Blanche Thomas (October 5, 1922 – April 21, 1977) was an American blues and
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gu ...
and
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standar ...
in bands featuring
Kid Howard
Avery "Kid" Howard (April 22, 1908, New Orleans, Louisiana - March 28, 1966, New Orleans) was an American jazz trumpeter, associated with the New Orleans jazz scene.
Howard began on drums at about age fourteen, but switched to cornet and then tru ...
and Jim Robinson. Blanche began singing in her mid-teens at the Tick Tock Roof Garden on
South Rampart Street
Rampart Street (french: rue du Rempart) is a historic avenue located in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The section of Rampart Street downriver from Canal Street is designated as North Rampart Street, which forms the inland or northern border of the Fr ...
USO
The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...
engagements for Japanese internees in
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, and also toured with a
tent show
Tent shows have been an important part of American history since the mid-to-late nineteenth century. In 1927, Don Carle Gillette gave "statistical evidence that the tented drama constituted 'a more extensive business than Broadway and all the rest ...
, Dodison's World Circus. Returning to New Orleans, she continued to sing in clubs with musicians including Louis Cottrell and
Joe Robichaux
Joseph Robichaux (March 8, 1900 – January 17, 1965) was an American jazz pianist. He was the nephew of John Robichaux.
Life and career
Robichaux was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, and played piano from a young age and studied at ...
Dave Bartholomew
David Louis Bartholomew (December 24, 1918 – June 23, 2019) was an American musician, bandleader, composer, arranger, and record producer. He was prominent in the music of New Orleans throughout the second half of the 20th century. Originally ...
's band at the
Dew Drop Inn Dew Drop Inn may refer to:
*Dew Drop Inn (New Orleans, Louisiana)
*Dew Drop Inn (Mountain View, Arkansas)
*Dew Drop Inn (musical)
''Dew Drop Inn'' is a musical with music by Alfred Goodman, lyrics by Cyrus Wood, and a book by Walter DeLeon and ...
. Her first recording, for
Imperial Records
Imperial Records is an American record company and label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd. The label was reactivated in 2006 by EMI, which owned the label and back catalogue at the time. Imperial is owned by Universal Music Group.
Early years to ...
in 1954, was "You Ain't So Such A Much", written by Thomas (though credited to Bartholomew) and featuring guitarist
Ernest McLean
Ernest J. McLean (March 23, 1925 – February 24, 2012) was an American rhythm and blues and jazz guitarist.
Career
Born in New Orleans, McLean was the son of musician Richard McLean, who played banjo in a government music project band, a ...
and drummer
Earl Palmer
Earl Cyril Palmer (October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008) was an American drummer. Considered one of the inventors of rock and roll, he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Palmer was one of the most prolific studio musicians of all ...
, but – unusually – with no brass section or saxophone. (The song is not related, except in its identical title, to
Cousin Joe
Pleasant Joseph, known as Cousin Joe, (December 20, 1907 — October 2, 1989) was a New Orleans blues and jazz singer, famous for his 1940s recordings with Sidney Bechet and Mezz Mezzrow.
Life
He was born in Wallace, Louisiana, United State ...
's 1946 song.) Blanche Thomas also sang regularly at
Leon Prima
Leon Prima (July 28, 1907, New Orleans – August 15, 1985) was an American jazz trumpeter and the older brother of singer Louis Prima.
He started on piano before learning the trumpet. His early jobs were with Ray Bauduc, Leon Roppolo, Jack Tea ...
's 500 Club, and at Sid Davila's Mardi Gras Lounge, and appeared fleetingly in
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
's 1958 film ''
King Creole
''King Creole'' is a 1958 American musical drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and based on the 1952 novel ''A Stone for Danny Fisher'' by Harold Robbins. Produced by Hal B. Wallis, the film stars Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, Walter Matthau ...
''.
In 1958, she recorded a version of "
This Love of Mine
"This Love of Mine" is a popular American song that was first recorded in 1941 by Tommy Dorsey and His orchestra, with a vocal by Frank Sinatra. Sinatra wrote the words and Sol Parker and Hank Sanicola wrote the music.
