New York-based Russel Alexander is a fine vocalist/guitarist who has just enough grit in his voice for all these cover reworkings. The release “Hey, Can You Guys Play” is a compilation with some great cover songs. But Hitman knows the art of giving this timeless blues classic its own twist, in that unique Hitman Blues Band style! With the exception of 'Sunday Morning Coming Down', these songs were all released on previous albums. The ideal opportunity to (re)discover the sound of.

‘Religio’ explores the inner human and is so cinematographic that is tickles your imagination with goosebumps.

Well-known Norwegian blues artist Bjørn Berge proudly presents his new album entitled "Introducing SteelFinger Slim". This exciting album marks a new musical direction for Berge and introduces his alter ego SteelFinger Slim. "Introducing SteelFinger Slim" contains a collection of 10 songs in total, including 6 original songs written by Bjørn Berge himself and 4 exciting covers of well-known classics. This album reflects Bjørn Berge's raw and powerful interpretation of blues music and shows Berge's versatility as an artist.

This is the first album of the renewed Nasmak PM collaboration. It is called Perpetuum Mobile, because the nine tracks on it are related to material from the early Nasmak days. 

Enchanting Sahara songs on traditional tunes mixed with western blues.  Like Womex (World Music Expo) does since 1994, Aziza Brahim opens your eyes, ears and mind.

It has been a long time since another volume in the 'Whip Masters Instrumentals' series came onto the market. To be precise, that was in 2021. Fans of excellent instrumental songs will certainly find something to their liking with the now released volume 4. Once again 30 high-quality instrumentals to enjoy, but which will also effortlessly get your muscles moving. You will not know many of the artists on this album and many of them have no trace in American music history. Is that why they made less good music? Not at all, but record labels usually do not have the intention to invest in all talent. They often choose one or a few artists whose productions they hope will make the cash register ring. However, you will also see a number of big names on this compilation. We jump straight into it with 'Rocker', a song where the title says it all. Sublime song that The Montereys recorded in 1962 for the Cuca label. Bob Taylor and The Counts continue on the path taken by The Montereys with 'Taylor's Rock'. More of that is yet to come. Such as with The Downbeats and 'Midnight Express', including a beautiful combination of guitar and sax. You undoubtedly know Lazy Lester from his vocal songs, but he was also a more than gifted artist on the blues harp. You get a sample of his skills with 'Lester's Stomp'. Dave 'Baby' Cortez then introduces 'Hurricane' with a thundering jungle drum. Gus Jenkens and his orchestra are also well known. Gus and his musicians perform an excellent 'Spanky', in which the piano plays a prominent role. 'The Stripper' by Ernie Freeman drifts a bit towards vaudeville. You can expect country from Little Jimmy Dickens with The Country Boys in 'Red Wing', with a great piece on fiddle. We remain in the same genre with the well-known Bill Monroe, here in 'Wheel Hoss', with that wonderful stirring fiddle. Link Wray is well-known, but in a completely different genre. Together with his inseparable Raymen, he works his way through 'Turnpike U.S.A.' with verve. Just like with Wray, the guitar also plays the leading role in 'Swooney' by The Gentry Brothers. 'Red River Rock' was a mega hit for Johnny and The Hurricanes. 'Thunderbold' is an extension of that hit and can easily be on the same level. You certainly know 'Let's Go Trippin'' in Dick Dale's version. A surf song that flowed from his pen and which you get here in the Hot Doggers version. They recorded the song one year after Dale's, namely in 1963. That typical 'twang' guitar sound is inextricably linked to instrumental songs from the fifties and early sixties. You can hear what that sounds like for the Rhythm Rockers in the appropriate 'Twang'. A lightning fast boogie delivers Jet Tones in his 'Jet Tone Boogie'. Big Jay McNeely was a phenomenal American rhythm & blues saxophonist. Be sure to listen to his talent on 'The Squat'. At the Stax label, Booker T and The MGs served as the house band and were involved in many of the label's recordings. 'Green Onions' is their signature song, but their version of 'Twist And Shout' is also impressive. More famous people are also coming with Earl Hooker. He was a master on the guitar, as you can experience here on 'Dynamite' that he recorded for Checker in 1960. Bobby Vee scored many hits, including 'Take Good Care Of My Baby'. Here he signs 'Flyin' High' together with The Shadows.
In short, just like the previous releases in the 'Whip Masters' series, volume 4 is also bursting with dazzling instrumental songs, with the guitars usually in the spotlight. In addition to well-known artists, you will once again discover impressive songs by unknown artists. Artists who would usually not make it to our speakers without series like 'Whip Masters'. Fortunately, that is happening 

Malcom MacWatt’s mixture of the Americana and British Folklore is the epitome of the instrument that saves our souls each time we listen to it, that of the human expression across a breadth of subjects we are subjected to, we can fiercely bring art to answer for the occasion, for the despair, and for the heartbreak we may encounter.

Reared on diet of Rhythm & Blues, Funk, Jazz, Pop and Ska, The Tibbs bring a unique blend of garage soul that could be traced back to the Detroit and Philly sounds of the ’60s and ’70s. A retro style infused with a distinctive Tibbs formula.

