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Post by snakehips on Dec 15, 2022 23:52:01 GMT
Hi there !
About 6yrs ago, I posted a thread about my then new bandmate, a 20yr old Thomas Lucas, from Fife, Scotland, He was already in good enough form to slip into my wee band with myself and my other bandmate, Prof Scratchy. Anyway, he has gone from strength to strength, and blossomed into a fab musician, in blues styles from the 1920’s to 1950’s. He moved down south to Aylesbury, England last year, and seems to be getting known down there.
Here he is, at a recent Bletchley Blues Club gig (solo support slot gig), in his 1920’s & 1930’s blues guitar mode (in styles such as Lonnie Johnson, Blind Boy Fuller etc), but to his own lyrics, showing a good sense of humour, and in a very Scottish accent (which I never thought would work, but it does !). He also has the audience in the palm of his hand the whole way through, and confidently so too. And I bet most of the audience don’t even know he is great on piano, harmonica and mandolin too !
I especially like his last song, the Christmas Pudding song, in the style of Blind Boy Fuller ! There should be one more song in his set but the recording ends before that song starts. I’m not keen on the new stage name he has given himself - Big Nose Thomas, but he seems to make it work !
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Post by vastopol on Dec 16, 2022 9:02:12 GMT
Great !!! It's pretty rare nowadays to find some Blues musicians honest enough to stay who they are, I mean singing with their natural accent, or even in their native language, and not trying to mimic someone else. And even better with a funny stage name, cause too much peoples forget how much humour allways been a big part of the Blues, he did a great job to catch the audience! It's very humble to choose a name that wasen't too serious. It's more respectfull I think, since you're white and been born so far from Mississippi you have to be honest. Most of the time when talking about Blues peoples get very serious and take a somewhat harsh posture...but building this kind of relaxed atmosphere needs more skills than just playing all the set list in front of an audience between "hello" and "goodbye". He's brilliant !
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Post by Pickers Ditch on Dec 16, 2022 10:38:49 GMT
That is one of the most refreshing things I've seen and heard in years! Tom's name, his humour, his talent and the fact that he sings in his natural voice and accent is terrific. ... and living in Aylesbury? Can't get much better!
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Post by snakehips on Dec 16, 2022 12:49:51 GMT
Hi again !
Thomas on electric guitar (me on piano) :
Thomas on harmonica busking with an English pal, down in Aylesbury :
Thomas on piano, Prof Scratchy on his wood-bodied National Triolian (Walnut sunburst), our Glasgow frind Richard Rinn singing :
Another with Thomas on piano, me singing :
Thomas on harmonica again, Little Walter style, whilst I attempt Muddy Waters' "Louisiana Blues" :
Thomas on mandolin & vocals, Prof Scratchy on guitar, Richard Rinn on harmonica :
Thomas blowing a jug ! (The Prof on a vintage Stella 12-string, our weegie good friend, Richard Rinn on vocals :
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Post by neilm on Dec 16, 2022 17:48:02 GMT
Well...that was totally Brilliant....Loved it.
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Post by snakehips on Mar 19, 2024 14:10:53 GMT
Hi again !
Young Thomas Lucas, from Fife, Scotland, once a fantastic member of my wee trio with myself and Prof Scratchy, but now living in Aylesbury, England, is still playing the blues and doing quite well for himself. Last year, he was over in the USA playing with trad 40's/50's blues player Mark Mumea.
Starting soon, he will be playing piano in Dexter Shaw's band (circa around London) - and has a gig with Dexter Shaw AND the amazing Big Joe Louis ! I always knew he had the abilities to do great things - and as far as I see it, these "big cheeses" in UK blues music scene see it as well.
Details of some of those gigs are here - I just wish I could go to them !!
DEXTER SHAW & THE WOLFTONES THURSDAY- Mall Tavern - Nottinghill (basement blues) 8pm til late. FRIDAY- The Green Bottles - Leigh on Sea, SS9 (table booking’s & standing) With Special guest the fabulous Dawnette Fessey blues powerhouse.. SATURDAY- THE GREEN BOTTLES Leigh on Sea,SS9 (table bookings & standing) SUNDAY- The Blues kitchen Shoreditch with the great BIG JOE LOUIS and THOMAS LUCAS ..
Please someone here go to any of these gigs - and tell me how they went !
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Post by snakehips on Mar 19, 2024 14:28:19 GMT
Hi again !
Some videos of Thomas, from last year :
Mark Mumea on guitar & vocals, Thomas on harmonica, and Thomas's flatmate Ben White on guitar :
Piano on piano & vocals :
Thomas's flatmate in Aylesbury, Ben White is getting pretty good too - here he is playing slide guitar & singing :
Now, with Ben White on piano, no less, with Thomas on guitar & vocals :
Ben White on harmonica & vocals, Thomas on guitar & Mark Mumea's double-bass player :
Oh, and more recently, when Thomas was back in Scotland for Christmas, we got him in Glasgow for another Richard W Rinn session : Thomas on guitar, Richard W Rinn himself on vocals & harmonica :
And I got to record a couple of tracks - my first time ever having both piano AND saxophone, for playing an Elmore James tune, young Thomas on piano AND Prof Scratchy on 2nd guitar. The sax player (Deke McGhee) is from Glasgow :
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Post by archtopeddy on Mar 19, 2024 16:15:49 GMT
Love the Elmore James tune. You have a fabulous bunch of talent around you! Great slide and vocals. How are you recording this? Just the single mic in the middle of the room? Very good balance and authentic vibe.
