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The Boston Blues News – March /April 2001 Troubled All The Time Take it from me, there’s no doubting this Thomas’ musical commitment. From the opener, “Ain’t it Lonesome”, Thomas and his all-star band establish their groove de disc. On most songs, it’s Nick Adams’ educated guitar, Jeremy Berlin’s glowing piano and Thomas’ sensitive vocals that center the romp, but the sax appeal of Gordon Beadle and Doug James on three songs shakes out the deepest blues on the disc. Troy Gonyea handles the guitar on the first three songs. On “Blues Keep Me Troubled”, Bruce Katz’ organ combined with Adams’ sparse guitar provides a Jimmy Vaughan styled base. Except for Thomas’ Mooney-like vocal solo on “John The Revelator”, all the music here is original, but with the feel of something that’s been around. Amid the full band delights like “Oh My” and “Robbing Peter To Pay Paul” are stripped down arrangemets that explore all facets of an ensemble’s talents. “Eyes Like Diamonds” showcases Thomas’ solo National steel talents,“She Ain’t Your Average Ordinary Dame”, with only Berlin’s boogie-woogie piano and Jon Ross’ in the pocket drums, harkens back to the days when boogie-woogie piano ruled. On “All I Need Is You”, Ross puts the drum away and adds his mandolin to Thomas’ steel to get the jug band feel of the rural 1930’s. As on his first CD, Thomas’s music has its roots firmly in the traditions of the blues, but the fresh, imaginitive approaches he and his hard working bandmates employ, make this as good as any blues recording you’ll find. Art Tipaldi
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