In 1977, the band was back in the studio working on their next album, “Side Pocket Shot.” They took a decidedly more commercial approach with this one. There was a four piece horn section—Billy Price’s Rhythm Kings from Pittsburgh. There were also two female backup singers and organ, pedal steel guitar and much overdubbing. For the first time, there were original songs to go along with more offbeat covers. The mix of production styles has been compared to the Beatles “Revolver” album. It was another solid effort that continued to build their standing in the blues community.

The album was recorded at Track Recorders in Silver Spring. The band had studio time blocked out 24/7 for several weeks for work on the album, but worked efficiently and had time to spare. This gave them some extra studio time and the opportunity to do whatever they liked.

After Hours Recording Time

The Nighthawks were playing with Muddy Waters at the Cellar Door at the time, so they invited his band to come into the studio after hours to record some classic Chicago blues tunes, including Jimmy Rogers “Walking By Myself,” John Lee Hooker’s “Sugar Mama,” and Elmore James “Dust My Broom” and “The Sky is Crying.” The result was a classic—a showcase of inspired playing of outstanding blues, titled “Jacks & Kings.” The band to this day regards this as one of their finest moments, and it became probably their best selling album.

Back on the Road

On the road, their continued successes took them beyond the East Coast for the first time. They went to Chicago, Kansas City, Colorado, Texas and New Orleans in support of the album. They received a particular honor when Muddy Waters made a point to see their show at the Chicago club Wise Fools.

Austin, TX was a town where the band established a particularly enthusiastic following. Just as The Nighthawks had introduced the Fabulous Thunderbirds to a D.C. audience, the Thunderbirds returned the favor in Austin. They also opened for Delbert McClinton the night before Thanksgiving at the Oak Creek Saloon. With a week to kill before their next show in New Orleans, one particularly memorable set of shows occurred almost by accident. At the time, the club Rome Inn was a popular venue that was booked by the local legend C-Boy—who’s described in the ZZ Top song “Lowdown in the Street.” C-Boy put The Nighthawks on the bill for consecutive nights with The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughn and W.C. Clarke and The Cobras. It was a great week of music that further heightened The Nighthawks standing in Texas.

New Orleans would also become a stronghold for the band. Following up to the fantastic time in Texas, their first show here was at Tipitina’s, where they opened for Professor Longhair and jammed with Charles Neville and the Radiators. On subsequent visits they played shows at Tulane University that were broadcast over the school’s WTUL radio station. They moved on to playing shows on the Riverboat President, opening for the Neville Brothers and Dr. John. And they played many more times at an overflowing Tipitina’s, billed with the likes of the Paladins and Little Charlie and the Nightcats. Over the years they would also play New Year’s Eve shows, at Mardi Gras and at the Jazz Festival.

Developing A Unique Partnership

In 1978, the band developed a unique partnership that led to a period of music and experiences unlike any other in their career. This all started with Twiggs Lyndon, who was a huge fan of The Nighthawks, and among other things had been road manager for Little Richard, Otis Redding, the Allman Brothers Band and the Dixie Dregs.

Gregg Allman had been in Los Angeles during his infamous marriage to Cher, and hadn’t played live in about four years. With the marriage on the rocks, Gregg moved back to Georgia and on his first night back Twiggs brought him to Brothers Bar in Jacksonville, AL to see The Nighthawks. Gregg sat in with the band that night and again in Atlanta, but he was obviously having other problems and checked into rehab.

After Gregg got out, he came to one of The Nighthawks shows at The Bayou in D.C. and sat in again, and it was a night of great music. This led to six months of on and off gigs, including a show in Orlando, FL with Gregg’s Mom in the audience. Gregg’s appearances were never announced in advance—the only time his appearance was announced in advance was in Philadelphia - where Gregg didn’t show. Fortunately, Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band sat in instead.

The partnership with Gregg was great, with Twigg’s letting Jimmy Thackery play one of Duane Allman’s Les Paul guitars and the group cranking out classic blues with a sound very similar to the original Allman Brothers. This all lead to rumors, including a story in Rolling Stone, that Gregg was formally becoming the fifth Nighthawk (Rolling Stone - "Is Gregg Allman a Nighthawk?". But it was not to be, as Gregg fell off the wagon at a show in Pittsburgh and didn’t come back. It would be a couple years before their paths crossed again when The Nighthawks opened for the Allman Brothers at the Capital Centre in Landover, MD.

A Unique Recording Opportunity

A unique recording opportunity presented itself in 1979. The band had played a number of shows with reknowned bluesman John Hammond, and he suggested they go into the studio and make a record. They took a rather unusual approach, basically putting in a regular eight hour workday and coming up with the album “Hot Tracks.” While it might not have taken long to record, it’s an album the band is still very proud of. It may be a little hard to find, but it is available on CD on Vanguard.

In 1979, Adelphi created “Jacks & Kings, Volume 2: Full House.” This featured some quality, previously unreleased material from Side Pocket Shot and the Jacks & Kings sessions. The musical highlights included Paul Butterfield’s “Born in Chicago,” Robert Nighthawk’s “Anna Lee,” and Earl Hooker’s “Two Bugs and a Roach.” It was another solid showcase of classic blues mixed with rock and roll, and has been re-released as the combined CD “Jacks & Kings Volume I & II.”