Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers

Jimmy Thackery‘s regular swings through Kansas City never get old, primarily because he’s constantly changing what he’s doing. His most recent album, We Got It, showcases the music of Eddie Hinton, a vastly underappreciated white soul singer and guitarist best known for his work with Aretha Franklin and the Staple Singers. Hinton, who died young in 1995, made several great albums of his own, and his casually sly take on the blues gives Thackery a whole new way to pull in fans. Whether he’s crooning his way through Hinton’s lovestruck “My Searching Is Over,” roaring through his premonition-laden “Dangerous Highway” or sneaking through his ultracocky “Super Lover,” Thackery’s versions of Hinton’s songs are enough to make anyone glad the memory’s still alive. Of course, Thackery’s doing plenty of his own material, too, including “Where’d My Good Friend Go,” a lament about losing touch that voices a concern KC’s blues fans need never have about Thackery.