Soars High productions: JP Soars - Southbound I-95 - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Southbound I-95, from JP Soars and it's really cool. Opening with Ain't No Dania Beach, there's a country flavor but still folky/rock along the lines of the Band...you know...just right. Joined by Travis Colby on organ, Paul DesLauries on ultra cool slide, Greg Morency on bass, and Sam Harrison on percussion, this is a stylin' opener. Swamp funky, Sure As Hell Ain't Foolin' Me, is a great track with a solid bass line and vocal delivery by Soars. His guitar playing is really nice as well, backed by Teresa James on vocals, Oscar Santiago on percussion and Scott Ankrom on trumpet, this is my favorite track on the release.  Title track, Southbound I-95 has great Dale/surf feel with dancing guitar work and a great rocking bass line by Jason Newstead. Excellent! Rock n Roller, The Grass Ain't Always Greener, will really get you moving with a tight piano solo by Colby and a ripping sax solo by Sax Gordon. Very hot! Born In California is another of my favorites with a cool back beat courtesy of Chris Peet on drums and Soars on guitar and bass and his vocals are edgy and cool. Straight up slow blues number, When You Walk Out That Door, features blues masters Jimmy Thackery and JP Soars trading guitar solo's in paced, masterful style. Ouch! With a strong dose of southern R&B, Deep Down In Florida is another great number with blazing guitar work by Albert Castiglia and Soars and a tight beat by Peet and sax work by Ankrom. Spanish flavor on Across The Desert really gives it just the right spice. Soars guitar work in duet with Lee Oskar further cements this release as one of the year's best. Another Latin flavored track, Dog Catcher, this time wide open, has great percussion by Santiago and flavorful guitar work by Soars. Very nice. Heavy tom tom work by Jeremy Staska and a flurry of guitar riffs over a driving bass line by Soars and real nice clarinet soloing by Ankron really sets this track off. Excellent! Wrapping the release is a radio edit of Sure As Hell Ain't Foolin' Me with strong vocals and rich funk. This is one of the must hear releases of the year! Check it out!

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White River Records artist: Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers - Spare Keys - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Spare Keys, from Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers and it's quite good. Opening with instrumental, Candy Apple Red, this release is on the road with a surf driven track. Thackery's clean mastery of his trade is evident and pure with lower octave riffs setting the track off nicely. Backed by Rick Knapp on bass and Chris Reddan on drums. On Blues All Night, Thackery switches to a straight up 12 bar giving his a super opportunity to play call and response with his vocal and guitar. Jimmy is a certain master of the 6 string and this track is cool and clean. On slow bluesy ballad, No More Than Me, Thackery belts out the blues and plays beautifully melodic guitar lines. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release, I Even Lost The Blues, follows a cool jazzy line...kind of a modified T-Bone Walker track. With nice round guitar tones, Thackery really works up a lather on this one digging deep for soulful lead runs. Excellent! Another blues rocker with a surf twits, Five Inch Knife, has a cool recurring riff and reverb laden chords. If you don't like this, check your pulse. Same Page On Demand is another of my favorites on the release with with a thematic guitar line and solid bottom. Thackery just sits back and fans the flames on this red hot smoker. Excellent! An R&B frame work on Puttin' The Word Out kind of puts me in mind of a rock version of the Temptations. With focused but scorching guitar riffs, Thackery wields his axe like a flame thrower. Very nice. Bella Noche has the melodic hook of an Eagles track but with a taste of Tex Mex and Thackery's clever guitar work. Very nice. Wrapping the release is The Barber's Guitar, with a reggae and the openness of Mark Knopfler. Thackery has boundless chops and flows from the innovative feel of Jeff Beck to the tele swells of Roy Buchanan but never losing his own signature. This is a really nicely composed release. Check it out.


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Blind Pig Records artist: Jimmy Thackery - Extra Jimmies - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Extra Jimmies, from Jimmy Thackery and it great! Made up of tracks from previous releases, Empty Arms Motel, Wild Night Out! and Switching Gears, this release is super. Opening with Write If You Find Love, a bluesy rock number, Thackery leads on vocal and guitar joined by Michael Patrick on bass and Al Gamble on B3. BB King's cool shuffle track, You Upset Me Baby, is up next and Thackery is immediately in the groove. Drummer Mark Stutso takes the lead on vocal and Thackery gives this track a good spanking on guitar and Wayne Burdette joins on bass. Recorded live, a whole different dynamic occurs with a bit more time to jam. Very cool! Fast instrumental shuffle, Rude Mood is a terrific opportunity for Thackery to spread his wings and smoke show what he's got and he's not holding back. Excellent! On New Orleans influenced, I Got To Be Strong, Patrick, Gamble and Stutso carry the rhythm and Thackery spices it up with red hot riffs. I particularly like Thackery's loose vocal style on this track giving it a party feel. Wildchild Butler's Lickin' Gravy is flat out smokin' with Thackery taking it down and dirty. His vocal grit juxtaposed against his rip snorting guitar solo's make this my favorite track on the release! Take Me With You When You Go is sopping with gumbo joined by Chubby Carrier on accordion. Love To Ride has a simple two step rhythm and clever bluesy riffs and soft backing vocals. Trouble Man is a straightforward blues rocker featuring some scorching fretwork and a catchy melody. I Wouldn't Change A Thing is a bluesy ballad featuring nice vocal harmonies with Reba Russell, solid B3 work from Gamble and saturated guitar work from Thackery. Very nice! Lowell Fulsom's Honey Hush is up next set up with a simple rock and roll rhythm. Thackery's fat guitar attack really sets this track apart not only stylistically but sonically. Cool! Flyin' Low is a good name for this track with it's low key style but it is flying. Grinding guitar riffs at the bottom of the fretboard make this track different. Empty Arms Motel has a rockin' R&B feel. Nicely articulated double stopped picking and wild bends give this track that something special. Wrapping the release is Monkey, a serious rock n roller. Gamble holds down the bottom with Patrick as Thackery lays down some of the hottest RnR riffs on record since Alvin Lee. Excellent conclusion to a super release.