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Post by bonzo on Mar 19, 2024 16:26:59 GMT
Really good stuff Snakey. 👏 Especially enjoyed the last track with a full Elmore house band! Add some cigarette smoke, half empty bottles and clinking glasses you're in a club in 50's Chicago. I'd pay to get in! Top stuff 👏
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Post by snakehips on Mar 19, 2024 17:52:34 GMT
Love the Elmore James tune. You have a fabulous bunch of talent around you! Great slide and vocals. How are you recording this? Just the single mic in the middle of the room? Very good balance and authentic vibe. Hi there ! Yes, just the one microphone in the middle of the room. It's a Rode condensor mic, I think, into a Universal Audio LA-610mk2 preamp & compressor combo, with the signal boosted a lot to thicken the sound, then into a cheap in-line attenuator to cut the signal down so not to overload the input of the one channel used of a Zoom Z16 multi-tracker recorder. I think there is only some v simple computer editing the sound after that from a bit of free audio stuff (Normalisation etc). My friend, Richard W Rinn is of the school of do as little to the sound as possible, so you don't harm it ! There are lots of sessions on his youtube page. The following session, with saxophonist, Deke McGhee's band, he added a 2nd mic, I think it's behind the piano - and so it picks up the piano AND I think the drums much better : I love the guitarist, Duncan Kennedy, as he's just a fab guitarist and always has me in stitches. I don't know what it is about Glasgow, but they produce so many fab musicians.
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Post by snakehips on Mar 19, 2024 18:02:49 GMT
By the way, Richard W Rinn is royalty is some quarters, for the bands he had circa 20 years ago - the Boogaloo Investigators, then they morphed into the Five Aces, when they had a change of bass player. Duncan Kennedy is on guitar on both band incarnations. Richard was the singer in the band, plus played harmonica, and a little slide guitar and even melodeon.
Check this out :
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Post by Michael Messer on Mar 20, 2024 12:17:29 GMT
This is well done and is the most interesting recording on this thread. I like the way the band is backing Richard's performance.
The recording is well done too. I like recording with one mic as it gives a natural sound. The choice of room is important when working this way and it works well with this recording too.
I record a lot with one mic. I have recently recorded two all day band rehearsals with one mic at home and the sound is excellent. I use a Neumann TLM 107 which has various polar settings. For this type of recording I use omnidirectional and record with Logic Pro X. It's a great way to record.
I used to spend time with John R.T. Davies, who was one of the great masters of the British recording industry. John was an advocate of mono recording with one microphone. For those who don't know his name, George Martin was trained by John. I could talk about recording for hours and often do!
Shine On Michael
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Post by Pickers Ditch on Mar 20, 2024 13:26:10 GMT
Hi again ! Young Thomas Lucas, from Fife, Scotland, once a fantastic member of my wee trio with myself and Prof Scratchy, but now living in Aylesbury, England, is still playing the blues and doing quite well for himself. Last year, he was over in the USA playing with trad 40's/50's blues player Mark Mumea. Starting soon, he will be playing piano in Dexter Shaw's band (circa around London) - and has a gig with Dexter Shaw AND the amazing Big Joe Louis ! I always knew he had the abilities to do great things - and as far as I see it, these "big cheeses" in UK blues music scene see it as well. Details of some of those gigs are here - I just wish I could go to them !! DEXTER SHAW & THE WOLFTONES THURSDAY- Mall Tavern - Nottinghill (basement blues) 8pm til late. FRIDAY- The Green Bottles - Leigh on Sea, SS9 (table booking’s & standing) With Special guest the fabulous Dawnette Fessey blues powerhouse.. SATURDAY- THE GREEN BOTTLES Leigh on Sea,SS9 (table bookings & standing) SUNDAY- The Blues kitchen Shoreditch with the great BIG JOE LOUIS and THOMAS LUCAS .. Please someone here go to any of these gigs - and tell me how they went ! Richard - which Friday and Saturday at The TEN GREEN BOTTLES? Just looked at their website - no mention of DEXTER SHAW? Or are my old eyes deceiving me? Cheers, PD
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Post by snakehips on Mar 20, 2024 15:56:02 GMT
Hi there !
It wasn't clear in Thomas' FB post ..... but I'd think it's safest to assume he meant THIS week, as he never mentioned another week or month, or any actual dates.
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Post by Pickers Ditch on Mar 20, 2024 16:39:45 GMT
Hi there ! It wasn't clear in Thomas' FB post ..... but I'd think it's safest to assume he meant THIS week, as he never mentioned another week or month, or any actual dates. I'll give 'em a ring and find out.
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