Jesse "Babyface" Thomas was a blues
guitarist and singer from Louisiana, U.S. Known at different times as "Baby
Face" or "Mule", and occasionally billed as "The Blues Troubadour", Jesse
Thomas popped up all over the blues map in his eight decade career. Born in
Logansport, Louisiana, Thomas is best known for the song "Blue Goose Blues",
which he recorded for Victor in 1929. His clipped, dry-toned guitar-playing,
which sound rather meagre on "Blue Goose Blues", gained greatly from
amplification, and his 1940s-1950s recordings, mostly made in Los Angeles,
California, are fascinatingly varied responses to tradition and innovation.
In 1953, for instance, on a Speciality single, he coupled a minor key blues
in the current West Coast idiom, "When You Say I Love You", with a
re-examination of the old Texas gambling song, "Jack of Diamonds" - an
entirely characteristic gesture. In 1994 he appeared at the Long Beach Blues
Festival.
He had a long musical career spanning over 60 years, continuing to perform
until his death. Texas bluesman Ramblin' Thomas was his brother, and fellow
Louisiana blues guitar player, Lafayette Thomas, was his nephew. A longtime
resident of Shreveport, Thomas died there on 1995 at the age of 84. He
resided in Shreveport's Lakeside neighborhood at the time of his death.
Jesse "Babyface" Thomas has a great approach to playing the rhythm guitar.
This album features his unique style and vision of the blues. Was recorded a
few months before Thomas' death after a 67-year recording career.