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Jimmy Thackery - Wide Open - New Release Review - Stilladog (Guest reviewer)

Wide Open. What a perfect name for the newest release by Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers! This album knows no boundaries and is in fact wide open to whatever Thackery was inspired to record. And his inspiration took two years to come to fruition. He began writing for this album back in 2012 with final recording finally wrapping in April of this year. There's something here for many musical tastes, as long as it's not too far from the blues/jazz/rock vein. In fact it is so diverse that listening to the album from start to finish makes it seem disjointed at times. But that does not diminish the quality. For when a song is good, it's very very good. When it's not, it's still very listenable. Two tracks had been previously released for download from iTunes, the blues-rocker Hard Luck Man and the melancholy Someone Who's Crying Tonight. And while I would consider Hard Luck Man very good and one of many highlights on this release, Someone Who's Crying Tonight is just OK. So what's good about it you say? Well if you are a fan of the DC guitar masters Roy Buchanan or Danny Gatton, Thackery delivers Pondok which is an instrumental that has elements of both artist's styles. Thackery, then guitarist for the Nighthawks, emerged as the King of Washington DC guitar after Gatton and Buchanan passed and he obviously learned from both. It is the last track on the release and it's laid back tempo belies some of the guitar artistry Thackery displays. OK so now you know how it ends, lets go back to the beginning. The album starts off with Change Your Tune a jazz infused swing with vocals and is followed by a beautiful jazz influenced instrumental in a minor key called Minor Step. I must confess, Minor Step is one of my favorite tracks on the album. But quickly Jimmy gets the Drivers to switch gears to a real blues called Coffee & Chicken. This tune pays homage to anyone who ever ate a bucket of Kentucky Fried and strong coffee for breakfast. For the humorous minded there's King of Livin' On My Own which could darn near be a country tune. It makes you realize there's a whole lot of truth in humor. If you like a slow gut-wrenching blues, then You Brush Me Off is for you. Thackery gives Ronnie Earl a run for his money in the slow blues instrumental category on this one. I'd say this is by far the favorite cut on the album of my wife, the fabulous Mrs. Dog. It's right up there for me too. Some extremely tasteful guitar on this track, not flashy, but just right. What can I say? You need to hear it. Thackery then returns to blues-rock again with Keepin' My Heart From Breakin'. This is closer to what you may have come to expect from Jimmy's earlier albums with The Drivers. With Swingin' Breeze, Jimmy returns to the jazz style that started the album. It's the kind of song you might expect on a Duke Robillard or Herb Ellis album and it's refreshing to hear Thackery play in this style. Run Like The Wind is done acoustically and is a haunting ballad with blues connotations. These are all original compositions. I believe it's the first Jimmy Thackery album that does not contain a cover tune of any sort. I go way back with Jimmy Thackery. back to the Psyche-Delly (Bethesda, MD), Rewster's Roost (Taylorsville, MD), and 8X10 Club (Baltimore, MD) even Heinz Hall (Pittsburgh, PA) days. And I believe this is an honest and true statement of where Jimmy is in his life right now. Wide Open is not an album made for commercial success (what blues album is these days except Joe Bonamassa releases?) but it's like an abstract piece of art. With that I'd recommend that you take a listen. There's surely something in there that will speak to you.  

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Ventura County Blues Festival

General Admission tickets: Presale $20 (Limited Time Only) $30 at Gate Kids 12 and under are FREE with paid Adult VIP Tickets: $100 (Online Only) all ages For ticket info CLICK HERE!

Announcing the 9th Annual Ventura County Blues Festival

                

 

9TH ANNUAL VENTURA COUNTY BLUES FESTIVAL/SATURDAY, APRIL 26 FEATURING THE BEST ENTERTAINMENT LINEUP TO DATE; THIS YEAR'S NEW ATTRACTIONS TO INCLUDE A VERY SPECIAL TICKETED V.I.P. AREA

 

   (MOORPARK, CALIF) - The 9th Annual Ventura County Blues Festival on Saturday, April 26, 2014 returns to Moorpark College and features its best lineup to date with performances by Fabulous Thunderbirds front man, Kim Wilson's Blues All-Stars; premier Southern California-based record label Delta Groove Records' own Delta Groove All-Star Blues Revue featuring Sugaray Rayford with Kid Ramos and friends; soulful vocalist extraordinaire, Sista Monica Parker; festival favorites making a command return appearance, Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers; the stellar band fronted by VCBS President, Michael John and The Bottom Line and friends, including BMA nominee, vocalist Karen Lovely; and VCBS Band Challenge winner, Lightnin' Willie. Returning as Celebrity Emcee is noted actor-musician, Mickey Jones (Trini Lopez, Bob Dylan, The First Edition; and currently a regular on FX hit TV series, "Justified"). Food and craft vendors, guitar giveaway, and, for the first time, a Ticketed V.I.P. area. Benefits the American Diabetes Association and community charities. Presale General Admission tickets $20. in advance, $30. at the gate; V.I.P. tickets $100. (limited quantity available).  More information at www.venturacountyblues.com.

