Hardly could imagine a student called Earl Thomas when one day, together with his classmate Philip Wootton, decided to produce an LP as a practical exam to get a grade and pass the course, that the LP would be the reason of his success. Although his father was a blues performer and his mother a gospel singer, Earl had not felt the music call, but that recording entitled “I Sing The Blues” would become the beginning of a fruitful career. As both students did not know what to do with it, they made copies and sent them to various radio stations. One of those copies reached Buddy Seagal of the San Diego Union Tribune, who passed it on to Herb Cohen, president of Bizarre-Straight Records, who refurbished it and distributed worldwide. Soon Earl was playing at Montreux Festival surrounded by artists like Etta James and Solomon Burke, and even Sreamin’ Jay Hawkins recorded some of his songs. In 2019 and at the height of his success, Thomas decided to retire from music, coming back in 2022 with renewed energy and more strength than ever.

Today Earl Thomas has released around twenty recordings, which have made him become one of the most charismatic voices in blues, soul and gospel. This album was recorded live from the legendary Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, where Earl performed leading the Gospel Ambassadors, a line-up of six musicians, plus the vocal trio Sister Leola, with a repertoire of traditional gospel songs that tell us about the roots of blues, soul or even rock & roll, developed from the depths of the heart, with the simple aim of communicating a deep feeling and amazing intensity.

The album gathers ten songs that are an explosion of pure gospel, soul or rockin’ blues, where Earl Thomas gives us a superb masterclass in these styles.