Daily Dose Of Jazz…

René Thomas was born on February 25, 1927 in Liege, Belgium and is considered one of the greatest jazz guitarists to emerge in the 1950s. Influenced by Django Reinhardt Thomas was mostly self-taught and became one of the most sought after guitarists for his cool tone. After WWII he played with the “Bop Shots”, Belgium’s first be-bop outfit with Jacques Pelzer and Bobby Jaspar.

In the early 1950s, Thomas moved to Paris where he connected with the modern jazz scene and in 1954, he recorded his first album under his own name. His reputation as a virtuoso guitarist and inventive musician spread rapidly in the jazz world.

In 1956, moving to Canada, Thomas played regularly for the Montreal jazz society and met Sonny Rollins. So impressed with his talent, Rollins invited him for a concert in Philadelphia and for the 1958 recording, Sonny Rollins and the Big Brass. While in the U.S. René played with the best jazz musicians of that era: Stan Getz, Miles Davis, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Jackie McLean and in 1960 he recorded Guitar Groove.

Returning to Europe in 1962, he toured and recorded with Chet Baker, Kenny Clarke, Eddy Louiss, Lucky Thompson and Sonny Criss. While touring with Lou Bennett throughout Spain, guitarist Rene Thomas died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 47 on January 3, 1975.

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