   

 "We're very excited about the 2014 festival,” says festival founder/Ventura County Blues Society President, Michael John. "This event opens many doors for service clubs in Ventura County and supports Moorpark College. New this year we have a Ticketed V.I.P area with private shade, restrooms and a bar. (The V.I.P. area) also includes a festival t-shirt, poster, two drink tickets, complimentary water and early entrance into the festival. We have had so many people ask us to do this, and your wish is our command.” Past festivals have entertained more than 4,000 people with acts like Blues Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Musselwhite, and last year, special guest George Thorogood.

 

  About The 9th Annual Ventura County Blues Festival Headliners

 

     Kim Wilson's Blues All-Stars: Kim Wilson is an American blues singer and harmonica player. He is best known as the lead vocalist and front man for The Fabulous Thunderbirds on two hit songs of the 1980s; “Tuff Enuff”, and “Wrap It Up.” Wilson was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1951, but grew up in Goleta, California, where he sometimes went by the stage name of “Goleta Slim.” He started with the blues in the late 1960s and was tutored by people like Muddy Waters, Jimmie Rogers, Eddie Taylor, Albert Collins, George “Harmonica” Smith, Luther Tucker and Pee Wee Crayton and was influenced by harmonica players like Little Walter, James Cotton, Big Walter Horton, Slim Harpo and Lazy Lester. Before he moved to Austin, Texas in 1974, he was the leader of the band Aces, Straights and Shuffles in Minneapolis, Minnesota; this band released one single. In Austin he formed The Fabulous Thunderbirds with guitarist Jimmie Vaughan, and they became the house band at the blues club, Antone’s, owned by Clifford Antone. Muddy Waters called Wilson, “The greatest harmonica player since Little Walter”. Wilson continues to perform up to 300 concert dates per year at blues music festivals and clubs all over the world, both as leader of The Fabulous Thunderbirds and with the Kim Wilson Blues All-stars. His powerful style of blues harp playing has been described as “loaded with the textures of a full-blown horn section.” https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kim-Wilsons-Blues-All-Stars/272734382786980.

 

     Delta Groove All Star Revue Featuring Sugaray Rayford & Friends: When Sugaray belts out a song, you not only hear it, you feel it. The excitement in the room is palpable when he takes the stage; he is a superb vocalist and entertainer. His dynamic voice is large just like the man. With his old school vocal style, echoes of Muddy Waters, Otis Redding and Teddy Pendergrass can be heard. At 6’5” he is a big man, but he moves with grace and energy. His fluid dance steps will remind you of the Legendary James Brown. After moving to Los Angeles several years ago, Sugaray was asked to host a blues jam at Cozy’s in Sherman Oaks. It is through this venue that Sugaray met and played with innumerable world-class musicians. Suga’s desire to explore and expand his musical vision has been nourished by these musicians while his solo career has flourished in L.A. Sugaray has fronted his own band since 2010, called the Sugaray Rayford Band made up of world-class musicians including Ralph Carter on bass who is also his writing partner, Gino Matteo on guitar, Leo Dombecki on keyboards, Lavelle Jones on drums, Allan Walker on Sax, and Gary Bivona on trumpet. But the Sugaray Rayford Band is only one of his projects. As of May 2011, Sugaray became one of the lead vocalists for the Mannish Boys, who are under Delta Groove management. This international act performs 6-8 times a year. He sang lead vocals on 9 songs on Double Dynamite the Mannish Boys latest CD that won Best Traditional Blues Album in May 2013 at the Blues Music Awards. His first solo CD Blind Alley was a self-release in 2010, which garnered critical acclaim. His second solo CD Dangerous, was just released last September under the Delta Groove label, debuting at # 2 on Blues Debut Chart and #6 on the Roots Music Chart. http://www.deltagrooveproductions.com/newspost/ventura-county-blues-fest/.

 

      Sista Monica Parker: She’s Blues! She’s Soul! She’s Gospel! and She ROCKS!Sista Monica Parker ‘The Blues Lioness’ is an award-winning singer/songwriter and performer. Her eleventh CD release “Living In the Danger Zone” recently earned a 2012 and 2013 BMA nomination for “Best Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year” by the Blues Foundation. Since then, she has traveled and toured worldwide and has been recognized for her captivating stage presence and rich contralto vocal power. Born in Gary, Indiana, Monica developed her vocal chops between Chicago and Detroit singing in church choirs and listening to singers on the city streets. Since those days she has stormed through the music scene traveling and performing major festivals and concerts venues in countries such as Italy, France, Holland, Greece, Canada, Norway, Mexico, and Spain. Sista Monica is dynamic string of melodies from up tempo Chicago style blues, heartfelt soulful ballads to feel good gospel – She brings her roots and connects with the audience with her own unique charisma. She sings, coos, belts, croons, and shouts according to her hearts delight and her fan’s amazement. She’s considered to be one of the best soul blues female performers in the country. Come see, hear and enjoy Sista Monica.  http://www.sistamonica.com/.

 

    Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers: Whether Jimmy Thackery headlines a festival in South Dakota 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. “I 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. Though most 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 15 years doing nearly 300 shows a year proving each night that he is still the guitar powerhouse in the blues. Thackery has lived the life of a true road warrior; he’s absorbed the artistic lessons of life and filtered them into his guitar playing and song writing. To get where he is today, Jimmy has journeyed a highway of life filled with a series of twists and turns. He met all the right people and they have had a permanent influence on him. It was Thackery’s time on stage with Muddy Waters that is branded deep within his musical soul. “Muddy 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." http://www.jimmythackery.com/.

