René Thomas (guitarist)

René Thomas (25 February 1927 in Liege, Belgium – 3 January 1975^[1] in Santander, Spain) is considered one of the most imaginative, articulate and confident jazz guitarists to emerge in the 1950s though he remains largely unknown to the general public.

He began recording in 1943 with Hubert Simplisse et Son Ensemble and after the Second World War played with the Bop Shots, Belgium's first be-bop outfit with Jacques Pelzer and Bobby Jaspar who remained a long time friend .

In the early 1950s, he moved to Paris where he connected with the modern jazz scene, playing in the Tal Farlow/ Jimmy Raney style that was popular at the time. In 1954 and 1956, he recorded a couple of early dates there as a leader, both fine sessions, one for Barclay and another for Polydor. Those have been released on the album The Real Cat. His reputation as a virtuoso guitarist and inventive musician spread rapidly in the jazz world though fame eluded him.

In 1956, he moved to Canada where he played regularly for the Montreal jazz society and met American musicians including Sonny Rollins who becomes impressed enough to invite him to join him for a concert in Philadelphia and for the recording of his Sonny Rollins and the Big Brass/Trio album in 1958. He plays on four tracks, the big band tracks, and takes a solo on the Gershwin tune "Who Cares?"

While in the United States, he played with Toshiko Akiyoshi alongside Bobby Jaspar and recorded with her on her 1958 album United Notions. In 1960, he made his American debut as a leader with the album Guitar Groove.

Returning to Europe in 1962, he toured and recorded with Chet Baker, Bobby Jaspar, Kenny Clarke, Eddy Louiss, Stan Getz, Lucky Thompson, Sonny Criss, Jacques Pelzer, Lou Bennett, Charles Lolo Bellonzi and Ingfried Hoffman.^[2] [and see the discography on his unofficial home page, link below.]

In 1971, Stan Getz saw him and his group at the Blue Note in Paris and picked the three of them up, Thomas, organist Eddy Louiss and drummer Bernard Lubat, for a quartet date at Ronnie Scott's in London. Recordings from three days of their three-week stint were captured by the Beatles' producer George Martin for the album Dynasty. Thomas solos throughout and contributes his own Ballad for Leo to the set.

He died on 3 January 1975 of a sudden heart attack in Spain, while touring with Lou Bennett.

Here's a link to audio snippets with him as a leader - https://www.muziekweb.nl/Link/M00000062187/POPULAR/Rene-Thomas In addition to these dates, he appears as a side man on Bobby Jaspar's 1962 date Bobby Jaspar with Friends playing on two tracks, Now's the Time and Florence, an original and on an Eddy Louiss date from 1973, Eddy Louiss, Kenny Clarke and Rene Thomas.

La Maison du Jazz in Liege has manuscripts and notes that he wrote as well as thousands of records, especially Belgian jazz, available for public listening. Here's a link to his unofficial home page - http://thomasia.free.fr/accueil.php which has a biography, a photo gallery, a page on his guitars and an extensive discography.

Discography

With Stan Getz

• Dynasty (Verve, 1971)

References

External links

• René Thomas tribute page "Thomasia"