Ramblin' Thomas
Encyclopedia
Ramblin' Thomas was an American
country blues
singer, guitarist
and songwriter
. He was the brother of another blues musician, Jesse Thomas. Thomas is best remembered for his slide guitar
playing, and recording
several pieces in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Blues scholars seem undecided if Thomas's nickname
of Ramblin' was in reference to his style of playing, or itinerant
nature.
, Louisiana
, one of nine children. His father played the fiddle
, and three brothers Joe L., Jesse, and Willard learnt to play the guitar, with Willard particularly practising slide guitar techniques. Thomas relocated to Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas in the late 1920s, and was influenced by the playing of Lonnie Johnson
. He performed in San Antonio, Oklahoma
and possibly St. Louis, Missouri
in his subsequent travels. Thomas recorded in both Dallas and Chicago
between 1928 and 1932, for Paramount Records
and Victor Records
.
Thomas reportedly died of tuberculosis
in 1945 in Memphis
, Tennessee
. Document Records
are amongst the record label
s (previously there were LP issues on Heritage
, Biograph
, and Matchbox Records) to have released retrospective compilations
of Thomas' work on CD.
All known recorded songs are: “So Lonesome,” “Hard To Rule Woman Blues,” “Lock And Key Blues,” “Sawmill Moan,” “No Baby Blues,” “Ramblin' Mind Blues,” “No Job Blues,” “Back Gnawing Blues,” “Jig Head Blues,” “Hard Dallas Blues” (take 2), “Hard Dallas Blues” (take 4), “Ramblin' Man,” “Poor Boy Blues,” “Good Time Blues,” “New Way Of Living Blues,” “Ground Hog Blues,” “Shake It Gal,” “Ground Hog Blues No. 2,” “Little Old Mama Blues”.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country blues
Country blues
Country blues is a general term that refers to all the acoustic, mainly guitar-driven forms of the blues. It often incorporated elements of rural gospel, ragtime, hillbilly, and dixieland jazz...
singer, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. He was the brother of another blues musician, Jesse Thomas. Thomas is best remembered for his slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
playing, and recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
several pieces in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Blues scholars seem undecided if Thomas's nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
of Ramblin' was in reference to his style of playing, or itinerant
Itinerant
An itinerant is a person who travels from place to place with no fixed home. The term comes from the late 16th century: from late Latin itinerant , from the verb itinerari, from Latin iter, itiner ....
nature.
Biography
Willard Thomas was born in LogansportLogansport, Louisiana
Logansport is a town in western DeSoto Parish adjacent to the Sabine River in western Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,630 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, one of nine children. His father played the fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, and three brothers Joe L., Jesse, and Willard learnt to play the guitar, with Willard particularly practising slide guitar techniques. Thomas relocated to Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas in the late 1920s, and was influenced by the playing of Lonnie Johnson
Lonnie Johnson
Alonzo "Lonnie" Johnson was an American blues and jazz singer/guitarist and songwriter who pioneered the role of jazz guitar and is recognized as the first to play single-string guitar solos...
. He performed in San Antonio, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and possibly St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in his subsequent travels. Thomas recorded in both Dallas and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
between 1928 and 1932, for Paramount Records
Paramount Records
Paramount Records was an American record label, best known for its recordings of African-American jazz and blues in the 1920s and early 1930s, including such artists as Ma Rainey and Blind Lemon Jefferson.-Early years:...
and Victor Records
Victor Talking Machine Company
The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American corporation, the leading American producer of phonographs and phonograph records and one of the leading phonograph companies in the world at the time. It was headquartered in Camden, New Jersey....
.
Thomas reportedly died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in 1945 in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Document Records
Document Records
Document Records is a British record label that specializes in early American blues, bluegrass, gospel, spirituals jazz, and other rural American genres , generally made between 1900 and 1945...
are amongst the record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s (previously there were LP issues on Heritage
Heritage Records (Australia)
Heritage Records was a Melbourne, Australia record label, founded in the early 1960s by Tony Standish, specialising in blues and early jazz recordings....
, Biograph
Biograph Records
Biograph Records is a record label founded in 1967 by Arnold S. Caplin. It specialized in early American ragtime, jazz, and blues music. Biograph was the first label to issue records made from piano rolls created by Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton and George Gershwin.In 2002, Biograph Records was...
, and Matchbox Records) to have released retrospective compilations
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of Thomas' work on CD.
Discography
- Ramblin' Mind Blues: Chicago Blues, 1928
- 1928-1932 (compilation albumCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
) (DocumentDocument RecordsDocument Records is a British record label that specializes in early American blues, bluegrass, gospel, spirituals jazz, and other rural American genres , generally made between 1900 and 1945...
- 1992)
All known recorded songs are: “So Lonesome,” “Hard To Rule Woman Blues,” “Lock And Key Blues,” “Sawmill Moan,” “No Baby Blues,” “Ramblin' Mind Blues,” “No Job Blues,” “Back Gnawing Blues,” “Jig Head Blues,” “Hard Dallas Blues” (take 2), “Hard Dallas Blues” (take 4), “Ramblin' Man,” “Poor Boy Blues,” “Good Time Blues,” “New Way Of Living Blues,” “Ground Hog Blues,” “Shake It Gal,” “Ground Hog Blues No. 2,” “Little Old Mama Blues”.