 

                              Along With Very Special Performances By

 

    Michael John & The Bottom Line And Friends With Karen Lovely: Michael John, Founder and President of the Ventura County Blues Society, is also the Founder of the Ventura County Blues Festival and leads his band The Bottom Line. Since the festival’s inception, Michael John & The Bottom Line have performed and donated their music which now has become an annual tradition for the festival kick off. When you combine family and lifelong friends you get a special musical bond that touches the hearts and souls of all music lovers alike. The band consists of Michael John (lead singer, guitar, harmonica), Michael John’s son Mikey Mo (lead guitar), Steve Nelson (electric, stand-up Bass), Eddie Z (tenor, alto sax), Jeff Dellisanti (tenor, baritone sax), and Tom “T-Bone” Broderick (drums, backup vocals). The group attracts people of all ages with their blend of Swing to more contemporary rocking blues. They have received national airplay and have won multiple awards including placing in the top ten bands in the finals for the International Blues Challenge in Memphis Tennessee. Michael is a past recipient of the All Access Magazine award for Best Male Vocalist. http://www.michaeljohnandthebottomline.com/. Special guest vocalist Karen Lovely shot onto the blues scene out of  the Pacific Northwest like Stack O' Lee's .44 placing second at the 2010 International Blues Challenge followed by three 2011 Blues Music Award Nominations for BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES FEMALE ARTIST, BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM and BEST SONG for her sophomore release STILL THE RAIN. Karen is a two time “#1 Pick to Click” artist on XM Radio Bluesville and has just been selected as the 2014 Featured Blues artist by KJZZ FM in Los Angeles. Lovely’s records have topped the national blues and roots charts and made the Top 10 favorite artist list for dozens of nationally syndicated radio stations. Known for her passionate, driven performances and always backed by stellar musicians, this powerhouse vocalist delivers a blistering mix of contemporary & old school blues. Lovely's standout performances have garnered awards, critical acclaim and standing ovations at festivals and venues throughout the US, Canada and Europe. www.karenlovely.com.

 

    Lightnin' Willie: Emerging from the clubs and bars of the U.S Blues scene, Lightnin’ Willie is an accomplished and hard-working guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Now based in Los Angeles, Willie is a seasoned musician who has paid his dues. With four albums under his belt, this eloquent storyteller has his own story of time on the road, personal loss, fresh beginnings and an over-riding love of playing the “Devil’s Music.”

Originally from Texas, this blues-man’s years of steady gigging have given him as much polish as his performance. He is tall, with an expressive face, piercing eyes, and the kind of confident all-American swagger that allows you to walk up to total strangers on the street and introduce yourself. Lightnin’ Willie and the Poorboys are by no means destitute. In fact the musical vein they mine is rich indeed. They steer away from dry academia and combine a seductive exchange of swinging Blues and R&B with a hint of Rockabilly. A lively, interactive, face-to-face approach to their music has had audiences waving their banner throughout the United States and Europe for over ten years. http://www.lightninwillie.com/.

 

 

9th Annual Ventura County Blues Festival Media/Photo Passes Available.

www.venturacountyblues.com

Vizztone artist: Long Tall Deb - Raise Your Hands - New Release review

I just received the debut release, Raise Your Hands, by Long Tall Deb (Deb Landolt). Deb opens the release with What Would a Good Woman Do, a soul strut featuring a vocal duet with Phil Pemberton and guitar work from Sean Carney. Hush Your Mouth gets a funk groove going with backing vocals by Nikki Scott and Melvin Powe sets the stage with some smooth bass lines. Let's Get Lost is a strong radio track and one that should fir well with strong vocals. Married To The Blues, a track talking about independence, features Jimmy Thackery on guitar along with Bart Walker and Matt O'Ree with a R&B style track and featuring vocals by Big Llou. Finally Forgot Your Name, a solid soul track sets up nicely as a blues ballad, with guests the Roomful Of Blues Horns (Mark Earley, Rich Lataille and Doug Woolverton). Raise Your Hands blends gospel, soul and rock for another airplay geared track. There is quite a bit of guitar work on this track courtesy of Sean Carney, Dave Clo and Brent Pennell. Ian Moore's Muddy Jesus has a real funky sound but blues based actually reminding me of Jack the Toad by Savoy Brown. JP Soars and Damon Fowler exchange guitar riffs on this track and Victor Wainwright plays some nice keys on this track. Cool track. To Find His Home opens with some cool slide playing on a resonator guitar. This is actually a really tasty track with Deb showing the depth of her vocal talents sharing the lead with Shaun Booker and Phil Pemberton. John Popovich plays some nice piano on this track and Reese Wynans plays some great organ on this track that turns into a full blown gospel track. Torch blues track by Tom Waits, New Coat Of Paint features Deb and Popovich on piano. Really nice finish.   

