Ernest Joseph Thomas
b. January 5th, 1929 in Baton Rouge (Louisiana)
d. January 1st, 2014 in Baton Rouge (Louisiana)
DOWN IN LOUISIANA
Jasmine
1953 - September 1965
HOODOO PARTY
Flyright
1954 - September 1965
HIS GREATEST HITS vol.1
Blue Beat
1954 - September 1965 / 1976
Cet autodidacte au piano et à la guitare nait et grandit à Baton Rouge sur Mary Street. Après un service militaire à Riverside en Californie, il s'installe à San Francisco quelques temps. Tabby grave ses deux premiers titres en 1952 pour le label Hollywood de John Dolphin après avoir remporté un radio crochet organisé par la radio KSAN. Revenu dans sa Louisiane natale, il livre quelques enregistrements pour de petits labels (Delta, Feature, Rocko, Zynn). Dès 1954, Tabby passe sous la supervision du producteur Jay Miller qui permettra à sa carrière de prendre son envol. Chez Excello, entre 1961 et 1965, il va proposer les meilleurs morceaux de cette première oeuvre. Son premier succès est "Hoodoo party" avec "Lazy" Lester et Katie Webster. Mais, de nombreux titres remarquables voient le jour entre Swamp Blues, Swamp Pop et Rhythm & Blues : "Popeye train", "Keep on trying", "You put a hold in my head", "Mr Buzzerd", "Playgirl". A cette époque, il rencontre Jocelyn Marie Johnson qui devient sa femme. Ensemble, ils auront sept enfants (dont Chris Thomas King qui mène également une carrière de musicien). Au milieu des années 60, Tabby semble se retirer du monde musical. Mais, il revient après quelques années aux affaires, se rendant à New York pour enregistrer quatre morceaux pour Vedette. Peu après, il fonde son propre label Blue Beat et y sort un premier simple en 1976.
This self-taught pianist and guitarist was born and raised in Baton Rouge on Mary Street. After a military service in Riverside, California, he settled in San Francisco for some time. Tabby recorded his first two songs in 1952 for John Dolphin's Hollywood label after winning a radio hook organized by KSAN radio. Back in his native Louisiana, he delivers some recordings for small labels (Delta, Feature, Rocko, Zynn). Since 1954, Tabby passed under the supervision of producer Jay Miller who will allow his career to take off. At Excello, between 1961 and 1965, he will propose the best pieces of this first work. His first hit is "Hoodoo party" with "Lazy" Lester and Katie Webster. But, many notable titles are emerging between Swamp Blues, Swamp Pop and Rhythm & Blues : "Popeye train", "Keep on trying", "You put a hold in my head", "Mr Buzzerd", "Playgirl". At that time, he met Jocelyn Marie Johnson who became his wife. Together they will have seven children (including Chris Thomas King who also has a career as a musician). By the mid-1960's, Tabby seemed to be withdrawing from the musical world. But he came back after a few years to business, going to New York to record four tracks for Vedette. Shortly afterwards, he founded his own Blue Beat label and released a first single in 1976.
25 YEARS WITH THE BLUES
Blues Unlimited
SWAMP BLUES
Blue Beat
1980
Il fonde en 1978 le club Tabby's Blues Box and Heritage Hall, sur North Boulevard à Baton Rouge, qui devient un haut lieu du blues louisianais (en 2000, le club déménage sur Lafayette Street avant de fermer définitivement en novembre 2004). Tabby fait aussi un passage remarqué au New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival en 1979. Peu après, il grave ce microsillon dans le studio Master Trak de Crowley avec une production assurée par Jay & Mark Miller. Accompagné notamment de "Whispering" Smith (harmonica) et Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural (claviers), il délivre un pur son Swamp Blues lourd et dansant : "Hoodoo party", "Prison blues", "I wanna love you all night long", "Mean and evil woman", "Where you're shackin' at".
In 1978, he founded the Tabby's Blues Box and Heritage Hall on North Boulevard in Baton Rouge, which became the mecca of Louisiana blues (in 2000, the club moved to Lafayette Street before finally closing in november 2004). Tabby also makes a noticed performance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 1979. Soon after, he recorded this LP in Master Trak studio in Crowley with production ensured by Jay & Mark Miller. Accompanied in particular by "Whispering" Smith (harmonica) and Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural (keyboards), he delivers a pure, heavy and dancing Swamp Blues sound : "Hoodoo party", "Prison blues", "I wanna love you all night long", "Mean and evil woman", "Where you're shackin' at".
LOUISIANA BLUES ANTHOLOGY
Sunland
November 1982
Dans cette belle anthologie louisianaise, on trouve deux morceaux où figure Tabby Thomas : "My special plea" et "House rocker jump".
In this beautiful Louisiana anthology, there are two tracks which feature Tabby Thomas : "My special plea" and "House rocker jump".
ROCKIN' WITH THE BLUES
Maison de Soul
BLUES TRAIN
Ace
September - October 1984
BLUES TRAIN
Maison de Soul
BLUES TRAIN
Ace
October - November 1985
Second disque pour Maison de Soul (le label de Floyd Soileau) avec, derrière Tabby, un excellent groupe composé de Bill Samuel (saxophone), Oscar "Harpo" Davis (harmonica), Henry Gray (piano), Sam Hogan (guitare), Sonny Thornton (basse) et Jessie Kinchen (batterie). Du Swamp Blues compact et puissant avec de belles réussites comme "Blues train", "Welfare blues", "I can't hold out", "Lil' red rooster".
