In The Right State Of Mind

In the Natural State
Jimmy Thackery & The Cate Brothers
(Rykodisc)

Jimmy Thackery's latest CD, his first on Rykodisc, is appropriately titled "In the Natural State." The title is fitting because Thackery is paired with roots-rockers the Cate Brothers (Ernie on piano and vocals, Earl on guitar and backing vocals) on an album recorded in their home state of Arkansas, which is known as � you guessed it � The Natural State. The title also is fitting because the musicians clearly are in their element, turning out an engergized set of blues-rock that's colored with splashes of country, soul, R&B and old-time rock and roll.

It's no surprise that this crew put together such a solid set. The 53-year-old Thackery honed his guitar chops years ago with The Nighthawks, a revered blues band that saw America via its bars and juke joints 300-plus nights a year. They're still on the road, but since the late '80s Thackery has been on a slightly reduced touring schedule under his own name. The Cates are acclaimed songwriters and performers in their own right, and were members of a post-Robbie Robertson incarnation of The Band.

Whether "In the Natural State" is the "musical masterpiece" that Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee declares it is in a promotional blurb will be up to the individual listener. It is considerably above average in any event, and boasts more varied material than many contemporary blues albums.

Like most current blues discs, though, it's a mix of time-tested covers and originals. In these musicians' hands, that adds up to an album with a late-night feel, just waiting to be cued up on Friday night (or whenever you're done the work week), after you've punched the clock and are ready to unwind.

The covers are strong. Thackery and the Cates tear it up on a couple of tunes associated with Buddy Guy and Junior Wells: "Snatch It Back and Hold It" and "Hoodoo Man Blues," which features some nice two-guitar interplay. "I Got a Rich Man's Woman," usually associated with Muddy Waters, is smoking slow blues. "Ain't That a Lot of Love," a tune associated with Taj Mahal and Sam & Dave and here is built on the old Spencer Davis Group "Gimme Some Lovin' " riff, is catchy. "I'll Come Runnin' Back to You" is a slice of southern R&B that sounds like it was cut at Muscle Shoals. Howlin' Wolf's "Howlin' for My Baby" is delivered in a vocal style that evokes the inimitable Wolf without stumbling into lame imitation.

The five Thackery originals are the heart of the album, and they provide much of the stylistic diversity. The muscular blues-rocker "Out of Mississippi" sets the appropriate tone as the opener with a mid-'70s Eric Clapton vibe (think "Tulsa Time"), and it's a rollicking, boogie-filled good time from there. Mostly rollicking, anyway, the notable exception being the subdued-but-soulful nod to post-Katrina New Orleans, "Levee Prayer." "Tell Me Goodbye" feels like it came straight out of the formative years of rock and roll.

The varied sounds might bring a variety of listeners to "In the Natural State," but Thackery's following was built on screaming electric blues licks. (A quick side note: If you like guitar music and don't already own Thackery's "Guitar," do yourself a favor and pick it up.) There's plenty of tasteful guitar work to go around on "Natural State," too. Thackery takes extended solos on several of the cuts. But it's the second track "Arky Shuffle," which is oozing with sweet, bluesy playing, that's likely to have guitar fans and air guitarists hitting the "repeat" button over and over again. Much like the rest of "In the Natural State," it sounds like a perfect soundtrack to the start of the weekend.