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Long Gone Records artist: Cathy Ponton King - The Crux - New Release Review

I just received the new release, The Crux, by Cathy Ponton King. King has assembled a who's who of contemporary blues artists including Jimmy Thackery, Ronnie Earl, Butch Warren and Ron Holloway. The release features 10 new blues ballads covering the spectrum from the zydeco influenced I Want You To Be Happy to the jazz infused Little House In The Country. Opening with Sugarface, a horn filled track with cool guitar riffs from Thackery and nice key work from Bill Starks King sets the groundwork for the release. I'm Just A Woman has a bit of country blended into the blues again featuring Thackery on guitars. The riffs on this track are right out of Thackery's bag of country tricks. Cerulean Blues is a pure ballad featuring the beautiful guitar phrasing of Ronnie Earl. Blues Companion, again featuring Earl, is a standard 12 bar blues track. Tattoo On My Heart, a country folk style ballad, features some really nice acoustic guitar work from Jason Byrd. Holloway has a nice sax run on this track as well. Sweet Change To My Heart really has some exceptional guitar riffs by Earl. This is my favorite track on the release. With it's Bossa Nova beat, Little House In The Country touches on the light jazz fare and could easily make airplay. Earl and Starks each play some really sweet riffs on this track making it quite memorable. Bridges That You Burned has some really nice guitar work by Dave Hovey and Mike Lessin. Finishing up with funky track, I'm Suffering, CPK leads the band through another jazzy track featuring Thackery on guitar. Other musicians on the release include Chris Battistone on trumpet, John Jensen on trombone, Bruce Swaim on sax, Antoine Sanfuentes on drums, Jim Roberson on bass, John Priviti on bass, Tom Corradino on accordian, Butch Warren on Bass and Jeff King on Vocals. This is a smooth blues/jazz CD for a mainstream listener. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

Ventura Co. Blues Society Sunday Matinee II Benefits Moorpark Arts Foundation

Ventura County Blues Society

Presents Its....

"Sunday Blues Concert Matinee Series Event II" - Benefits

Moorpark Foundation For The Arts

AUGUST 5TH EVENT FEATURES A TRIO OF TOP BLUES GUITARISTS - HEADLINER JIMMY THACKERY - PLUS ALASTAIR GREENE AND MIKEY MO

(MOORPARK, CA) - If you love the guitar - and let's face it, who doesn't? - then this is a show that can't be missed, as the Ventura County Blues Society (VCBS) presents veteran blues guitar great Jimmy Thackery along with Socal/Ventura-based guitar aces Alastair Greene and Mikey Mo at their Sunday Blues Concert Matinee Series Event II, Sunday, August 5 at the High Street Arts Center, 45 East High Street, Moorpark. Doors open at 12 noon, music starts at 1 p.m. Tickets $20. (VCBS members), $25. (General Public). Purchase tickets in advance online at www.venturacountybluessociety.org. Great music plus tasty barbeque, beer, wine, cocktails, snacks, soft drinks and water available at the shows, plus a raffle between bands. Proceeds benefit the Moorpark Foundation For the Arts.

The first VCBS Sunday Blues Concert Matinee in July was a standing-room-only, high-energy affair featuring noted bluesman Chris Cain, female-fronted act Kellys Lot plus blues jam band Tommy Marsh & Bad Dog that drew a sellout crowd, and came on the heels of the Society's highly successful Simi Valley Blues Festival this past April. Read about the Sunday Matinee Concert series in articles from the Ventura County Star; Simi Valley Acorn; and Moorpark Patch (click on the links).

Jimmy Thackery

Veteran bluesman Jimmy Thackery is truly the definition of a 'road warrior,' performing nearly three-hundred nights a year and acting as a true inspiration to today's musicians half his age. Thackery has thrilled audiences worldwide fronting his own band since departing the popular Nighthawks (whom he recorded over twenty albums with) in 1987. Whether Jimmy Thackery headlines a festival in South Dakota 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. "I put all my senses on hold and find the zone and follow what's inside," Thackery says. "There's an electricity from your mind to your heart to your fingers. You just try and remember to breathe."

Alastair Greene Mikey Mo

Opening for Thackery and making this event a true guitar lovers nirvana: popular Ventura County blues-rock guitar maestro Alastair Greene, who, in addition to enjoying a decade-plus solid solo career with his Alastair Greene Band, is also the touring guitarist for prog-rock greats, the Alan Parsons Live Project (read a terrific recent L. A. Examiner review of Greene's latest acclaimed album "Through The Rain" here); ; and the Mikey Mo Band, fresh off their standout performance at the Simi Valley Blues Festival this April and featuring one of SoCal's up-and-comers, Mikey Mo, on lead guitar and vocals. Mikey Mo has toured with respected blues guitarist Coco Montoya and has been playing guitar since the age of five.

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IT'S MY OWN FAULT - JIMMY THACKERY

Jimmy Thackery (born May 19, 1953, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States) is an American blues singer and guitarist.
Thackery spent fourteen years as part of The Nighthawks, the Washington, D.C. based blues and roots rock ensemble. After leaving the Nighthawks in 1986, Thackery toured under his own name.

Born in Pittsburgh and raised in Washington, Thackery joined The Nighthawks in 1972 and went on to record over twenty albums with them. In 1986 he began touring with The Assassins, a six-piece original blues, rock and R&B ensemble which he had previously helped start as a vacation band when The Nighthawks took one of their rare breaks. Originally billed as Jimmy Thackery and The Assassins, the band toured the U.S. Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, South, and Texas regions. The Assassins released a variety of recordings on the Seymour record label, two on vinyl (No Previous Record and Partners in Crime) and the 1989 CD Cut Me Loose.

