The Nighthawks Live In Europe (LP)

1 vinyl LP (CrossCut) 1985 - original pressing!

When in 1985 the Berlin Jazz Festival signed up three US acts (NRBQ, John Hammond, ...) in a package, one of the best-established barroom bands from the US East Coast at the time was coming to Europe for the first time - The Nighthawks from Bethesda, Maryland.
In the first 10 years since its formation, the band played an average of more than 3,000 shows in the U.S. alone and turned down all European offers for tours. Their first shows in London, Berlin and Bremen brought sold out venues to a boil!
A year later, the band returned. This time CrossCut was prepared, signed the band, recorded the performance on 24-tracks at Bremen's 'Schauburg' and released the show on LP and CD.
The congenial partnership between Mark Wenner, whose heart beats for Elvis and Muddy Waters alike, and Jimmy Thackery, a true wizard of the trade who brought the traditional sounds of Carl Perkins or Albert King into the modern era, was at its peak before Thackery left the Nighthawks a good year later after one last concert in Hamburg's 'Große Freiheit' and started a successful solo career.
'Live In Europe' is pure power with incredible dynamics and confident virtuosity. The quartet grooves relentlessly, Wenner's cool nasal vocals and polished harmonica technique perfectly complementing Thackery's soaring, then sensitive guitar playing and raspy vocal style. Plus a rhythm section that was among the best of those days.
The Nighthawks in the original line-up (Mark Wenner - harmonica, vocals; Jimmy Thackery - guitar, vocals; Jan Zukowski - bass; Pete Ragusa - drums, vocals) anno 1985 - a better mixture of Blues, Rock 'n' Roll and Rock was and is hard to find!