The One Man Band Chronicles #1: Henry "Ragtime Texas" Thomas

Mysterious Country blues musician from Big Sandy, Texas...Recorded for Vocalion Records in 1927 &1929...Was in his fifties during recording sessions making him (perhaps) the oldest blues musician ever recorded...hoboed all over Texas and the Midwest, picking up gigs in towns along the various railroad lines (checkout "Railroading Some", his musical account of his hobo days)...Accompanied himself on guitar and panpipes or quills ( that instrument that Greek god Pan and Zamfir play) giving his music a strange mystical quality..

Wrote a bunch of tunes later covered by Taj Mahal, The Lovin' Spoonful, Bob Dylan, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Canned Heat (the flute solo on "Up The Country" is a note for note copy of Thomas' panpipe solo on "Bulldoze Blues")...Disappeared not long after 1929 recording sessions...Many blues scholars believe he died in the 1930's although there are claims he was still hoboing and performing as late as the 1950's...
             
                                 Take a listen to "Bulldoze Blues"

--Casey Redmond
    Shangri-La, Ohio

Casey's Website