Forgotten Blues Heroes: Jimmy McCracklin & Lafayette Thomas

 Nearly sixty years after his first record, Jimmy McCracklin still remains active. In his heyday, from the late 40's through the 60's, he led one of the toughest, hardest rocking blues bands on the West Coast. He was a prolific and witty composer, a fine singer/pianist and along the way scored a number of hits on the charts. Still he remains something of a neglected figure and his stature seems to have always been higher in the black community.

 McCracklin grew up in Missouri and spent his formative years in St. Louis. His earliest musical influence was pianist Walter Davis who his father took him to see as a youngster. "He could just shake me up", said McCracklin, "he was beautiful." McCracklin was a promising light heavyweight boxer and starting in 1938 spent time in the Navy during World War II. He left St. Louis and moved to the West Coast in the mid-40's. His first blues efforts were self financed recordings, making his recorded debut for the Globe logo with "Miss Mattie Left Me" in 1945. On that waxing, J.D. Nicholson played piano but afterwards most of McCracklin's output found him handling his own piano chores.

 McCracklin formed his own trio, the Blues Blasters, in 1946 along with guitarist Robert Kelton and drummer Little Red. The first records under his own name were issued in 1948 on the Trilon record label with subsequent records issued on a number of tiny LA labels such as Down Town before landing with Modern in 1949-50, Swing Time the next year, and Peacock in 1952-54. Gradually the group was enlarged to include a full rhythm section and horns with more emphasis on the beat and plenty of honking sax. Lafayette "Thing" Thomas started playing with the band in the late 40's eventually replacing Kelton and his blistering guitar work would remain a prime ingredient in McCracklin's combo into the early '60s. By the early 50's he had a tight five piece group and was accompanying a variety of West Coast artists while gaining a strong local reputation, particularly at the Club Savoy in Richmond. The club scene was hopping in Oakland, Richmond and San Francisco with popular blues spots like the Rhumboogie, Three Sisters, Esther's Orbit Room, Shelton's Blue Mirror and Club Long Island offering steady employment.

 By 1954, the pianist was back with Modern and cut a series of sessions for Bay Area producer Bob Geddins' Irma label in 1956 (many of which later turned up on Imperial). "The Walk," a rudimentary dance number with a good groove was issued on the Chess subsidiary Checker Records in 1958. The song hit big reaching number five on the R&B charts and also cracking the top ten on the pop charts. He left Chess after a few more 45's, stopping briefly at Mercury (where he cut the sizzling "Georgia Slop" in 1959, later revived by Big Al Downing) before forming his own record label in 1961, Art-Tone, scoring a big hit with "Just Got to Know." A similar follow-up, "Shame, Shame, Shame," also did well for him the next year. Those sides eventually resurfaced on Imperial whom he signed onto in 1965. He hit twice in 1965 with "Every Night, Every Day" (later covered by Magic Sam), "Think" and "My Answer" in 1966.

  He penned the funky "Tramp" for fellow West Coast bluesman Lowell Fulson who took it to the top of the R&B charts in 1967, only to be eclipsed by a duet cover by Stax stars Otis Redding and Carla Thomas a few months later. McCracklin went on to cut a string of LP's for Imperial, changing his sound just enough to effortlessly slip into the soul era. He signed with Stax Records in 1971 cutting the album "Yesterday is Gone," which was released on CD in 1992 as "High on the Blues." In the 90's Mccracklin recorded a pair of strong records for the Bullseye Blues label and in 1999 cut "Tell It to the Judge!" on Gunsmoke, his most recent effort.

Lafayette Thomas

 Lafayette Thomas was a brilliant and influential guitarist, and fine singer, whose primary reputation resides on the stinging fret work he laid down as a session guitarist. In his 1977 obituary Tom Mazzolini wrote: "Unquestionably the finest guitarist to emerge from the San Francisco-Oakland blues scene, there is hardly a guitarist around here today who doesn't owe a little something to Lafayette Thomas..." He was nicknamed "The Thing" due to his acrobatic style of playing. The bulk of his recordings were with Jimmy McCracklin's combo in the 50's and 60's. During his lifetime only a scant fifteen sides were issued under his own name (a number were left unissued) but his body of work stands larger than the man himself.

