Artist Spotlight
Racky Thomas By Robert John, correspondent to BarrelhouseBlues.com rj@barrelhouseblues.com © 2005 BarrelhouseBlues.com - All Rights Reserved
		Few modern Blues ensembles exude the authenticity of post war era Chicago Blues better than the Racky Thomas Band. And they do this with a freshness and verve that highlights an intrinsic love of, and respect for the music and its traditions. Racky, like the early Blues Masters of Chicago, is always fashionably tailored and brings a firm command of the genre to his expressive performances. Whether singing and blowing harp in front of his formidable group of musicians, or soloing with his resonator guitar, Racky brings the goods. Recently, Barrelhouse Blues ("BB") had the opportunity to speak with Racky about his music and career. It is our pleasure to bring this interview to our readers. Read on...

RT: I grew up in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, a resort town on the south-western shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, about 100 miles or so north of Boston, Massachusetts. My folks aren't musicians but there was always music in our home. I think the closest thing to blues I heard as a kid was Elvis Presley, and man I thought he was the greatest! I was just wild about him. One year my parents gave me three of his records for Christmas and I swear I wore them out!

I played the trumpet in Elementary School and picked up the guitar in Junior High, I guess I was around thirteen or fourteen at the time. I took some guitar lessons from a guy who'd lived in New York City and roomed with the legendary jazz guitarist Tal Farlow. I don't know how he ever ended up in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire; it was just my good fortune! He was a deep cat, and he sure had some stories to tell! We used to sit around smoking filterless Pall Malls, drinking strong coffee and playing guitar. It sure made quite an impression on a wide-eyed country kid with dreams of going to the city and becoming a professional musician!

I came to Boston in '87 to attend Berklee College of Music. That really opened my ears to the broad spectrum of music I never even knew existed.

BB: Who were your musical influences?

RT: Like a lot of folks, my first exposure to the Blues was through people like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. I caught Stevie Ray at Northeastern University and was just blown away! He really turned a lot of folks on to the Blues and helped bring the music a bit more into the mainstream. I started digging deeper and began discovering the heavyweights like Muddy Waters, The Kings, and Howlin' Wolf. That's when I caught the bug and said 'yeah', this is the music for me. I befriended a local harp player who turned me on to harp players like Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson, and man that was it. I just fell in love with the sound of the harmonica. I've been chasing the blues ever since.

BB: You sing, play harp, guitar, write songs and perform both as a soloist and as a front man with the Racky Thomas Band. Seems like there’s a lot of creative juice going on. Where do you get your inspiration?

RT: I love to entertain. There is nothing like playing to a live audience that’s into what we’re doing. I get the most personal satisfaction sharing the music I love in the here & now and pouring out to the folks right there in front of us.

I truly feel a connection with the early blues singers and country blues players. Like them, I get inspiration from personal experience, heartache and pain!

It is great having such a fine band to play with. Everyone brings their own musical experience to what we do and that’s how we create our own unique sound. I might have written some original material but it is how the band interprets it that makes it so special.

BB: Who are some of the players you enjoy listening to today?

RT: Sonny Boy, BB King, Taj Mahal, Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson. The list goes on and on. I am always looking for more inspiration. Recently I have been digging deeper into the heart of the music of guys like Blind Boy Fuller and Big Bill Broonzy.

BB: What are the challenges of playing Blues as a musical art form?

RT: It’s not in the mainstream, there is a smaller core audience which is a challenge to reach out to. People don’t value live music like they used to do before the advent of mass media. There is just so much choice out there. Everything is at our fingertips, technology has made everything so accessible. There is not so much allure unless you are a nostalgia freak or a real die-hard.

However, technology is now helping us to find a wider audience. The internet gives access to a global audience, we get radio play and requests for CD’s from all over the world just from having our music on the website. Also, satellite radio is creating allowing a national audience for the Blues such as Bluesville on XMRadio. Internet radio and a loyal local radio scene are also helping keep the Blues out there.

It is important to us to spread awareness of the breadth of the blues. Many of our new fans say they weren’t into the Blues until they heard our mix, a Chicago Jump Blues.

BB: In terms of venues and audiences, have you observed any changes in the Blues scene over the years?

RT: In 2003 we saw a sharp decline in the number of local clubs playing the Blues – ironic in the Year of the Blues, huh? However, I am pleased to see a bit of an upswing this year. It was a great shame to see one of our “homes” - The Yardrock - close last year but now we have regular gigs at The Holy Ground in Quincy and The Purple Eggplant in Abington, so that’s encouraging. (Editor's note: This interview was recorded in 2004.)

It is great playing in New England. There is a wealth of talent here and plenty of people who dig the Blues. I don’t know what it’s like elsewhere but we are real lucky to be in this region.

BB: What are some of your most memorable moments as a performer?

RT: Winning the Battle of the Blues Bands in 1997 and seeing all our fans come out and support us at Harper’s Ferry.

Playing with some of the greats, Ronnie Earle, Luther Guitar Junior Johnson, Rod Piazza, Jerry Portnoy.

BB: What’s next for Racky Thomas?

RT: I would love to have the opportunity to take our music to a wider audience, getting out on the road doing festivals and clubs in other regions. I have been working on a CD of my solo Delta Blues stuff and we’re hoping to get the Band in the studio and do some more recording next year.

BB: What would you most like your fans to know about you and your music?

RT: I’d like our friends and fans to know that we sincerely appreciate their enthusiasm and support. They are what makes playing the Blues so meaningful and worthwhile.