URAL THOMAS & THE PAIN
Dancing Dimensions (Bella Union)
Ural Thomas first came to the attention of a few listeners through guesting on Lost Horizons’ fine In Quiet Moments album last year, but this Louisiana-born, 81-year-old Portland resident has led an incredible life. After some success with R&B group The Monterays, Thomas went solo, releasing two singles (one referenced in his current band’s name) and a live album in the late 1960s before his latest release, Dancing Dimensions.
Decamping first to Los Angeles, recording with James Brown’s production manager, and New York, where he played the legendary Apollo, Thomas returned to Portland having tired of the music industry and kept a low profile for over four decades. In 2014, at one of his longrunning Sunday night jam sessions, a spot for local drummer Scott McGee led to the formation of a full backing band.
Dancing Dimensions is his third album since then, and from someone with a backstory this rich, one might expect an explosive and unmissable soul masterclass – which it is. A guy who’s graced the same stages as James Brown and Otis Redding, Ural Thomas still has a voice to match those two icons.
words DAVID NOBAKHT
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