René Thomas: Live 1974

Probably recorded in the last year of René's life, this is a typically intense performance by René in which he plays his compositions My Wife Maria and Theme for Emmanual and Jobim's Chega de Saudade (No More Blues). It's great that people are digging out and publishing these old videos as they have fascinating details. For example, he's playing a Guild (not is famous Gibson ES-150). He's got fairly light strings on, perhaps striving for a more rock influenced sound. He's dressed like a Sixties' man, looking slightly out of place with the (then) hip, hippy bass player. He's endeavouring to take the music to new places, particularly in the the cadenza sections. This makes him the hippest musician in the room.