jazz/funk flautist and occasional saxophonist, nicknamed "The Ebony Godfather", born June 16, 1933. He released his debut album "Joe Thomas is the Ebony Godfather" in 1970.
Producer Creed Taylor has inspired everything from praise to anger among jazz fans. His work has been brilliant at times, detrimental at others (his worst flaw being a tendency to overproduce). Taylor plays a mostly positive role on La Cuna, a jazz-oriented effort uniting Ray Barretto with such first-class talent as Tito Puente (timbales) and the late Joe Farrell (tenor & soprano sax, flute). Barretto successfully moves into soul territory on Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise" .