Rack 'n' Roll

Racky Thomas gets roots right with Last of the Big Spenders

by John O'Neill

With a decade of performing on the New England blues circuit (and a 15-month stint playing solo gigs in Denmark) under his belt, Racky Thomas has graduated from a reverential genre-imitator to

an original talent. His second release, Last of the Big Spenders, proves the point and delivers on the promise the Racky Thomas Band displayed back in '97, when they copped top honors at Boston's prestigious Harpers Ferry Battle of the Blues Bands. It's been a long, interesting road for a guy who wasn't even tuned into the blues until his junior year at Berklee, and while he's considered a scene veteran, his journey into the blues is really just beginning.

Thomas's career has been a slow stylistic expansion across the blues spectrum. "I was more Chicago and Delta, but now I love the swing and jump stuff," he explains. "I grew up listening to pop radio, I didn't know about all these different styles. I heard Stevie Ray Vaughn and Clapton, and I started checking out the folks they were talking about. It was a natural progression -- Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Taj Mahal, Son House. I just keep working and drawing upon influences to keep me [headed] in the right direction."

Working the Boston and Fitchburg area with a core made up of bassist Todd Carson and drummer Ted Larkin, the Racky Thomas Band (who stop by Gilrein's for a set on Friday, January 8) made steady headway in the scene, the result of which was a self-titled debut CD in 1995. While it was a faithful reading of traditional blues, the release ultimately reflected a fledgling act relying heavily on a warmed-over Chicago sound (drawing especially from Muddy Waters) and amounted to little more than a sometimes flat piece of promotional material. But it did plant the seed of bigger things in Thomas' squash.

"I was in Denmark when that first CD came out, and it got me pining to get back in that band," Thomas recalls. "I came back in April [of '97] and we hit the ground running. It just confirmed the belief I had there was something special about the group. It was unfinished business." His solo time abroad, he says, was instrumental in honing his guitar skills.

Riding high on the buzz of winning the Harpers Battle (and a subsequent trip to the national competition in Memphis), Thomas and his troop went back into the studio to cut Last of the Big Spenders. Supplemented by guitarist Nick Adams and Wormtown's Mark Stevens, on piano, Last of the Big Spenders is a major step forward. It's an accurate testimony to the Thomas Band's progress, not only as musicians, but more important, in their ability to interpret the spirit of the blues and add their own stamp. Of the 12 songs on the disc, 10 are contributed by band members, with Thomas carrying the brunt of the writing duties. Ranging from the call-and-response jump of "Fine as Wine" to the harmonica stroll of "Rack 'em Up" to the flat-out boogie-woggie instro "Mark's Boogie," the band's compositions take a more R&B-flavored route than their earlier work did, while retaining a direct link to the past.

The disc's greatest surprise, and one of it's strongest numbers, is the Muscle Shoals ringer "Just a Fool." A song that would be right at home alongside anything from Otis Redding's catalogue, "Fool" showcases Thomas' powerful and warm vocal delivery. It also serves as a reminder that any form of roots music, when played with passion and honesty, transcends genres. And the Racky Thomas Band's strong point is their ability to shift styles without sacrificing conviction.

"I believe it's a more eclectic mix, though it does maintain a traditional sound," Thomas says of the disc. "I didn't have much confidence in my writing ability, but somehow it came out okay. Everyone in the band was so strong with their parts . . . it's a privilege to have that."

Thomas hopes the next step is getting distribution for the CD (it's available now on the internet at http://www.cdfree dom.com) and perhaps expand their audience beyond the New England area. Until then, Racky continues to keep his shoulder to the wheel, winning over crowds one at a time, as he continues his musical education.

"It's a struggle to get by, but I'll go through it to get to the end of the tunnel. I'm just gonna keep on doing it the way I think is right. The people we admire did what they did, and they eventually were recognized. . . . It's very humbling when people appreciate us. It makes us so thankful we're doing what we like to do. "

Local Buzz

Pro-Wormtown entrepreneur/ rocker Rick Blaze has hooked up with New York's Americore Entertainment, which will be shopping Blaze's Lucky Dog Productions, Glam Dog Records, and Rick's entire back catalogue. First stop Cannes, France, for Miden, a music festival for independent artists where Americore hopes to license Lucky Dog. The Free Radicals are also signed-up, and any Worcester act that would like a shot at being represented under the Lucky Dog banner can call Rick at (508) 854-1760. Submissions don't have to be any particular musical style, just good. Worcester's other Lucky Dog, being the newly-proposed music hall, has hit a snag in the license-transfer process; the new owners are currently attempting to buy the entire facility that housed the defunct Sir Morgan's Cove. Don't look for live entertainment from the Green Street nightspot until at least February.

The fellas and gals of East Coast Audio Enterprises are at work on a second CD, which will find each band contributing one original number, as well as a well-chosen '80's cover tune. The Preston Wayne Four are finally putting the finishing touches on their delayed debut CD for release on Northampton's Dino Records. (Dino has also put out a great CD of Bay State super-unknowns the Foreign Objects, and are also financing the Kenne Highland Clan's newest.) The Plantation Club hops on the swing bandwagon with Sunday-night dance lessons from 7 to 8 p.m., followed by live music. Bellevue Cadillac will be there on Sunday, January 17. Huck will be in residence on Wednesday nights during January at Vincent's. They're also putting together a farewell show for departing bassist Dave Robinson -- the proceeds to benefit the Ape Hangers, who recently had all of their (uninsured) equipment ripped off.