October 9, 2014 - 11:43am UTC
Blind Pig Records will release the following albums from celebrated guitarists JW-Jones and Jimmy Thackery on October 14th:
JW-JONES "BELMONT BOULEVARD"
JW-Jones, a red hot young Canadian guitar slinger/songwriter, is set to break out in the U.S. and worldwide music scenes with his new release on renowned American roots music label Blind Pig Records, entitled Belmont Boulevard.
Canada’s national newspaper, the Globe and Mail, based in Toronto, referred to Jones as "one of this country's top blues guitar stars." Billboard called JW part of "a new wave of young talent moving onto Canada’s blues stage." Here in the U.S., Blues Revue stated that "Jones' style is a fluid amalgam of T-Bone Walker’s big, bright chords, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson’s slashing leads, and Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown’s jazzy sting."
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The album was produced by Grammy-winning producer Tom Hambridge, who's helmed projects for Buddy Guy, George Thorogood, and Susan Tedeschi. Jones chose Hambridge to produce because "This CD is all about getting out of my comfort zone musically and lyrically, working with a big producer and creating a high-energy experience that matches our live show, and I knew Tom was the man to make that happen." |
Jones has worked with an impressive list of high-profile blues artists - Charlie Musselwhite, Hubert Sumlin, Kim Wilson, David "Fathead" Newman, and Jimmie Vaughan (about whom he penned a song on the album entitled "What Would Jimmie Do?").
Jones, excited about the new release and the upward trajectory of his career, said, "Signing with Blind Pig is truly an honour and major milestone for me. I am ecstatic to be on a label that is a fixture in roots music. I've been listening to their records since I was a kid!" Known as a high-energy crowd-pleaser, Jones will be touring the U.S. in support of the album (see dates below).
To watch an short introductory video on Belmont Boulevard, please click HERE.
JIMMY THACKERY "EXTRA JIMMIES"
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"His soulful guitar work touches nerves previously exposed by the idiom's legends - Stevie, Muddy, Otis Rush, etc. - and his clean picking and scorching tone are irresistible.” |
Jimmy Thackery is without doubt one of the finest guitar players of his generation. He’s one of the few blues guitarists who learned his craft first-hand from the masters of the blues such as Muddy Waters, rather than from recordings. On the budget-priced Extra Jimmies, Blind Pig Records has compiled a sterling collection of gems from perhaps his most creative period (1992 – 1998).
Blind Pig is proud to have helped Jimmy launch his solo career. After a fifteen year stint as co-founder and lead guitarist of the legendary blues-rock band The Nighthawks, he formed the popular R&B band The Assassins. Five years later he put together his three piece band called The Drivers to highlight his explosive guitar. Jimmy and his band became renowned road warriors, playing close to 300 dates a year and establishing him as one of the premier guitarists around.
The re-mastered tracks on Extra Jimmies are taken from Thackery’s Blind Pig debut album, “Empty Arms Motel,” as well as from two other out-of-print CD titles – “Wild Night Out!” (a live recording) and “Switching Gears.”