[Marbles]

Jimmy Thackery- Guitar is a great rocking blues instrumental only CD.

I walked into the local music store to get some LP's and heard this CD spinning.  It was the first cut and I asked if that was SRV.  It wasn't, but it sure does sound like him.  Again no vocals, but some really kick ass rocking blues!

Highly recomended.

Also Duke Robillard - Living With the Blues is some smokin hot blues as well.  Another highly rated CD.

If Thackery is a 4.5 stars (out of 5) then Duke is a 4.

[jackman]

Cool, I'll have to check him out if he comes to Chicago.  I am a HUGE guitar fan and would like to make a couple recommendations:

1.  The Riptones.  My friend Mike Krasovech plays most of the guitar for this band (the singer plays a little rythm).  Mike is an absolute smokin' guitarist and their new album (Slant Six) is very good.  Although Mike can play any style of guitar, the Riptones are a Rockabilly band with bluesy and often surf-style guitar (think a hopped up Dick Dale).  Anyway, their new stuff is really cool and very good music for the Summer.  You can hear samples on Amazon.com of their new songs.  My favorites are Go Be Do, a classic Rock-a-billy jam with high octane guitar by Mike, Close Shave (more of a cool surf style but totally rocking), and Nugget, a song with some rocking blues guitar playing.  

These guys play live all the time in the Midwest and are excellent live players.  The bass player plays a large stand-up bass and does some goofy solo's in which he carries it  like a guitar and duck-walks across the stage (like Chuck Berry...except with a 60 lb. stand up bass).  Although I'm not a rockabilly fan, I love the Riptones and try to see them whenever they are in Chicago.  Link to their new album is on their site (riptones.com) and on amazon.com:  

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000093HQ2/qid=1055684195/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-8892556-6899917?v=glance&s=music


2.  Kid Ramos.  I wasn't expecting this guy to be anything special when he headlined at a local club (Frankies in Naperville) about five years ago, and I don't know if it was the atmosphere of the club, the drinks or whatever, but he was the best showman/blues guitarist I have ever seen.  I was with several musician friends of mine in the audience and they all agreed, Ramos was the best blues guitarist they had ever seen.  This guy can't sing and often employs singers on his solo records (he was the guitarist for the Fab T'birds when Jimmy Vaughn left) but he plays guitar as good as anyone I have seen.  He walked around the club and just jammed...played behind the head/back...everything.  I always look for his name in the Reader to see if he ever plans to come back to Chicago.   If you like smokin' blues guitar played live, you should check out Kid Ramos.

Thanks,
Jack

[Tonto Yoder]

His first CD "TexasSugar/StratMagik" seems alot like SRV.
Singing isn't always the strong point, so SRV kicks his behind there; but guitar-playing's great.

[mojoman]

Jimmy Thackery- Guitar is a great rocking blues instrumental only CD.

.

Marbles, I'm huge Jimmy Thackery fan.  He played for years with band called the Nighthawks that used to be on the local circuit when I was in college.  I'm amazed that more people don't know about Thackery. In the mid 70's, the Nighthawks took Stevie Ray and Double Trouble on tour with them as an opening act.  Thackery said it was the worst mistake of his life, having to follow that guy.  JT Guitar is just a compilation of instrumental he did while on the Blind Pig label.  He records on Telarc now.  If you like Guitar I can highly recommend these:

Open All Night - The Nighthawks
Jacks and Kings - The Nighthawks with the Muddy Waters Band (the late 70's version)
Empty Arms Motel - Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers (smokin blues here)
Wild Night Out - live cd with the Drivers
Whiskey Store - Thackery with Tab Benot (another kick ass guitarist) and Double Trouble.
Sideways in Paradise - all acoustic duet with John Mooney, a change of pace but excellent in its own right.
Sinner Street - The new Drivers featuring Jimmy Carpenter on tenor sax and Ken Faultson on bass (from the old Luther Allison band)

[mojoman]

Jackman,

I know Thackery plays Chicago pretty often and he's worth seeing live.  I agree with you about Kid Ramos, I've seen him several times the T-Birds but never with his own band.  An excellent guitarist who defers to no one.

[mojoman]

His first CD "TexasSugar/StratMagik" seems alot like SRV.
Singing isn't always the strong point, so SRV kicks his behind there; but guitar-playing's great.

Texas Sugar/ Strat Majik is Chris Duarte, not Jimmy Thackery.  Duarte kicks some serious ass too and is worth checking out if you like rockin blues guitar players.

[jackman]

Thanks Mojo.  

You have seen some good guitarists!  If the Riptones come to your town, you may want to check them out.  Mike is an awesome guitarist and a good friend.  I have purchased several guitars from him over the years and he helped make my Strat look old (with an old pickguard,pickup covers and some knobs he gave me).  He plays this pre-CBS Fender Esquire and a Tweed Bassman (original) extremely well.   He gets some really strange sounds from this simple setup and has unbelievable tone.  He's a good guy also.  You can get a feel for his playing on the Amazon.com clips.  Maybe I'm nuts, but I love it.

J

[Marbles]

Thanks Mojo, I have to check them out!

[mojoman]

Thanks Mojo.  

You have seen some good guitarists!  If the Riptones come to your town, you may want to check them out.  Mike is an awesome guitarist and a good friend.  I have purchased several guitars from him over the years and he helped make my Strat look old (with an old pickguard,pickup covers and some knobs he gave me).  He plays this pre-CBS Fender Esquire and a Tweed Bassman (original) extremely well.   He gets some really strange sounds from this simple setup and has unbelievable tone.  He's a g ...

J-Man, I'll put the Riptones on my watch for list, hope they make it down this way.  I'm always looking for great guitar players to catch live.