JIMMY THACKERY

EXTRA JIMMIES

2014-10-26

After a 15 year gig with the Northern Virginia based Nighthawks and a brief detour into horn-driven R & B with the Assassins, guitarist Jimmy Thackery formed the hard-hitting Drivers. This disc features 13 cuts drawn from three out of print discs from his early years on the Blind Pig label, Empty Arms Motel, Wild Night Out and Switching Gears. While there are a couple of covers here including a great live take on B.B. King's "You Upset Me Baby", George Butler's "Lickin' Gravy" and the Lowell Fulsom classic, "Honey Hush", most of the material is original and features Thackery's hot-wired guitar work leading his three piece crew through the paces. The first solo release, 1992s, Empty Arms Motel, set the stage for the terrific solo career he has crafted since then. With an immediacy that makes even the studio work sound live and raw Thackery's guitar work is spellbinding with its use of tone, dynamics and his ever inventive phrasing. He's also a fine vocalist with a gruff, take-no-prisoners approach that is as confident as his guitar work. If you missed these releases the first time around this is a good chance to catch a rocket on the way up! Smitty

More reviews tagged #Blues

  • reviewed 06/2011

    RAY MANZAREK AND ROY ROGERS
    TRANSLUCENT BLUES

  • reviewed 08/2017

    RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS
    GROOVIN' IN GREASELAND

  • reviewed 11/2016

    JW-Jones
    High Temperature

  • reviewed 09/2009

    RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS
    TWISTED

  • reviewed 05/2015

    Macy Blackman and the Mighty Fines
    Friskin' The Whiskers

  • reviewed 08/2017

    THE NIGHTHAWKS
    ALL YOU GOTTA DO

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.