Biography
Formed in Oakland, California, Positive Knowledge drew its lineup from Oluyemi Thomas on bass clarinet, sax, and flute, Ijeoma Thomas on vocals, Bruce Eisenbeil on guitar, Wilbur Morris on bass, and Michael Wimberly on drums. The jazz-fusion ensemble put out several recordings in the closing years of the 1990s. Listeners familiar with contemporary jazz will likely recognize most of the participants, each of whom has contributed to an array of additional endeavors. Thomas, who leads the group, once told the British magazine The Wire that he ranks among “one of North America’s preeminent bass clarinetists.” He has also published poetry and released material through Music & Arts, the same imprint responsible for Positive Knowledge’s catalog. Eisenbeil has produced multiple solo albums while collaborating widely elsewhere; Morris’s résumé includes sessions alongside David Murray, Ken McIntyre, Borah Bergman, and Rashied Ali; and Wimberly has worked in both jazz and rock circles with Steve Coleman, David Murray, Charles Gayle, Henry Rollins, Mickey Hart, and Vernon Reid. The band’s two albums to date are 1995’s Another Day’s Journey and 1996’s Invocation #9.
Albums
