1994 live recording from one of the most exciting contemporary blues-rock bands today. Jimmy and the gang unleash over 60 minutes of high-powered, unrelenting guitar pyrotechnics, finally capturing their thrilling live performances. Thackery became widely known as the innovative guitarist with the Nighthawks, one of the hardest-working and most popular blues bands of the '70's and '80's. Starting in 1974, the group recorded over twenty albums and constantly toured the U.S., Europe, Canada and Japan. Jimmy was the heart, soul, and adrenaline of the Nighthawks sound during his fourteen year tenure with the Washington, D.C.-based band, creating a distinctively raw, powerful guitar style and establishing a reputation as a spectacular soloist.

"Wild Night Out" an album by Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers was released May 22, 1995 on the Blind Pig label. Recorded live at Sully's in Dearborn, Michigan on November 12, 1994.

"Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1953, Jimmy was raised in Washington, D.C. In high school he played in a band with Bonnie Raitt's brother David, who turned him on to Buddy Guy. A pivotal moment for the 17 year old Thackery was seeing Buddy perform at a small D.C. church, but the "moment that changed my life," as Thackery recalls it, occurred quite by accident one night when he wandered into a Jimi Hendrix show in D.C. and heard Hendrix let loose in his first gig after getting kicked off the Monkees tour. Thackery cites Chicago axe master Otis Rush as a primary influence. Moreover, he learned quite a bit from playing on stage alongside such blues legends as Muddy Waters, James Cotton and Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson."

Thackery has been playing his blues based rock for well over 30 years and has played with the best of them.

The Band:

Jimmy Thackery (vocals, guitar); Mark Stutso (vocals, drums, background vocals); Zack Patterson (guitar); Wayne Burdette (bass guitar, background vocals).

I enjoy not only his excellent guitar work but also like his Peter Green style of singing, a bit nasally but cool. "Thackery's albums will delight fans of tough, heavy, driving guitar playing. For a taste of his thorough mastery of several styles, "Drive to Survive" touches on rockabilly, jazz, bebop, and surf music. Most of Thackery's albums include at least a few covers mixed in with his batch of self-penned songs.

If you like this one like myself, keep in mind that he has loads of other great titles available. For previews of music and videos not available on Amazon, check out Jimmy Thackery's "Wild Night Out" on You Tube.



Tracklist:

01. Wild Night Out (5:32)
02. You Upset Me Baby (5:56)
03. The Stumble (5:10)
04. If You Go (10:47)
05. Empty Arms Motel (4:41)
06. Edward's Blues (6:47)
07. Flyin' Low (4:28)
08. Trouble Man (5:35)
09. Red House (7:00)
10. I Don't Live Today (5:07)