Larry Reni Thomas

About Author Larry Reni Thomas

Larry Reni Thomas, a native of Wilmington, North Carolina, is a writer/radio announcer/lecturer based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, who has worked at seven radio stations and whose journalistic work has appeared in downbeat and The New York Times Magazine. He is the author of The True Story Behind The Wilmington Ten and Rabbit! Rabbit! Rabbit!: A Fictional Account of The Wilmington Ten Incident of February 1971. Thomas also wrote The Lady Who Shot Lee Morgan, an article that included an exclusive interview with North Carolina native, Helen Morgan, who killed the 33-year-old jazz trumpet legend. Thomas’ lecture, The Carolina Jazz Connection With Larry Thomas, has been presented at schools, colleges, universities, libraries and public places since 2008, and he was also listed in the downbeat magazine jazz critics poll for 2012. Larry is presently writing a history of The Barn: Wilmington, North Carolina Jazz Mecca (1945-50). He is also featured in the documentary films: Wilmington On Fire and American Jazz Musician. Email: larryrthomas@bellsouth.net , blog: carolinajazzconnectionwithlarrythomas.blogspot.com.

News

I CALLED HIM MORGAN TO FINALLY BE SCREENED IN HELEN MORGAN’S HOME TOWN OF WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA (2/25/18) FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH by LARRY RENI THOMAS

Never in a million years would I have thought that the February 1996 taped interview that I conducted in Wilmington, North Carolina, with former Wilmington, North Carolina resident, Ms. Helen Morgan would have resulted in the much-acclaimed documentary movie called “I Called Him Morgan” (www.icalledhimmorgan.com).   The 2016 film, which has …

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Education

I CALLED HIM MORGAN TO BE SCREENED AT THE SHARP NINE GALLERY JAZZ AND BLUES CLUB, DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA, 1/4/18

Chamber Soul Media, in association with Sharp Nine Gallery Jazz and Blues Club, presents the screening of the documentary “I Called Him Morgan” (www.icalledhimmorgan.com) and a post-screening panel discussion moderated by musician Shana Tucker with reedman Bennie Maupin and author/radio announcer Larry Reni Thomas, both of whom are featured in …

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Reviews

Larry Reni Thomas’ Top Ten Jazz 2017

  SMOKIN IN SEATTLE—Wynton Kelly Trio and Wes Montgomery—Resonance Records ALTO MANHATTAN—Steve Slagle—Panorama DREAMS AND DAGGERS—Cecile McLorin Salvant—Mack Avenue FOR THE LOVE OF YOU—Jacques Lesure—WJ3 LIVE FROM STERN GROVE FESTIVAL—Pacific Mambo Orchestra—PMO SERENADE FOR HORACE—Louis Hayes—Blue Note IN THE MOMENT—Johnny O’Neal—Smoke Sessions LET’S GROOVE—Cory Weeds—Cellar Live LATIN JAZZ PROJECT VOL. …

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News

PREVIEW: SAXOPHONE SENSATION KAMASI WASHINGTON COMES TO RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA by LARRY RENI THOMAS

  Music fans have been passionately waiting for months since the good news came earlier this year that, the 36-year-old, Inglewood, California-based reedman, Kamasi Washington, one of the most talked about, well-travelled musicians on the scene, would be appearing in concert with his eight-piece group, in Raleigh, North Carolina, December …

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Concert Reviews

REVIEW: DUKE PERFORMANCES PRESENTS MONK @100 by LARRY RENI THOMAS

Supreme congratulations to Aaron Greenwald, the executive director of Duke Performances, and his staff, for presenting “Monk @100.” They did an impressive, superb job honoring and righteously celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birthday (October 10, 1917) of the internationally-known piano legend, Rocky Mount, North Carolina native, Thelonious Monk, for …

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Education

THE AUTHOR OF THE LADY WHO SHOT LEE MORGAN ON UHURU RADIO’S DIASPORIC MUSIC WITH TORONTO-BASED NORMAN RICHMOND 9/4/16

Larry Reni Thomas, the author of “The Lady Who Shot Lee Morgan” (KHA Books) will be interviewed, Sunday, September 4, 2016, at 3:30 pm by Toronto, Canada-based Norman Richmond on Uhuru Radio’s Diasporic Music (http://www.theburningspear.com/uhuru-radio ). Thomas will talk about his book “The Lady Who Shot Lee Morgan,” his experience …

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