The Racky Thomas Band

The Racky Thomas Band

Last Of The Big Spenders
CDFreedom – RT 3257
1998
(49 : 35)

Trouble All The Time
CDFreedom – RT 3258
2000
(50 : 45)

Live At The Yardrock
CDFreedom – RT 1008
2002
(69 : 23)

Born in 1969 in the state of New Hampshire, George Radcliffe Thomas starts palying guitar at the age of 14, soon followed by harmonica. Four years later, in 1987, he goes to the Music College of Berkley in Boston where he will graduate at 22. The year before, he discovers the blues and will carry the virus forever. Sax Gordon, a local famous musician, said about him that he's real, he doesn't cheat or prentend. And this can be heard in his music. Wether it's his vocals, his harmonica or his National playing, the man chooses a direct path, he goes to the essential, no detours, no unneccessary flowery stuff. In Death letter Blues, that concludes Last Of The Big Spenders, one can think of his fellow countryman Little Victor *. This is for the substance. About the form, Racky Thomas likes to skip from Chicago blues to jump blues – a style his guitar player Nick Adams is very good at – not forgetting soul ballads or Delta blues with a deep feeling. Young Mark Stevens piano adds an obvious plus to the first album. Just like Julien Bruneteau in France, this young man certainly has a brilliant future ahead of him, for he already is more than convincing at the mere age of 22. John Ross on drums and Todd Carson on electric or acoustic bass, as for them, provide some top level rhythmics in perfect synch with their collegues high quality music. Except for Sax Gordon, present on the 3 CD, Trouble All The Time is an album of guest buddies, since added to the members of the band, Troy Gonyea, Dave Haley and Charlie Baum can be heard on guitars on some numbers , Doug James on baryton saxophone and Bruce Katz on organ. Piano player Jeremy Berlin, seems to have replaced Mark Stevens in the band. As for Jon Ross, he deserts his drumkit for a mandoline on All I Need Is You, thus proving that yes, definitively, the drummer is a musician as the rest of the pack ! But the best test for a blues band remains a stage performance, and Live At The Yardrock, a high place for blues in Boston, gives us a tatste of what can a Racky Thomas Band concert be. Better say the test is passed by master hand ! Most of the repertoire is from Thomas and Carson, but live performance remains the best place to deliver one's interpretation of standards and there is no getting away from it here : so The Hustle Is On allows Nick Adams to display the width of his talent as a fine guitarist, but finding some T-Bone Walker in a Boston based band is no wonder. What could be more surprising is the cover of Clifton Chenier's Standing On The Corner, a slow blues like ol' Cliff' liked them Even more surprising is the presence of a Sonny Rollins' tune. But don't forget Gordon Beadle's on saxophone, and what better title to describe this phenomenon than Tenor Madness ? And those of you for whom jazz remains hermetically obscure can rest assured that the version of this song that Racky Thomas' men give is much closer to jump blues than to be bop or even hard bop. No, definitly, there is absolutly nothing to cast aside from these 3 albums, and those who will just discover this band should only take advantage of their luck and enjoy.
René Malines