Guitarist Willard "Ramblin'" Thomas was born in Logansport, LA in 1902. In 1945, he was struck down by tuberculosis while in Memphis, TN, leaving behind about 18 recordings, 16 of which have been reissued on one disc by Document along with assorted tidbits by four other bluesmen, most of whom recorded in Dallas during the late '20s. Whereas Willard's timing, texture, and technique suggest the influence of Lonnie Johnson and Tampa Red, his work is also stylistically linked with that of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Texas Alexander, Ed Bell, Furry Lewis, Funny Paper Smith, and Little Hat Jones -- all substantial Southern blues musicians. After hooking up with talent scouts in Dallas, Ramblin' Thomas cut his first 14 sides for Paramount in Chicago in February and November, 1928. "Ground Hog Blues" and "Shake It Blues" (also known as "Shake It Gal") were recorded for Victor in Dallas on February 9, 1932. "Ground Hog Blues No. 2" and "Little Old Mama Blues" were waxed at the same session but are not included on this collection. What follows are four sides cut in Dallas on August 10, 1929 by Willard's little brother, Jesse "Babyface" Thomas. "My Heart's a Rolling Stone" is structurally a bit different from the formula regularly used by Willard, as is "Blue Goose Blues," a performance that resembles the work of eastern bluesmen Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Blake, and Blind Willie McTell. On the same day and again two months later, Jesse Thomas and pianist K.D. Johnson made about ten recordings altogether as accompanists for Bessie Tucker, and these may be found on Document's edition of her complete recorded works. The deep voice heard singing the lullaby waltz "Good Night" belonged to one Troy Ferguson. This recording, which was made in Atlanta, GA in November 1929, was included here because the person whistling is listed as Jesse Thomas -- although various blues historians have since insisted that this was not the same person as Jesse "Babyface" Thomas. Recorded on August 9, 1929, "Cryin' for You Blues" and "Needin' My Woman Blues" are performed by Sammy Hill backed by a second guitarist by the name of McKeno. "Walking Blues" and "You'll Like My Loving" were recorded in Dallas in December 1928 by Otis Harris. Over the years, these old recordings have resurfaced from time to time on vintage blues collections; in 2010 a couple of the Harris and Hill selections were included on the Fantastic Voyage box set Let Me Tell You About the Blues. arwulf arwulf
Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes. Willard Thomas and his younger brother Jesse were born in Logansport, Louisiana, Willard probably in 1902, Jesse in 1911. Both brothers became accomplished guitarists but Jesse consciously adopted a different style, avoiding the bottleneck technique favoured by Willard. Thirty miles to the north of Logansport is the city of Shreveport, stamping ground of the young Leadbelly and, later, slide guitarist Oscar Woods, ‘The Lone Wolf’. Both Thomas brothers gravitated towards this musical centre. Willard was probably there around the end of World War I and his frequent travels between Shreveport and Dallas, earned him the nickname ‘Ramblin’’ Thomas. In Dallas Willard met up with Blind Lemon Jefferson and they played together down in ‘Deep Ellum’. Evidence of this association can be heard in Thomas’s No Baby Blues which has a Jefferson-like guitar line. It was probably through Jefferson who started a very successful recording career in 1925, that he came to the attention of talent scout R. T. Ashford, who had a record shop in Dallas, and was recommended to the Paramount label which brought him up to Chicago to record 8 sides early in 1928. A further session later that year produced 6 titles but by the time his records were being issued, through 1929/30, record sales were slowing as the Depression tightened its grip on the nation. Fortunately copies of all his Paramount records have survived. Another recording opportunity came his way when the Victor company visited Dallas in February, 1932 and cut four sides by Thomas, two of which were versions of his Ground Hog Blues. The rarity of the 2 resulting records (only one has so far been recovered) suggests very modest sales. A few weeks after Willard’s second session, Otis Harris was making his only record in Dallas. Such an excellent coupling suggests a regular performer who may well have played with Thomas in that city. Ramblin’ Thomas grows in stature the more one listens to him and he must be rated one of the best bluesmen of his generation. Through Ashford, brother Jesse secured an audition for Paramount around 1928 but he wasn’t recorded. His only pre-war recording session (as Jesse ‘Babyface’ Thomas) was for Victor in Dallas in 1929. In addition to his own four sides Victor list him as backing singer Troy Ferguson on Good Night, although Jesse himself denies the identification. He does, however, confirm his presence on two Bessie Tucker titles, Better Boot That Thing and Katy Blues (DOCD-5070). His early sides reflect influences from Blind Blake and Lonnie Johnson, as Jesse himself readily admits. Blue Goose Blues is a catchy and skillful performance but neither this or the other record seem to have sold very well and he had to wait twenty years to be recorded again. DOCD-5107
Tracklist :
1 Ramblin' Thomas– So Lonesome 2:43
2 Ramblin' Thomas– Hard To Rule Woman Blues 3:01
3 Ramblin' Thomas– Lock And Key Blues 2:35
4 Ramblin' Thomas– Sawmill Moan 2:54
5 Ramblin' Thomas– No Baby Blues 2:47
6 Ramblin' Thomas– Ramblin' Mind Blues 2:48
7 Ramblin' Thomas– No Job Blues 3:09
8 Ramblin' Thomas– Back Gnawing Blues 3:00
9 Ramblin' Thomas– Jig Head Blues 3:15
10 Ramblin' Thomas– Hard Dallas Blues 2:59
11 Ramblin' Thomas– Ramblin' Man 3:04
12 Ramblin' Thomas– Poor Boy Blues 2:25
13 Ramblin' Thomas– Good Time Blues 3:04
14 Ramblin' Thomas– New Way Of Living Blues 3:01
15 Ramblin' Thomas– Ground Hog Blues 2:51
16 Ramblin' Thomas– Shake It Gal 2:40
17 Jesse "Babyface" Thomas– Down In Texas Blues 3:06
18 Jesse "Babyface" Thomas– My Heart's A Rolling Stone 2:54
19 Jesse "Babyface" Thomas– Blue Goose Blues 2:33
20 Jesse "Babyface" Thomas– No Good Woman Blues 2:54
21 Troy Ferguson– Good Night 2:59
Guitar [Erroneous], Humming [Erroneous] – Jesse "Babyface" Thomas
Guitar [Uncredited], Humming [Uncredited] – Jesse Thomas
Vocals, Whistling – Troy Ferguson
22 Sammy Hill– Cryin' For You Blues 2:47
Guitar [Prob.], Speech [Uncredited] – ... McKeno
Vocals, Guitar – Sammy Hill
23 Sammy Hill– Needin' My Woman Blues 3:02
Guitar [Prob.] – ... McKeno
Vocals, Guitar – Sammy Hill
24 Otis Harris– Waking Blues 3:28
Vocals, Guitar – Otis Harris
25 Otis Harris– You'll Like My Loving 3:20
Vocals, Guitar – Otis Harris 
