Young Guns Old Head

“Well I've known them all since they were kids actually,” Wilson begins, explaining how the current line-up of Texan blues stalwarts The Fabulous Thunderbirds came together. He's on the line from a recording studio in Annapolis, Maryland, between vocal sessions for the next Thunderbirds record (“I think I'm making the record of my life”). “They were just little kids – their mums used to bring them to my shows you know and I've just watched them develop over the years and turn into these really great players. I guess I just picked 'em when they were ripe [laughs].

“I just got lucky this time too. They're all about the same age so they can relate to each other. In the past I might have switched one guy here, one guy there – this was pretty much switched 'em all at once – so it's a good hang; everybody gets along really well, not too much friction. I'm not one of those guys that stays away from my band – I hang around 'em; I'm kinda like one of the boys, even though they're quite a bit younger than me. As my good friend Rick Estrin [of Little Charlie & The Night Cats] says when asked if that keeps him young, 'I don't know about young, but it sure helps keeps me immature',” at which Wilson again laughs heartily.

Wilson famously lucked out in the first guitarist he hooked up with to form The Fabulous Thunderbirds back in 1974, one Jimmie Vaughan, older brother of the late Stevie Ray. While they may never have scaled the heights the younger Vaughan did, the band has always had a reputation for fiery and compelling performances, maintaining a solid blue-collar fanbase. A dozen albums and 20-odd members later – Vaughan moved on in 1989 – the Thunderbirds now comprise Wilson, brothers guitarist Johnny and drummer Jay Moeller, guitarist Mike Keller and bass player Randy Bermudes. However, the Thunderbirds aren't strictly a blues band, as Wilson points out.

“To play any instrument in this band, you've gotta be just well-versed in a lot of different things. You can't come in knowin' one or two tricks, you gotta know a lot and that part of it is difficult to find at any age. So I'm very fortunate. I have worked hard, I've got a reputation and people never usually say no to me when I ask them to come in. Of course it's an ideal gig – if you're a musician in this band, I'm not just standin' out there in the spotlight, everybody in this band is featured, everybody gets a piece of the action.

“And you get to do everything you want musically as well. They've just proved it to me in here. We had a bunch of arrangements and they came in and really shone on this new stuff. It's a lot more soul and r'n'b kinda stuff that we cut on this record and they just blew it right away, man. It was pretty impressive, even though I already knew 'em, comin' in here and steppin' up to the plate like that. You ask 'em to play any kind of music – you know of course we take pride in playing all the 'cool' genres of music, all the stuff that we've loved over the years, all the great blues and soul and rock'n'roll – it's amazing, the maturity of these guys. They're not kids of course, but it takes a long, long time to develop that confidence to be able to do whatever you're called upon to do. When I wanted to push the envelope a little more this time, these guys were able to come in and do it.”