Jimmy Thackery - Guitar (2003)

Electric blues fans flock to Jimmy Thackery to hear his fiery guitar, and
tolerate his serviceable but far from thrilling gruff vocals. So, the
compilers of this Blind Pig-era (six albums from 1992-2000) collection
wisely stuck with all instrumental cuts. While that doesn't adequately
summarize his career during this time, it sure makes for a dazzling disc
displaying Thackery's sizzling six-string prowess. Although it is compiled
predominately of previously released material (along with three unreleased
live tracks), and these tunes are certainly among his best, by avoiding the
"Greatest Hits" tag Blind Pig makes it easy to zero in on Thackery's most
incendiary guitar showcases. Using his stripped down Drivers backing band
generally comprised only of bass and drums, allows the guitarist plenty of
room to strut his no-nonsense rockin' blues. From the speedy "Hang Up &
Drive," to the lumbering power of nearly nine minutes of Roy Buchanan's
"Roy's Blutz" and the Dick Dale-styled surf-twang of "Apache," there is no
doubt that Thackery is a wildly talented player who effortlessly turns up
the heat on his fretboard shenanigans. Whether shuffling around "All About
My Girl" or swinging into the jump blues of "Jump for Jerry" (with Jimmy
Carpenter's scorching tenor sax), or bopping through "Burford's Bop,"
Thackery shows he's no one-trick pony by fluently switching musical gears
as easily as he slides down the neck of his instrument. Slow blues lovers
will slobber over his tasty work on "Blues 'Fore Dawn" and the live
"Edward's Blues," but it's on the John Lee Hooker riff of the album closing
"Jimmy's Detroit Boogie" (think ZZ Top's "La Grange," but not as grungy)
where Thackery pulls out all the stops in a tour de force that intensifies
throughout its six minutes. Sure there's plenty of Stevie Ray Vaughan-type
gymnastics here, but the guitarist's obvious talents and fire-shooting
licks will cause even the most jaded blues rockers to admit that this guy
delivers the goods. A skimpy pamphlet with lackluster liner notes (there is
no indication which album the tracks are from) doesn't diminish this disc's
non-stop intensity.