John Thomas Blues and Ragtime Fingerstyle Guitarist
I am a fingerstyle guitar player living in Hamden, in southern Connecticut, and play instrumental acoustic music, mainly blues and ragtime. My influences range from the blues greats of the 1920s and 1930s to Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, and Jerry Reed. My guitar playing is deeply steeped in American roots music of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Blues, Rags & Beyond...
Playing solo, acoustic music for more than 35 years, my live performances and recordings feature music that ranges from the compositions of classic blues guitarists like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Rev. Gary Davis, to the classic ragtime tunes of Scott Joplin, to the Nashville playing of Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed, and to my original compositions that echo these influences. For many of the blues tunes and rags in my repertoire I have created original arrangements, including adapting ragtime piano pieces to the guitar.
I believe that the period from the late 19th century to the early 20th century marks one of the high points of American musical culture. Ragtime, blues, and jazz emerged during that time period and continued to evolve through the 1930s. Until the 1920s, music was still geographically bound because musicians didn't travel as far as they do today. So, for instance, you can hear a blues player from that decade and discern whether he or she is from the Mississippi Delta, Texas, or the Piedmont area of North Carolina. By the 1930s, a bit of geographic cross-pollination crept into the mix to produce a sort of national gumbo that was challenging, exciting, and, best of all, had a dance-inducing beat!
My instruments of choice include
- Custom guitars made by the world's finest luthier, Kim Walker
- A National resonator guitar
- A Bob Brozman Signature Model baritone guitar made by the Santa Cruz Guitar Company
- Oh, and now and then I pull out a Gypsy Jazz guitar that once belonged to a fellow named Eric Clapton.
content ©2005 John Thomas
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