In the wake of the Assassins 1991 break-up, Thackery has been leading a trio, Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers, whose early recordings were for the San Francisco, California based Blind Pig Records. In 2002 Thackery released, We Got It, his first album on Telarc and in 2006, In the Natural State with Earl and Ernie Cate on Rykodisc. In 2007, he released Solid Ice again with The Drivers. His latest album 'Feel the Heat' was released in April 2011.
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Jimmy Thackery - Live in Phoenix, AZ

Jimmy Thackery played live in Phoenix, AZ last night at Bob Corritore's Rhythm Room. First, as most of you know, I think that this is a terrific place to see a band (with Rolling Rock in stock) and it was standing room only. Jimmy and the Drivers, Mark "Bumpy Rhodes" Bumgarner (bass) and George "Bam Bam" Sheppard (drums) put on an absolutely excellent show. Now I'm not the kind of guy who takes a pencil to a concert so don't ask me what the track list was. I did talk with Sheppard between sets to see if they had a written set list and he indicated that Jimmy cues them for each and every song. I just gotta tell you, Jimmy knew exactly what to play to keep the crowd on it's heels. Jimmy opened the show with a barn burner blues rocker and the crowd reacted likewise. I think that it really pumped Thackery up because as many times as I've seen them, this was the most consistently excellent performance that I have seen. Tunes that I remember for sure that they played include Apache, Cool Guitars, Land Locked, Blind Man In The Night, T-Bome Shuffle, Bullfrog Blues and a ripping version of the Star Spangled Banner. he did play two full sets and I'm guessing over 3 hours. First I want to make a couple of comments about the surf tune selections like Apache and Land Locked. I think that Jimmy handles these tunes masterfully and I'm glad that he does them. They are written for great guitar players and I'm glad when a guitar virtuoso takes one on and pushes it out. Jimmy has some of the most lush, fat, shimmering tones you'd ever want to hear and that coupled with his subtle use of the trem bar makes for a great combination. Jimmy has about every guitar trick in his bag and he doesn't appear to feel the need to jam every one into every song but pulls them out sparingly at just the right moment to give the track the texture that it needs. Each of the band members was right on and I found myself watching Bumgarner a bit of the time. He really put me in mind of Leo Lyons of Ten Years After. Similar stature as well as style. He played really well and understated but actually played quite a bit of fill. Conversely, Sheppard almost stayed out of the way of the band, laying back with a minimal touch but did have a fairly long drum interlude which included his adopting a civil war style marching drum and leaving the trap set for a short while as he marched around the stage. Most impressive was his handling of the cymbals both during the routine performance as well as his solo work. Really nice job. But back to Jimmy. I saw some things in Jimmy last night that I hadn't seen before in that he looked to have his guitar by the throat. There are very few guitar players that I feel have a mastery of their instrument where they can actually take their guitar by the throat. Jimmy was sticking his fingers in places that the guitar really didn't like (up it's backside) and it was squealing like a baby. He was using the trem bar like "the master" and really pulled some terrific harmonics... and this is all during the contained part of the show. Jimmy did have one unconstrained part of the show where he did a rendition of the National Anthem... and he didn't copy Jimi... he played his own version of what can this guitar do, how can it do it, how bad can I make it hurt and can I taunt it till it screams. He had the guitar by the throat and it was gasping to keep up. He shows excellent fingering technique,beautiful chord control and selection, a fluttering picking style at the fretboard and some strange harmonic bends that had everyone watching in awe. I will also mention that I sat with 4 people that I didn't know and all 4 ended up being musicians. This was a show for musicians and everyone went home really satisfied. i did shoot a bit of film with my phone (in process of upload) but due to hard use during the day, I only got a short bit of footage . I spoke with the bandmembers and Jimmy briefly and they were all very gracious and gentlemanly. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and hope that you get the chance to see him when he comes your way. See the tour schedule below.


May 03, 2012
Highway 99 - Seattle, WA
Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers
May 04, 2012
Jazzbones - Tacoma, WA
Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers
May 05, 2012
Upstage - Port Townsend, WA
Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers
May 10, 2012
Rhythm Room - Phoenix, AZ
Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers
May 11, 2012
Café Boogaloo - Hermosa Beach, CA
Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers
May 12, 2012
Boulder Station Casino - Las Vegas, NV
Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers
May 13, 2012
Anthology - San Diego, CA
Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers
May 27, 2012
Santa Cruz Blues Festival - Santa Cruz, CA
*Jimmy Thackery SOLO with Coco Montoya

June 01, 2012
George's Majestic - Fayetteville, AR
June 02,2012
Knucklehead's - Kansas City, MO
June 09, 2012
Dauphin County Wine & Jazz Festival - Harrisburg, PA
* With special guest JP Soars!

August 04, 2012
Blues for the Zoo - Big Bear Lake, CA
August 05, 2012
High Street Theatre - Moore Park, CA
August 07, 2012
Bluesdays Concert Series - Olympic Valley, CA

Sept 01, 2012
Illinois State Blues Festiva'l - Peoria, IL
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White River Records artist: Jimmy Thackery And The Drivers - As Live As It Gets - New Release Review

