Every now and then a good CD is sold at a budget price. In this case, it’s The Essential Jimmy Thackery, issued by Blind Pig Records. The cuts are from eight albums released on Blind Pig between 1992 and 2000, a sampler of the material the DC blues rocker did with his band Jimmy Thackery and The Drivers. Most fans agree that the thirteen songs included here represent Thackery’s most exciting and inspired years.

The effervescent blues guitarist was a founding member of the DC blues outfit, The Highthawks. He left the popular Washington D.C. band and reemerged as Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers. Known for his hard driving and rocked up brand of blues-rock, Thackery’s style is inspiring and electrifying. His vocal ability has a down-home natural charm and blue-collar grit. He sings lead on only half of the included songs, but his extraordinary guitar tone and playing ability is what it's all about.

Songs include the comical ‘Cool Guitars’, in which he sings ‘I’m gonna sell the bitch’s car and buy myself a cool guitar.’ Lonnie Brooks sits in for a fine vocal and guitar performance on ‘It’s My Own Fault’. Duke Robillard struts his stuff on ‘Jump For Jerry’. Reba Russell adds vocal charm to ‘Dancing On Broken Glass’, and John Mooney plays guitar on a cover of Sam Cooke’s ‘I’ll Come Running Back’. ‘Mercury Blues’, ‘Detroit Iron’, and ‘Trouble Man’ make this compilation more than worth it. The Essential Jimmy Thackery is hard driving blues-rock at its finest.

The Essential Jimmy Thackery Track Listing

1. Mercury Blues

2. Trouble Man

3. Detroit Iron

4. Sinner Street

5. Cool Guitars

6. It’s My Own Fault

7. Empty Arms Motel

8. Drive To Survive

9. Jump For Jerry

10. Dancing On Broken Glass

11. I’ll Come Running Back

12. Wild Night Out

13. Jimmy’s Detroit Boogie

Blind Pig Records 2006

Links
Buy The Essential Jimmy Thackery
Jimmy Thackery
Blind Pig Records