Rene Thomas

**zamar** · 04-12-2007, 09:25 AM

Highly underrated, and barely kown to the audience: Rene Thomas. Yes, he's Belgian, and besides our beer and chocolates (boring...) here's something we can be really proud of. An excellent player, in the style of Jimmy Rainey; energetic, fast bebop lines. Admired by Scofield, Coryell, Zoot Sims (who called Thomas "a revelation"), Sonny Rollins (whom he played with), Stan Getz (check out the live album "dynasty", with Thomas on guitar), and many others. Best album? Guitar Groove, as far as I'm concerned. Great player, and from what I've read and heard a great person too.

**Tom K** · 05-23-2007, 02:07 PM

The Getz "Dynasty" (one of my favourite albums in general) contains my favourite Thomas performance as well. "Guitar Groove" is fine, of course, but "Dynasty" does it for me.

**wizard3739** · 05-23-2007, 10:41 PM

Rene was a great guitarist much like Jimmy Raney (he transcribed note for note many of Jimmy Raney's solo's. I particularly liked his version of "The Old Milestones".

**nado64** · 10-30-2009, 08:49 AM

I enjoy listening the organ trio sessions when he plays with Lou Bennett and Kenny Clarke.

**X-500** · 10-30-2009, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by zamar

"and besides our beer and chocolates"

Mmmmm, Belgian beer and chocolates ...

**Fast Bebop** · 12-12-2009, 07:00 AM

René Thomas is one of the most interesting bebop guitar player...It needs to be mentionned his love for Django Reinhardt, you can hear the same kind of fever and warmness in his solos!

Check out also "Chet is Back!" with Chet Baker, they recorded together during his journey in Italy, excellent record, with of course Guitar Groove and Dynasty who are both my favorites.

Listen to Bobby Jaspar (belgian saxophone and long-time partner of Thomas. The Thomas-Jaspar Quintet is outstanding!

See you all,

B

**Fast Bebop** · 12-12-2009, 07:03 AM

In fact, there is a site that tells all about this man :

index

Go check and find cd's!

**mr. beaumont** · 12-12-2009, 07:45 PM

just got into rene in the last year. great player.

the "django" comparisons are a bit off though-- the cat sounds like jimmy raney, which is a good thing, IMHO.

**Fast Bebop** · 12-12-2009, 08:18 PM

Of course his lines sound quite like Jimmy Raney...

One day he met Django, who signed on a postcard given to Thomas that he was the belgian Django ;-)

I was mostly speaking about the spirit, and the singing aspect of his guitar. The man didn't read music, never learned any kind of harmony or theory, wich allowed him some craziness that brings him close to Django's spirit.

But effectively, he does not sound like Django.

**Fast Bebop** · 12-12-2009, 08:23 PM

For the record : Sonny Rollins himself said one day Thomas was the best jazz guitarist he ever played with, even among americans. As it's been said he's been tremendously overrated during his career. Unfortunately like many jazzmen and musicians. I can't imagine nowadays the thousands of excellent musicians we never heard of...

**mr. beaumont** · 12-12-2009, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by Fast Bebop

One day he met Django, who signed on a postcard given to Thomas that he was the belgian Django ;-)
.

the smiley, of course, because this probably didn't happen, as django was illiterate.

still, he's excellent. i'm assuming you meant underratred? you never really hear anybody talk about rene, which is a shame.

as far as the "spirit," well, we (jazz guitar players) all owe a debt to mr. reindhart and mr. christian--anybody who doubts that doesn't know their roots.

**Fast Bebop** · 12-12-2009, 10:38 PM

It did happen in fact, but with a very bad spelling :-)

I went to Liege (a city in Belgium, where Thomas lived). They have manuscrits, notes from him, but unfortunately not the card with Reinhardt note...It's "La Maison du Jazz"...if you have the chance to go there, they have thousands of records (especially belgian jazz) you can listen to, and almost everything about René Thomas and Bobby Jaspar.

**mr. beaumont** · 12-12-2009, 10:45 PM

i'd love to get there someday.

bobby jaspar was another critically underrated player. i love the stuff he did with rene and jimmy raney, and his playing on herbie mann's "flute soufle" is just excellent.

i agree, there's probably o many cats we never even got to hear...that's why it's so important to go out and support live music now...

