It appears that the world may be discovering Earl Thomas based on the line of patrons streaming in for his two shows at San Francisco’s Biscuits & Blues on November 17, 2007.  He has gained a new fan base as a result of his appearance on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise in October and the place was filled with cruisers. He made a splash at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2006 and has continued to win fans on his many tours of Europe.  Since I first saw Thomas a number of years ago, I try to never miss his performances. Don’t label him - he can do everything from gospel to R&B to soul to downhome blues with expertise.


On this evening Thomas was backed up by the superb aggregation of Takezo and Anthony Paule on guitars, Joe Shotwell on drums, Mike Emerson on keyboards, Mike Sugar on bass and Paul Sonnabend on percussion.

Thomas appeared on stage doing “Soul Shine” a cappella while the band slowly worked their way to the stage. This gospel opener set the tone for the evening with Thomas exuding confidence and dynamic stage presence.  He nailed the blues shuffle sensibility on “That’s Alright” to perfection. Takezo introduced the melody on “Rolling & Tumbling” and Thomas took off on a passionate vocal trip after which he commented, “Muddy Waters taught me that lick.” When performing the tune he wrote which became a hit for Etta James,”I Sing The Blues,” Thomas put his personal stamp on it with extemporaneous lyrics. 
He stopped in the middle of “Wang Dang Doodle” and implored the audience to join in saying “I want you to do something for me” which got a hearty call and response on “all night long” telling the band “I want them to do it” which enthused the audience to sing louder! Continuing the Etta James connection, Thomas did an astounding rendition of “I’d Rather Go Blind” knowingly pausing on certain lyrics saying he had learned this technique from James. He emphasized his vocal potency on this tune with an extensive walk through the audience without a microphone. He told an engaging story about seeing an album cover with a chick with a guitar slung over her shoulder and dirty feet and how it resonated with his childhood in Tennessee and his mother’s insistence on making sure he cleaned his feet before coming inside. 
He followed this story with a passionate rendition of “Ode To Billy Joe” on which Takezo performed an extraordinarily sensitive guitar solo with Thomas looking on approvingly. As a prelude to the tune, Thomas talked about relationships and that he is not the marrying kind but just wants to “Get Me Some,” the tune he wrote which was recorded by Tom Jones. In the middle of the tune, he stopped saying that he just noticed two young boys sitting with their parents in the front row and that he didn’t think it was appropriate material for their young ears. 

In a redemptive mode, Thomas shifted easily into an exquisitely lush vocal on the gospel tune “The Woman At The Well.”  Thomas concluded the first set with an exuberant rendition of “Don’t Start Me Talkin’.”

Thomas opened up the second set telling the new arrivals, all adults this time, the story about the tune “Get Me Some” which he then performed with Anthony Paule doing a perceptive accompaniment on acoustic guitar. The highlight of this set for me was the profoundly bittersweet tune, “First And Last Thing On My Mind” on which he displayed an incredible depth of feeling with intimate pungency.

Thomas announced that he has just agreed to appear at Biscuits & Blues every last Saturday of each month in 2008 - good news indeed for his fans. So if you are planning a trip to San Francisco, make sure it is on the last Saturday of the month!