 2001) with Clint Bahr Puzzlebox (Moonjune, 2022) with ThurmanBarker The Way I Hear It (Uptee Productions, 1998) with Anthony Braxton Composition...
of the excitement upon one of his reentries reads "With Allan Thurman and "Rube" Barker, two of the best linemen who ever wore the Orange and Blue colors...
Mantras (Modern Masters) 2000 Don Byron, A Fine Line (Blue Note) 2001 ThurmanBarker, Time Factor 2004 Sam Newsome, 24/7 (Satchmo) 2005 Paul Motian, Garden...
Jarman, violinist Jason Hwang, bassist William Parker, and drummer ThurmanBarker. In a review for AllMusic, Brian Olewnick wrote: "The pieces are episodic...
Brimfield (trumpet), Charles Clark (bass), Christopher Gaddy (piano) and ThurmanBarker (drums). However, in 1969, Clark and Gaddy both died and Jarman disbanded...
Butch Ballard Jeff Ballard Louis Barbarin Paul Barbarin Danny Barcelona ThurmanBarker Joey Baron Ray Barretto Lionel Batiste Bobby Battle Ray Bauduc Ronnie...
January 2 – John Madrid, American trumpet player (died 1990). 8 – ThurmanBarker, American drummer. 10 - Donald Fagen, American singer, songwriter and...
Interactions About Time With Joseph Jarman, Jason Hwang, William Parker, and ThurmanBarker 1988 1995–1998 In Concert: From There to Hear Mutable Music Solo percussion...
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