Background
The Tommy Dor ...
" with a small group led by trumpeter
Wallace Davenport
Wallace Foster Davenport (30 June 1925 – 18 March 2004) was an American jazz trumpeter. Davenport has been one of the few traditional jazz musicians of the 1930s who later branched out into swing and bop styles, as well as backing gospel and ...
, released on his Pontchartrain label. Soon afterwards, at the suggestion of drummer and bandleader
Paul Barbarin
Adolphe Paul Barbarin (May 5, 1899 – February 17, 1969) was an American jazz drummer from New Orleans.
Career
Barbarin grew up in New Orleans in a family of musicians, including his father, three of his brothers, and his nephew (Danny Barker) ...
, she began singing with
traditional jazz
Trad jazz, short for "traditional jazz", is a form of jazz in the United States and Britain in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, played by musicians such as Chris Barber, Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Ken Colyer and Monty Sunshine, based on a reviv ...
bands. She also performed regularly in clubs in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
in the early 1960s. After returning to New Orleans, around 1964 she recorded the album ''Am I Blue'', with
Papa French
Albert "Papa" French (November 16, 1910 – September 28, 1977) was an American jazz musician, banjo player, and band leader in New Orleans.
He was a banjo player in the Original Tuxedo Brass Band of New Orleans. This band was founded in 19 ...
and his New Orleans Jazz Band, featuring
Alvin Alcorn
Alvin Elmore Alcorn (September 7, 1912 – July 10, 2003) was an American jazz trumpeter.
Career
Alcorn learned music theory from his brother. In the early 1930s, he was a member of the Sunny South Syncopators led by Armand J. Piron. He worked ...
, with arrangements by
Waldren Joseph
Waldren "Frog" Joseph (September 12, 1918 – September 19, 2004) was an American jazz trombone player from New Orleans, Louisiana.
Career
Joseph played in a variety of styles over his career but was best known as a performer of traditional N ...
. The album, on which Thomas was credited as "Queen of the Blues", was released on the Nobility label. She also recorded with Barbarin's band in the 1960s, and toured with Barbarin to entertain troops in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...
and
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
in 1967.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Thomas sang regularly at the Dixieland Hall, Heritage Hall, and other venues in New Orleans. She also performed at the grand opening of the
Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
She featured on two albums, ''Blanch Thomas Meets The Last Straws in New Orleans'' (1972) and ''New Orleans Heritage Hall Jazz Band'' (1973), and a single, "Bald Headed Beulah". She also sang with the
Al Hirt
Alois Maxwell "Al" Hirt (November 7, 1922 – April 27, 1999) was an American trumpeter and bandleader. He is best remembered for his million-selling recordings of "Java" and the accompanying album '' Honey in the Horn'' (1963), and for the them ...
band in
St Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
with
Louis Cottrell, Jr
Louis Albert Cottrell Jr. (March 7, 1911 - March 21, 1978) was a Louisiana Creole jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist. He was the son of the influential drummer Louis Cottrell, Sr., and grandfather of New Orleans jazz drummer Louis Cottrell ...
's Heritage Hall Jazz Band. She toured Europe with Cottrell in 1974, and appeared at the Grand Parade du Jazz festival in
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...
with Cottrell and
Barney Bigard
Albany Leon "Barney" Bigard (March 3, 1906 – June 27, 1980) was an American jazz clarinetist known for his 15-year tenure with Duke Ellington. He also played tenor saxophone.
Biography
Bigard was born in New Orleans to Creole parents, Ale ...
. She also toured Europe in 1975, as part of
Dick Hyman
Richard Hyman (born March 8, 1927) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Over a 70-year career, he has worked as a pianist, organist, arranger, music director, electronic musician, and composer. He was named a National Endowment for the Art ...
's New York Repertory Company show, ''The Musical Life of Louis Armstrong''.
She died in New Orleans in 1977 at the age of 54, from cancer.