I had a big build up of this recording, Live As It Gets, from my pal Stilladog and I couldn't wait for it to come. Well, here you go. To say they captured Thackery at his best and live is the understatement of the year. This thing rips! This is a 2 cd package opening with a 7 plus minute version of Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones's Letter To My Girlfriend, a cool swing tune with Thackery playing great riffs and a full horn compliment thanks to the Hydraulic Horns. Blind Man In The Nightis a slower blues with shimmering chords beneath the vocals and clean riffs at the turnaround. Thackery and crew do a massive job on Johnny Guitar Watson's Gangster Of Love including a blistering solo by JP Soars mixed in with Thackery's own wizardry.Muddy Waters' Gypsy Woman gets a total rework by Thackery to the point that it is barely recognizable. He has transformed this classic into a long slow blues again with beautiful lush chords. Joe McGlohon plays a great tenor sax solo to start the ball rolling but both Thackery and Soars blow the roof off of this song. I mean it is a guitar extravaganza! The first disc is finished up with Thackery's Kicken' Chicken, a jump blues which gives Jim Spake a great opportunity to shine on the Bari sax, McGlohon to pop out some great riffs on tenor sax and Thackery to tear a hole in it with his Strat! Disc two opens with Thackery's Feel The Heat, a straight forward blues rocker with some tasty riffs in the mix. H.E. Owen's The Hustle (Is On), a shuffle track is up next. very stylish T-Bone Walker style leads are laid down on guitar and again Spake steps up for a nice long stretch with his honking Bari sax. Man can make it go! There are some vicious guitar riffs on this song so hold on tight!Thackery's Hobart's Blues is up next with a nice showcase for each of the players in a standard 8 bar blues. Wrapping up the entire package is J.B. Lenoir's I've Been Down So Long. This is what you call a screamer! At 19 minutes and 55 seconds it's a little longer than all of the other songs (6 songs spank the 9 minute mark) but there are some lengthy songs on this set of cd's so if you love to hear tight bands with super players get down and dirty and rip the lid off... pick up your copy....now!! These guys really put it all out here!!
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Here's a taste of the band:

Feel The Heat - Jimmy Thackery and The Drivers - Review

I promised you a review on the new Jimmy Thackery cd as I hear it is a barn burner but I received his most recent studio release, Feel The Heat, so I'll give it a spin while we're waiting. Ain't Gonna Do It is a jump blues giving Thackery the opportunity to demonstrate his fleet fingers and enviable style. Blind Man In The Night begins with a very clean Strat playing solo with echo as an intro but slowly turns into a full blast gritty anthem. Thackery has great control and never overplays. Hang Up And Drive is a great blues rocker that gives Thackery a great opportunity to show what he's got in his bag of riffs. This is a great tune and one likely to be on most blues rocker play lists. Bluphoria is a cool track that reminds me of another regional guitar player, the great Danny Gatton. Thackery coaxes all kind of obtuse jazzy tones out of his guitar on this definitely blues track. Everyone knows that Thackery is a great player and this is a nice change up for the recording. Bomb The Moon is another change up looking back to the surf movement. It funny that I had just made a comment a few weeks ago that's it's always nice to see artists throw a tribute to the surf scene now and again. Thackery takes it a few steps further and away from the standard ventures template. I think that you'll like it. The recording concludes with a ballad, Fading Heart with some interesting vocal arrangement and of course cool guitar interludes.


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Robert Mugge - All Jams On Deck - Film Review