 Lafayette Jerl Thomas was born June 13, 1928 in Shreveport, Louisiana and encouraged musically by his uncle, Jesse "Babyface" Thomas whose brother was country bluesman Willard "Rambling" Thomas. The family moved to San Francisco soon after his birth and there he learned to play both piano and guitar. His first gig in 1947 was with Al Simmons' Rhythm Rockers also playing in Candyman McGuirt's band and Little Bob Young's Band during this period. He started working club dates with Jimmy McCracklin's band in 1948, eventually replacing guitarist Robert Kelton. He would remained intermittently with McCracklin for the rest of his career. He made his first record while on tour with McCracklin: "Baby Take A Chance With Me/Sam’s Drag", was recorded in Memphis in 1951 for Sam Phillips and was issued on Chess Records under the name of L.J. Thomas And His Louisiana Playboys. He also worked with producer Bob Geddins during this period playing on many Jimmy Wilson sessions including doom laden numbers like "Blues At Sundown", "Frisco Bay" and the popular "Tin Pan Alley." The latter cut also featured Johnny Heartsman on bass who always cited Thomas as his main inspiration. Thomas also played on the first sides by Juke Boy Bonner plus on records by Roy Hawkins, James Reed and Big Mama Thornton during this period.

 His own records were made for small labels such as Jumping, Hollywood and Trilyte, but more often he cut odd titles at McCracklin's 50's sessions for Modern, Peacock (unissued) and Chess and three songs for King which were never issued. His 1954 Modern sides, "Don't Have to Worry (Jumpin' in The Heart of Town)/Lost Mind (Standing at the Back Door Crying)" are among his best efforts. He moved briefly to New York in 1959 to work for pianist Sammy Price. He made "Please Come Back To Me/Lafayette's A-Comin'" the same year for Savoy with pianist Price, before returning to the West Coast. While in New York he also did session work for the Prestige label appearing on records by Little Brother Montgomery and Memphis Slim. He worked outside music for most of the 60's, sharing one album session with pianist Dave Alexander and L.C. "Good Rockin'" Robinson in September 1968 for World Pacific. He remained semi active in the early 70's working with Sugar Pie Desanto and again with Candyman McGuirt's band. The comeback was brief and he spent his last years working as a hose assembler. He died on May 20, 1977 in Brisbane, California of a heart attack. His best work is to be found on the records of Wilson and McCracklin, providing the biting solos for which he will be remembered.

Essential Listening

 Both McCracklin and Thomas have not been well served by reissues. There is not one single collection of Thomas' solo sides with his sides scattered across several anthologies. Many of McCracklin's great 50's and 60's sides are only available on vinyl.

The Walk: Jimmy McCracklin At His Best (Razor & Tie): A solid 20 track career retrospective containing most of the big hits. In addition to the title cut includes "The Georgia Slop", "The Wobble" and "Get Back."

I Had To Get With It: Best of the Imperial & Minit Years (EMI): This 23 track import collects some great numbers form his Imperial/Minit stint. Highlights include "Every Night, Every Day", "Just Got To Know", "Think", "My Answer" and "Steppin' Up In Class." A number of songs overlap with the above collection.

Blues Blastin': The Modern Recordings Vol. 2 (Ace): A solid collection of MCCracklin's early sides. Worth picking up for Lafayette's "Don't Have to Worry (Jumpin' in The Heart of Town) and "Lost Mind (Standing at the Back Door Crying)", two of his most incendiary numbers.

West Coast Guitar Killers 1951-1965 (Official): Includes five Lafayette tunes: "Claim On You", "Weekly Blues", "The Thing", "Lafayette's A-Coming" and "Old Memories." Also plays behind Big Mama Thornton on "Tom Cat" and on Jimmy McCracklin's "Too Late To Change."

Sources

-Liner Notes to Ace LP 17327: Jimmy McCracklin, Blast 'Em Dead!- Dave Williams, 1987

-Liner Notes to Arhoolie LP 2008: Oakland Blues- Lee Hildebrand, 1970

-All Music Guide Entry: Jimmy McCracklin- Bill Dahl

-Blues Who's Who Entry: Lafayette Thomas- Harris, Sheldon: Blues Who's Who. New Rochelle, N.Y.: Arlington House, 1979