**wizard3739** · 12-13-2009, 01:30 AM

The first time I listened to Rene, I thought I was listening to Jimmy Raney. According to Jon Raney, Jimmy's son, Rene came to listen to Jimmy a lot and copied much of his playing style. Rene's version of the old "Milestones" is supurb and a showcase of his talent. I also liked "Ruby My Dear" on that same album. Rene was an excellent, very talented Bebop guitarist.

wiz

**whippersnapper** · 12-13-2009, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by wizard3739

I also liked "Ruby My Dear" on that same album. Rene was an excellent, very talented Bebop guitarist.

wiz

Some of the best ballad Jazz playing on record IMO. When I first heard the Jay Montrose solo I didn't think anything could follow it, but Rene does it. Beautful playing.

**mr. beaumont** · 12-13-2009, 07:38 PM

and J.R. sounds like 'trane on that album, don't he?

**Fast Bebop** · 12-14-2009, 04:11 AM

I agree. René is a wonderful fast bebop lines maker, but can be extremely poetic, and a thing I like about him is his sense of time, surfing around the beat.

**reventlov** · 12-14-2009, 05:34 AM

Not meaning to be argumentative here but...how could Rene (who is a great player) be 'the Belgian Django' when Django himself was Belgian? Seems a bit odd to me.....

**nado64** · 12-14-2009, 06:22 AM

Originally Posted by reventlov

Not meaning to be argumentative here but...how could Rene (who is a great player) be 'the Belgian Django' when Django himself was Belgian? Seems a bit odd to me.....

Django was born in Belgium. But he was french. On his birth certificate, his parents wrote they are domiciled at Paris.

**Little Jay** · 12-14-2009, 06:37 AM

I like René Thomas very much... he has a cool version of Wes' West Coast Blues as well.

Google "rene thomas meeting mr Thomas" and "rene thomas the real cat" and some interesting blogs with interesting links to interesting download-sites turn up......

Well, at least you can decide then wether it's worth buying the original albums...... (yes it is!)

Another interesting European jazzguitar player is the French Sacha Distel. A popular singer in France during the 70ies and 80ies, but a great soulful jazz guitarist before going commercial. He recorded with John Lewis the album "Afternoon in Paris".

And of course there's also the Belgian Toots Thielemans, well-known for his harmonica playing, but he recorded some very nice all-guitar albums, available from the same Gitrane - jazz in Paris series as the Rene Thomas albums.

**reventlov** · 12-14-2009, 04:39 PM

"Django was born in Belgium. But he was french. On his birth certificate, his parents wrote they are domiciled at Paris."

Ahhh thanks - that explains it!

**Fast Bebop** · 12-14-2009, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by reventlov

Not meaning to be argumentative here but...how could Rene (who is a great player) be 'the Belgian Django' when Django himself was Belgian? Seems a bit odd to me.....

Indeed Django was born in Liberchies, Belgium. But I don't think he felt himself as belgian. This said, I'm belgian so I could claim Django is belgian, but his community lived on the road, and they spent the most time in France. The concept of nationality for the gypsy is I think, a little abstract. They are gypsy, and nothing else, at least at that time. This is just my opinion though :-)

**Fast Bebop** · 12-14-2009, 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by Little Jay

And of course there's also the Belgian Toots Thielemans, well-known for his harmonica playing, but he recorded some very nice all-guitar albums, available from the same Gitrane - jazz in Paris series as the Rene Thomas albums.

The label is Gitane.

**nado64** · 12-15-2009, 07:19 AM

Originally Posted by Fast Bebop

Indeed Django was born in Liberchies, Belgium. But I don't think he felt himself as belgian. This said, I'm belgian so I could claim Django is belgian, but his community lived on the road, and they spent the most time in France. The concept of nationality for the gypsy is I think, a little abstract. They are gypsy, and nothing else, at least at that time. This is just my opinion though :-)

Please, talk about something you know !

A website which is complete about René Thomas : http://thomasia.free.fr/accueil.php