Biography
Richard Thomas acquired the nickname "Cookie" from his mother, though the origin has faded beyond recall. As a Philadelphia teenager in the 1960s he first honed his voice harmonizing doo-wop on neighborhood corners. At fourteen he landed his initial major booking, supporting B.B. King. Throughout the 1970s he performed regularly at clubs, festivals, and assorted venues alongside an eclectic roster that included Houston Person for straight-ahead jazz, The Tokens for doo-wop, Little Anthony for rock, and, for hard bop, Richard Mixon, once married to Betty Carter, among many others; the experience supplied him with an extensive practical musical apprenticeship. An early position working for a wealthy woman who repeatedly played Sinatra recordings prompted his shift toward ballad singing; Thomas later recalled that he “began to like the stuff.” His smooth baritone occupies a middle ground between the resonant depth of Johnny Hartman and Billy Eckstine and the brighter timbres of Nat King Cole and Lou Rawls. In the manner of classic ballad interpreters he presents each lyric plainly so that the narrative remains clear, a quality audible throughout the 1998 album The Pleasure of His Company recorded with the Lynn Ariale Trio. Clear enunciation and meticulous attention to phrasing equip him with the resources needed to address the current scarcity of comparable male vocalists.
Albums
