The+fabulous+thunderbirds

The Fab T-Birds were considered the best bar band to come out of Austin, Texas, in the late '70s. Which is saying a lot, since we're talking about a musical hotbed. Frontman and harmonica player Kim Wilson and Stevie Ray Vaughan's older brother, Jimmie Vaughan, melded together two of Austin's favorite sounds–blues and rock–scoring a major-label deal and eventually becoming the only band to be produced, at separate times, by both Rockpile leaders, Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe. You won't find the Edmunds stuff here, nor "Tough Enough," their one Top 40 hit. Still, these tracks are taken from the group's first three Chrysalis LPs as well as their Tacoma indie-label debut, the albums most aficionados still consider their best.

Tuff Enuff is a 1986 studio album by Texas-based blues rock and rockabilly band The Fabulous Thunderbirds which pointed the band in a more mainstream direction. The single, "Tuff Enuff" was featured in the films Gung Ho, Tough Guys, as was the follow-up single "Wrap It Up". It has also been played a number of times on the sitcom Married… with Children. "Tuff Enuff" remains the band's only Top 40 hit, peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Wrap It Up is an enjoyable budget-priced collection of hits and album tracks from the Fabulous Thunderbirds' Epic era, including the title track, which is a cover of Sam & Dave's hit. It's a fine sampler, but not a definitive collection by any stretch of the imagination. With their fusion of blues, rock & roll, and R&B, the Fabulous Thunderbirds helped popularize roadhouse Texas blues with a mass audience in the '80s and, in the process, they helped kick-start a blues revival during the mid-'80s. During their heyday in the early '80s, they were the most popular attraction on the blues bar circuit, which eventually led to a breakthrough to the pop audience in 1986 with their fifth album, Tuff Enuff. The mass success didn't last too long, and founding member Jimmie Vaughan left in 1990, but the Fabulous Thunderbirds remained one of the most popular blues concert acts in America during the '90s.

Some things refuse to die, they just morph endlessly. While few of the original members of the Fabulous Thunderbirds are present for this effort, two founding members of Roomful of Blues are leading the charge. The results are commendable. Duke Robillard's expert guitar lines ride along on Al Copley's true-blue piano and smoky vocals for a very fine trip. The trademark Texas blues of Jimmie Vaughan is replaced here with some of the swampiest Louisiana R&B you can find. You'll boogie, you'll stroll, you'll pass out in your whiskey, but you'll have a good time.

Between stints with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and his work as a busy session player, Roomful of Blues founder and original guitarist Duke Robillard finds time to work with his own band, one of the most rockin' ensembles extant, highlighted by the vocal support of Susann Forrest. "Turn it Around" is yet another excellent Duke Robillard offering which features guest artist Suzanne Forest. This album was released about the same time as the Fabulous Thunderbirds' "Walk that Walk, Talk that Talk" disc, and Duke's guitar and vocals are on the same high level as on the latter. Add angelic vocals by Ms. Forest and this disc is a superb representation of vintage Duke Robillard. Anybody who enjoys blues, Texas rock 'n roll and r&b needs to add this to their collection.

Ray Fuller, an American guitarist, singer and songwriter who has electrified national audiences with his unique take on root-blues and rock. If you dig the tough-rockin' sound of John Lee Hooker, Paladins, George Thorogood or early Fabulous Thunderbirds, this album is a must! Ray Fuller's talent as a singer and guitarist has allowed him to share the stage with many blues giants including Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and so many more….in fact, Muddy Waters, after witnessing an opening act performance by Ray Fuller on slide guitar exclaimed for all to hear "That was some hot slide boy! I could smell the smoke backstage!"

Texas Rhody Blues, featuring Jimmie Vaughan and Duke Robillard, is the third Knickerbocker All-Stars CD release. The project was supported by the Knickerbocker Music Center, a non-profit organization formed in partnership with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School. The Knickerbocker Music Center will have an exciting performance venue and an exceptional center for music education. This CD has its roots in The Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals of the late 1950s and early ‘60s which turned many white soul searchers on to blues, rhythm and blues, and jump blues. In 1963, Blues at Newport was recorded live at the Newport Folk Festival, which featured many of the greatest folk and delta blues musicians.