Feel The Heat

Whether Jimmy Thackery headlines a festival or jams for hours in one of numerous blues bars that dot the musical landscape, he=ll always unleash an intense volley of rockin= blues guitar guaranteed to leave crowds emotionally spent. His double edged guitar dynamics allow him to fire off tracer missiles, bend a note so it will fit under a limbo bar, run off dive bomber riffs, and find space within the trembling of one stinging note. AI put all my senses on hold and find the zone and follow what=s inside. There=s an electricity from your mind to your heart to your fingers. You just try and remember to breathe.@ He=s one of the few blues guitarists who learned first hand from the masters of the blues, not off a blues record or DVD. It was Thackery=s time on stage with Muddy Waters that is branded deep within his musical soul. AMuddy was one of those guys who was constantly encouraging. He never told you what to do, but he always told you what you were doing wrong. He never minced words about that. The first time on stage with Muddy, I was in such awe of him that I just kept my eyes and ears open and just picked up on everything he did. It was the dynamics they had that became so ingrained in us. We heard it on the records and then stood on stage and saw how it worked.@ Though many associate Jimmy with his 15 years as the co-founder of the Nighthawks, he ended his time with them in 1987. Since then, Jimmy has been on the road as a solo musician for 24 years, proving each night that he is still the guitar powerhouse in the blues. Once described as a Four Hour Musician, the writer went on to explain that is not how long he plays, but how long you should drive to see him perform. His shows will pique your emotions from hard-driving rock to jaw-dropping instrumentals to tear-jerking ballads.