I have had the pleasure to watch Robert Mugge's All Jams On Deck, a documentation of late night jams as they take place on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. The scene opens with an interview of guitarist and band leader Tommy Castro and one of my absolute favorite artists, Elvin Bishop (the beginning of a dialog that continues throughout the film in clips). The film then cuts to a live jam with Castro and a backing band with guests including such luminaries as Commander Cody (Keys), Keith Crossan (sax), Randy Oxford (trombone), Tom Poole (trumpet), Mike Schermer (deluxe Tele). The first thing that strikes me is how incredibly clear the sound track is and how great of tone Tommy Castro is laying down. This film is incredibly clear considering that it is being shot in pitch black in the middle of the ocean! Tommy is playing a two pickup reverse Firebird and his tones are really creamy through what appears to be Blackface Super (one of my personal favorites). This first jam is a horn driven boogie and as much of a guitar geek I am, I have to commend all the players but especially Oxford who absolutely smoked me on his trombone! Tommy explains how he plans out his set to give every guest musician the opportunity to jam without waiting all night to get on stage. The second jam cuts in with the addition of Coco Montoya playing his upside down Strat and it's clear as a bell. Lee Oskar is playing in this jam as well and really gets a unique sound from his harp. Everyone remembers Lee from his days with War (and subsequent solo career) and now the Lowrider Band. The Commander and the gang all take turns again with the addition of Ed Earley on trombone and George T. Gregory III on Bari sax. These guys lay down a real nice horn duel. The entire band gets into it and it stays tight and doesn't sound like everyone is trying to step on the other guy...one of my pet peeves with "Jam" sessions. A further interview clip adds guitarist Jimmy Thackery, Bluesville Program Director Bill Wax, and Blues and Jazz Record Producer Bob Porter who discuss the fine art of jam etiquette. Next up is Johnny Winter and Elvin Bishop on a slow blues jam. It's nice to watch Elvin in a supporting role to Johnny where he can really lay back and just have a good time. Elvin has one of the best tones on the planet and my dream guitar is his old red 345. I just love that guitar. Johnny plays some interesting riffs on his headless Lazer guitar and Elvin plays around him with rhythm and warm slide action. They are joined on stage with Johnny's little brother Edgar Winter on keys although Edgar is an exceptional sax player. There are inserts of Marcia Ball from one of the ports just filling in some of what it's like for a musician to be a part of this program. Marcia then takes the stage for one of the best tracks on the film. Those of you who aren't that familiar with Marcia... this is the real deal. Marcia really gets the joint blusin' with her great vocals and exceptional keys playing. She is backed by the full horn section and it sounds just great. Also onstage are Jimmy Thackery (on Strat) and Terry Hanck (tenor sax), Steve Berlin (bari sax) and Darryl Cloutts (Hammond organ) who all lay down some exceptional solos. The continue dialogue includes guitarists Larry McCray and Coco Montoya discussing the chemistry required to play with musicians from other bands without extensive practice. Coco's Band is next up and he gets a real signature grinding tone from his Strat which has some custom bar pickups installed. The conversation continues with guitarists Vasti Jackson (Strat) and Laith Al-Saadi (Custon Shop Tele with bar pickups) discussing the call and response and a little demonstration jam. It's also really telling of the video that you can easily distinguish who is playing by the tones of their amps. Al-Saadi has beautiful clear tone. Jackson joins Montoya's band for the next track and lays down a blistering jam. I mean...who is this guy!! Kim Wilson (harp) and Lee Oskar (harp) contribute a discussion about the waiting game to where you actually get your turn to shine. Now Kim gets his shot as band leader and he comes on strong with great lush harp tone playing a short duel with Bishop. And then Lee and the Lowrider Band with their rhythm infused blues sound. Oskar definitely has his own sound and Al-Saadi lays down a great double stop filled solo over the Latin inspired track. Lance Ellis (Bari sax) takes a great soulful solo showing great chops and Larry McCray rips out a great solo on his Les Paul Deluxe. Percy Williams continues the jam with a cool trumpet solo and Sista Monica Parker joins mid song with some soul infused vocals. McCray adds his own vocals to the song and he is a great singer singing in the style of Muddy Waters. I love Elvin's shoes which are actually work boots like I wear but Elvin takes it to the next level. He has the lower boot strung with original laces and the upper with a white lace... like I got the bottom comfortable...not touchin' that. Now I have to get my foot in and keep it on.... I know...two laces...brilliant!! (I got this far through the summary without mentioning Al_Saadi's NORML t-shirt). Next up is Bishops hit "Fooled Around And Fell In Love" ... not my favorite Bishop song due to the amount of airplay but I will say that Elvin can really make that old Red Dog bark and he does so on this tune! John Nemeth, sounds incredibly like Mickey Thomas who originally sang this song. Billy C. Wirtz and Commander Cody take the time out to discuss blues structure as an into to an extensive piano jam with Cody, Leon Blue, Steve Willis (Hammond) and Kelley Hunt. Eden Brent joins the jam and takes the stage by storm. This ends up with six players on 3 keyboards (with organ too). Next up is Kim Wilson joined by Rick Estrin playing a Chicago swing and Earley again smokes out a great Trombone solo. It's so great to see these back line guys get their day in the spotlight. John Nemeth blows a great solo on this tune as well as Estrin who gets right into the Chicago groove. The director of this film has gone to great lengths to show each of the band members and to feature each of the players. As the credits roll Oskar and Wilson play a little harp duo which is a fitting conclusion to a great documentary film. This is a film that anyone who loves contemporary blues would enjoy.

Oh...And I dig the cover art by George Hunt!

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All Jams On Deck trailer from Robert Mugge on Vimeo.

Tab Benoit on 2011 Blues Cruise

Jimmy Thackery with Tab Benoit Lionel Young and Curtis Salgado. Pro Jam on Last night on the October 2011 Bluescruise. Main Stage
Tab Benoit (born November 17, 1967, Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is an American blues guitarist, musician and singer. He plays a style that is a combination of blues styles, primarily Delta blues. He plays a Fender Telecaster electric guitar and writes his own musical compositions. Benoit graduated from Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma, Louisiana in May, 1985. In 2003, he formed an organization promoting awareness of coastal wetlands preservation known as "Voice of the Wetlands."

A guitar player since his teenage years, he appeared at the Blues Box, a music club and cultural center in Baton Rouge run by guitarist Tabby Thomas. Playing guitar alongside Thomas, Raful Neal, Henry Gray and other high-profile regulars at the club, Benoit learned the blues first-hand from a faculty of living blues legends. He formed a trio in 1987 and began playing clubs in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. He began touring other parts of the south two years later and started touring more of the United States in 1991- and he continues to this day.

He was featured in the IMAX film, Hurricane on the Bayou.

On May 16, 2010, at the LMHOF Louisiana Music Homecoming in Erwinville, Louisiana, Benoit was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
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You Upset Me Baby - Jimmy Thackery

Jimmy Thackery (born May 19, 1953, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
is an American blues singer and guitarist.

Thackery spent fourteen years as part of The Nighthawks, the Washington, D.C. based blues and roots rock ensemble. After leaving the Nighthawks in 1986, Thackery toured under his own name.

Born in Pittsburgh and raised in Washington, Thackery joined The Nighthawks in 1972 and went on to record over twenty albums with them. In 1986 he began touring with The Assassins, a six-piece original blues, rock and R&B ensemble which he had previously helped start as a vacation band when The Nighthawks took one of their rare breaks. Originally billed as Jimmy Thackery and The Assassins, the band toured the U.S. Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, South, and Texas regions. The Assassins released a variety of recordings on the Seymour record label, two on vinyl (No Previous Record and Partners in Crime) and the 1989 CD Cut Me Loose.

In the wake of the Assassins 1991 break-up, Thackery has been leading a trio, Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers, whose early recordings were for the San Francisco, California based Blind Pig Records. In 2002 Thackery released, We Got It, his first album on Telarc and in 2006, In the Natural State with Earl and Ernie Cate on Rykodisc. In 2007, he released Solid Ice again with The Drivers.
His latest album 'Feel the Heat' was released in April 2011.