Shardé Thomas
Encyclopedia
Shardé Thomas is an American
fife
player in the vanishing American
fife and drum blues
tradition. She is the granddaughter of Othar Turner
, who founded the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band, and cousin to fellow band mate Andre Turner Evans. She plays a homemade cane fife.
featured her grandfather, Othar Turner, in the 2003 PBS
mini-series, The Blues
, as a link between African rhythms and American blues. This concept was continued on the 2003 album Mississippi to Mali by Corey Harris
. The album was dedicated to Turner, who died a week before he was scheduled to record for the album. Thomas, then 12 years old, filled in for the recording sessions.
In 2003, her band was at South by Southwest Music Festival.. In 2008, she performed in "The Heritage Project" in New York City
. and the 2009 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fife
Fife (musical instrument)
A fife is a small, high-pitched, transverse flute that is similar to the piccolo, but louder and shriller due to its narrower bore. The fife originated in medieval Europe and is often used in military and marching bands. Someone who plays the fife is called a fifer...
player in the vanishing American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fife and drum blues
Fife and drum blues
Fife and drum blues is a rural derivation of traditional country blues. It is performed typically with one lead fife player, often also the band leader and vocalist, and a troop of drummers. Unlike a drum corps, the drum troop is loosely structured. As such, a fife and drum band may have any...
tradition. She is the granddaughter of Othar Turner
Othar Turner
Othar "Otha" Turner was one of the last well-known fife players in the vanishing American fife and drum blues tradition...
, who founded the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band, and cousin to fellow band mate Andre Turner Evans. She plays a homemade cane fife.
Career
Martin ScorseseMartin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
featured her grandfather, Othar Turner, in the 2003 PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
mini-series, The Blues
The Blues (film)
The Blues is a 2003 documentary film series produced by Martin Scorsese, dedicated to the history of blues music. In each of the seven episodes, a different director explores a stage in the development of the blues...
, as a link between African rhythms and American blues. This concept was continued on the 2003 album Mississippi to Mali by Corey Harris
Corey Harris
Corey Harris is an American blues and reggae musician, currently residing in Virginia. Along with Keb' Mo' and Alvin Youngblood Hart, he raised the flag of acoustic guitar blues in the mid 1990s...
. The album was dedicated to Turner, who died a week before he was scheduled to record for the album. Thomas, then 12 years old, filled in for the recording sessions.
In 2003, her band was at South by Southwest Music Festival.. In 2008, she performed in "The Heritage Project" in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. and the 2009 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, often known as Jazz Fest, is an annual celebration of the music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana...
.
Discography
- 2003: Goin' Over The Hill - Willy Deville Acoustic Trio
- 2003: Mississippi To Mali
- 2010: Hill Country Hoodoo - The Jake Leg Stompers
- 2010: What Do I Do? (CD Baby)