Barbara Thompson

**Barbara Thompson** was a trailblazing British saxophonist, composer, and bandleader whose fiery energy and genre-blurring creativity left a lasting mark on jazz and progressive rock. A classically trained musician (she studied at London’s Royal College of Music), she became a powerhouse in the 1970s and beyond, fronting her jazz-rock ensemble **Paraphernalia** and collaborating with legends like her late husband, drummer Jon Hiseman (of Colosseum fame). Known for her dynamic stage presence and compositions that danced between intricate jazz harmonies and rock-edged grooves, Barbara released vibrant albums like *Heavenly Bodies* and *Songs From The Center Of The Earth*, showcasing her knack for storytelling through sound.

Even after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the late ’90s, Barbara kept the music alive, performing and composing with unshakable passion. Her later works, including *Mirages* and *Thompson: Three Quartets*, reflected her lifelong love of experimentation, blending acoustic and electronic textures. A true force of nature, Barbara retired from live performance in 2021 but left behind a legacy of fearless artistry—proof that saxophones *can* rock just as hard as guitars.

Genres

Gregorian Chant

Experimental

Classical

Jazz

Art Rock

Progressive Rock

Contemporary Jazz

Smooth Jazz

Jazz Fusion

Avant-garde Jazz

Jazz Rock

British Jazz

Modern Jazz

Related Artists

Jan Garbarek

John Surman

Andy Sheppard

Paco de Lucía

Lee Ritenour

John McLaughlin

Al Di Meola

Norma Winstone

Dave Holland

Larry Coryell

Peter Erskine

Kit Downes

Latest Release

Mirages

Barbara Thompson

Ep - 4 Tracks - Released January 12, 2018