=Music Review

 Thomas's

blues act aces Harpers battle

 By  Paul Robicheau

GLOBE CORRESPONDENT

Racky Thomas, a local blues journeyman, recorded a CD with his band in 1995, then moved to Denmark with his wife for the following year and a halt'. Fortunately for him, he was homesick. Thursday, the Racky Thomas Band became the clear winner of the 11th annual Battle of the Blues Bands at Harpers Ferry.

"It was a tough decision," Thomas, a native of Wolfeboro, N.H., said of returning to Boston with his Danish‑born wife. "But we're gonna stick around and see things through."

It wasn't so tough for the six judges in Thursday's finals, who chose the quintet over runner-up K.D. Bell, the Paramounts, Sax Attack, 

  and Julie & Absolute Blue by a comfortable margin.

For winning, Thomas received a $1,000 check from Harpers Ferry and a Boston Blues Society sponsored trip to a national blues competition  in Memphis this Labor Day weekend. "Labor Day? That isn't far away!" beamed the pony-tailed singer, who was nicknamed Racky by his family after a grandfather's name.

In a stylistically narrow final where most groups played a conservative, rocking blend of R & B and blues, the Thomas Band performed in suits and displayed the classiest chops with a wide range of covers and "Fine As Wine," a more swinging original.

The band shifted from guitarist Nick Adams's rockabilly-tinged licks in the Fabulous T-Birds "Walkin' To My Babv" to Thomas's, vintage harp moan in the standard "It's Too Late Brother" to "Roll 'Em Pete," a Big Joe Turner number. In that one, Thomas's hearty vocals were backed only by the barrelhouse piano stylings of Ron Poster, who poured a bottle of water over his head at set's end.   

"I've just hung around [the scene] and was fortunate to meet great guys who share the same kind of vision," Thomas said. "We all appreciate the traditional style of blues."

New Hampshire veteran Bell sang with a winning personality, the

11TH ANNUAL

BATTLE OF THE BLUES BANDS

With K. 1). Bell, Paramounts, Sax Attack,

Racky Thomas Band,

and Julie & Absolute Blue

At: Harpers Ferry, Thursday night.

silver glitter of his hat's headband matching the guitar of Bobby B. Keyes, who stood out with biting tone and economical attack. But while Bell testified at the front of the stage with his original "Deep in the Blues," he mostly fell into a stock crowd‑pleasing zone, rounding out his set with "Bo Diddley" and "Got My Mojo Working," and a more awkward turn on drums.  The Para- mounts resembled the Thomas Band in their suits and muted, more Texas-flavored style.  quartet was distinguished but undistinctive,

 until bassist Dave Souza belted out a slow "Hootchie Cootchie Man," followed by harp laced instrumental "Paramounts ,Jump"  suggesting a lite "Whammer Jammer."  

Sax Attack had punch with its front line of two tenor saxes. But Andrew Clark and Mario Perrett's dual lines and brawny solos grew tiresome, although they spiced New Orleans shuffle "Mellow Saxophone" with a raucous romp to the bar. Tony Hecht's lead vocals and crisp guitar cries also boosted Freddie King's "Pack It Up."

 Wild card Julie & Absolute Blue had a slow start. But the band gained momentum with the modest

Janis Joplin-style singing of Julie (who uses only one name to distance herself from years of singing from folk to punk) and the versatile guitar playing of Tomo Fujita, a funk-fusion upstart from Berklee.

 Due to close scores in the preliminaries, Nasty J. and the Grinders had a late, wild-card invitation but declined. Two of its members also play in the Racky Thomas Ban," and focused on that commitment for the finals. And they're glad they did.