San Diego has been fortunate to have many great blues players call the area home, but few can touch the talent of singer Earl Thomas. Internationally acclaimed, Thomas has recently returned to San Diego after 10 years of living in Central California and has become immediately re-entrenched in the local music scene. “My father was in the Navy here,” Thomas explained. “I love it, I can’t stay away. In fact this is the third time I’ve returned,” he joked. Thomas is in the midst of a residency that will see him play three Sundays a month at Winston’s, throughout the summer, starting June 25. It looks to be a busy year for him, with tours of England and Demark also set for 2017, as well as a new album to be recorded, tentatively called, “Dance.”
Known for his dynamic stage style and riveting vocals, Thomas can play guitar, but prefers to concentrate solely on singing. “I like to use my body in my performance so having a guitar would impede the use of my hands,” he said. “I sort of mimic other singers that I admire,” he continued. “Unlike many other male blues musicians, I was greatly influenced by the female singers. I have certain moves that I took from Tina Turner, certain hand gestures that I took from Shirley Bassey. Often times I’ll use a hand to gesture to give emphasis to the phrase that I’m singing.” Recent shows have also featured a Rod Stewart deep cut, “Let Me Be Your Car.” “Back in the ’70s I discovered a radio station that I could only get at certain times of the night. There was a whole science involved in listening this station, because I had to get a wire coat hanger and set it just right,” he laughed. “Once I discovered him, I backtracked through his catalog and I found this track and loved it since I was around 15. It’s a song I never let go of and once I found my new band in San Diego, we had to play it.” Despite his love of everything from rock to classical, Thomas has remained true to the blues. “What I do try to do is expand the sound,” he said. The older blues guys only had a limited group of sounds to pull from, but coming along later, I have a much wider palette of influences,” he said.
Like many other San Diego performers, Thomas has found his greatest success in Europe, playing festivals to more than 50,000 people. “I’ve been fortunate to play at events like the Montreaux Jazz Festival since 1992, and the fans there have taken to my music.” After decades in music, Thomas feels things are just ramping up. “There were a lot of lessons to be learned and I feel like I’m just getting some of those things taken care of now,” he said. “One thing that’s held me back is the changeover in musicians. I’ve played with many great performers, often pick-up musicians, but it’s not the same as having your own band that’s tight,” Thomas said. “The musicians I’m working with now are amazing, I think this is the best, the tightest band I’ve ever had.”
If Thomas is happy to be back in San Diego, he’s even happier to be back at Winston’s. “Winston’s is my church,” he said. “I’ve been playing there since 1987 and it just feels good to be back home,” he said. Thomas credits the venues friendly atmosphere. “You know how when you are growing up, there is always that one house where all the kids want to hang out? It’s like that,” he mused. “You have people from all over coming there to have a good time. People from La Jolla and Skyline dancing together, it’s just wonderful.”