Steve
Thornton, besides
being a great percussionist able to work
in virtually any category of music, is one
of the most honest and generous people I
know.Steve is a Brooklyn, New York guy who
relocated with his family to Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia in 1997. While he misses that aggressive
rhythms that were always around him in New
York, he does value the safety that he is
able to enjoy in the streets of Malaysia.
In Malaysia where the penalty for drug possession
is death, there isn't the violence associated
with the drug dealing that is so much a
part of the streets that Steve grew up in.
In
an environment where there isn't an over
abundance of work for percussionists, Steve
suggested to one of the Malaysia producers
to bring Ralph
MacDonald to that country because Steve
was such an admirer of Ralph's work. I
remember a time when Steve invited my wife
and myself to a rather pricey Thai restaurant
in New York. I know Steve wasn't earning
that much money but he absolutely insisted
on paying the bill. The Yiddish word for
a guy like this is Mensch.
I
had the chance to speak to Steve Thornton
by phone in from Malaysia. Listen
to what he had to say about life in
Asia.
Listen
to what he had to say to me during a
recent visit to my house in New Jersey.
To
learn more about Steve Thornton, CLICK
HERE. |