Second album for Maison de Soul (Floyd Soileau's label) with, behind Tabby, an excellent backing band composed of Bill Samuel (saxophone), Oscar "Harpo" Davis (harmonica), Henry Gray (piano), Sam Hogan (guitar), Sonny Thornton (bass) and Jessie Kinchen (drums). Compact and powerful Swamp Blues with great achievements like "Blues train", "Welfare blues", "I can't hold out", "Lil' red rooster".
LOUISIANA SWAMP BLUES vol.1 : LIVE AT TABBY'S
Wolf
May 1987
Deux morceaux sympathiques ("So close together" et "Long distance call") sur la scène de son propre club à Baton Rouge.
Two nice songs ("So close together" and "Long distance call") on the stage of his own club in Baton Rouge.
KING OF THE SWAMP BLUES
Maison de Soul
April 1988
Troisième opus pour Maison de Soul, il s'agit d'un solide album de Swamp Blues co-produit par Tabby et le guitariste Julian Piper. Sa voix est limitée mais suffisamment expressive. "Louisiana woman", "Everybody's key fits my baby's door", "Honey dripper" figurent parmi les meilleurs moments du programme.
Third installment for Maison de Soul, it is a solid Swamp Blues album co-produced by Tabby and guitarist Julian Piper. His voice is limited but expressive enough. "Louisiana woman", "Everybody's key fits my baby's door", "Honey dripper" are among the highlights of the program.
LOUISIANA SWAMP BLUES vol.5
Wolf
April 1990
Des titres Swamp lourds et rapeux avec les guitares cinglantes de "Tabby" Thomas et Rudi Richard. Quatre morceaux remarquables notamment "Long about midnight" et "Louisiana woman".
Heavy and raspy Swamp titles with the stinging guitars of "Tabby" Thomas and Rudi Richard. Four remarkable tracks including "Long about midnight" and "Louisiana woman".
SWAMP MAN BLUES
Aim
GOING TO NEW ORLEANS
Jukebox
November 1993 - February 1994
Ce disque semble rassembler plusieurs séances captées en 1993-94 et peut, par conséquent, paraitre hétérogène. Production minimale, son brut, utilisation de cuivres jazzy et de percussions, le programme manque cruellement d'unité. A part le remarquable blues atmosphérique "Going to New Orleans", il s'agit finalement d'un recueil étrange et décousu qui peut déconcerter l'auditeur (le monologue "Lilie Brown" ou un "Drinking blues" bien mal chanté).
This album seems to gather several sessions captured in 1993-94 and can therefore appear heterogeneous. Minimal production, raw sound, use of jazzy brass and percussion, the program cruelly lacking unity. Apart from the remarkable atmospheric blues "Going to New Orleans", it is finally a strange and disjointed collection that can disconcert the listener (the monologue "Lilie Brown" or a "Drinking blues" badly sung).
[no image]
SOUNDS OF NEW ORLEANS : LISTEN UP
Friends of WWOZ
1990's
BLUES FROM THE SWAMP
Blue Beat
1990's
RED MUD
Black Top
July 1998
LONG LIVE THE KING OF SWAMP BLUES
Blue Beat
January 1999
Désormais septuagénaire, Tabby n'a plus sa voix d'autrefois. Il s'est entouré ici d'Henry Gray, John Lisi, Tab Benoit et quelques autres musiciens sur son propre label Blue Beat. Son Swamp Blues lancinant et hypnotique fonctionne toujours sur "Junkie blues", "Hey baby", "Don't say a mumblin' word", "Evil woman blues" même si l'ensemble du programme manque un peu de surprise. Les derniers morceaux du disque sont chantés par son fils Chris Thomas King et Tab Benoit.
Seventy-year-old Tabby no longer has his youth voice. He has surrounded himself here with Henry Gray, John Lisi, Tab Benoit and some other musicians on his own Blue Beat label. His throbbing and hypnotic Swamp Blues still works on "Junkie blues", "Hey baby", "Don't say a mumblin' word", "Evil woman blues" even if the whole program lacks a bit of surprise. The last tracks of the disc are sung by his son Chris Thomas King and Tab Benoit.
BLUES FOR CHLOE
Louisiana Red Hot
2000
LOUISIANA WOMAN
Blue Beat
2000
THE HOODOO KINGS
Telarc
October 2000
Rassemblement de trois artistes majeurs de Louisiane sous la supervision du producteur Randy Labbe. Tabby est moins en avant que les deux autres leaders. Il chante néanmoins une belle version de son "I am the hoodoo king" et est présent sur quelques autres pistes.
Gathering of three major artists from Louisiana under the supervision of producer Randy Labbe. Tabby is less forward than the other two leaders. He nevertheless sings a beautiful version of his "I am the hoodoo king" and is present on some other tracks.
ALONG THE BLUES HIGHWAY
Varese
2001 - 2002
TABBY SINGS LOUISIANA SWAMP POP
Blue Beat
2005