Charles Kemmons Wilson (05.01.13 – 12.02.03) opened his first Holiday Inn hotel in 1952 in Memphis, Tennessee. Hotel that would later develop into a chain. Charles' bad experiences with hotels made him decide to do this. He believed that guests deserved the best accommodations and were not confronted with hidden costs at checkout. Radio was one of the many treats Holiday Inn guests could enjoy. In his chain, which once included more than 1,000 hotels, the radio was prominent in every room. Wilson promoted the music of his 'The Holiday Inn' label through his own radio shows in all his hotels. The idea was also to sell the records of the artists belonging to the label in the hotels, especially when they performed there. The Holiday Inn 100 series (101 to 115) were produced from 1961 to 1963 but the only 16 singles released gained little commercial success. The sister label Klondike made recordings of Table Toppers. In 1963 the dream of the Holiday Inn label came to an end. In 1969, under the leadership of Suns songwriter and studio musician Stanley Augustus Kesler, there was a small restart with the 2200 series. The label took a new direction, but the success would not last long. Bankruptcy was filed in 1970.
You get both the A and B sides of all 16 singles on this album. In addition, Table Toppers are present with 1 song and certainly interesting are the two 'Holiday Inn Jingles' that are released here for the first time.
This music was mainly distributed through the hotel chain. It was therefore necessary that the songs should tasted to a large audience. The recordings therefore had to have some commercialism on board. You can experience that the Holiday Inn label succeeded in this on this compilation. But this alone will not achieve the desired success. The label did not have to rely too much on the radio stations. After all, the stations were somewhat suspicious of the singles. When they were played, the hotel chain also received free promotion. The label also made a mistake that advertisements for the hotel chain were often included in the promotional material.
So much for the history, but let's take a closer look at the releases from the Holiday Inn label. What is immediately noticeable is that a lot of attention was paid to both the songs and the arrangements and performances. After the opening with the Holiday Inn Jingle, The Roller Coasters start with the two parts of 'Rim Shot', a more than formidable instrumental song. Later, The Roller Coasters return four more times with some wonderful instrumentals, including 'Slap-Back', the title of this album. Tookie Collom, backed by The Roller Coasters, shows that the label had a broad audience in mind in the soulful and partly poppy 'You Torture Me' and 'I Could Love You', which also contain some New Orleans influences. Tookie is featured later, but uptempo in 'You've Gotta Run Me Down'. Other beautiful slow work comes with Rusty Curry in 'Tag Along' and 'Our Love Can Wait'. Holiday Inn also managed to provide its artists with great songs. Just listen to the emotional tearjerker 'Where Could I Go' by Jimmy Foster. Chet Atkins took care of the arrangements and in all likelihood he was also the guitarist. The choir you hear was formed by The Jordanaires. Frank Starr provides a rockabilly feeling a little later with 'Knees Shakin'' and 'Evil Eye'. In the later 'Lost In A Dream', Starr slows down a bit and creates a wonderful slow. It continues rocking and rolling with Kenny Lund with the excellent 'Rip It Up Potato Chip' and 'Greenbacks'. More of that to come with Buck Griffin in “Pretty Lou.” Remarkable is certainly 'Rhythm Marie' by Stony Martin. Song that was clearly based on the blues. Classy Charlie Feathers is present with the 1963 single 'Deep Elm Blues / Nobody's Darling'. It is actually unbelievable that the 16 singles that the Holiday Inn label released did not achieve more success. Just listen to 'Big Black Engine / I'll Forever Be Loving You'. I am convinced that if the promotion of all 16 singles had gone more smoothly, there would be some 'all time classics' among them. Don't worry though, because thanks to Rockstar Records these gems won't be lost and you can get them effortlessly.
'The Holiday Inn Label 100 Series Anthology, 'Slap-Back' is also a unique time document.
The album is available on CD and on 12 inch LP. The 12-inch LP contains 18 tracks selected from the CD, but when you purchase it you will receive the CD with all 35 songs as a bonus.

Patti Parks is a soulfully uplifting singer, handling ballads, driving blues, swing and Motown with ease and style. The new album features soul blues legend Johnny Rawls, who teams with Patti on two duets – the aching ballad “I’m In Love With You Baby,” written by Rawls and Patti’s husband Guy Nirelli, and Johnny’s midtempo southern swing with a Shag Dance feel, “How Much Longer”. Patti’s title track, “Sing Around The World,” is all about connecting through music to find joy and heal the pain. Patti’s stunning, sensual and warm voice soars over tracks where blues, Memphis soul, gospel, and  Carolina swag simmer together to deliver an explosive recording. Highly recommended! 

The swinging 'I'll Go Back to Denver' (And You Can Go to Hell) opens the line dancing. Gray has a sweet voice timbre, a vocality reminiscent of Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn or Tammy Wynette. From the ballad 'Stick and Poke' (What am I Gonna Do) it goes quickly to 'Wasted' with its pedal steel tunes. It moves quickly to 'Wasted' with its pedal steel tunes, the country rocker 'I Missed You' and that sad title track 'She's an Angel' Great…!

Benny Joy was born Benjamin Joy Eidson on November 5, 1935 in Atlanta, Georgia. When Benny was 5 years old, the family moved to Tampa, Florida. In 1951, Benny formed his first band at High School. There he also came into contact with John Wilkie Taylor, who would later become important to Benny as Big John Taylor. The duo listened to country and blues, styles that would also influence their careers, just as would be the case for many rockabilly artists. Benny's music career started in 1957 with the Tri-Dec label, where he was initially signed as a songwriter. His first recording was the single “Hey”…High School Baby! / Spin The Bottle'. Buck Ram, who managed The Platters, bought the Tri-Dec masters and Benny's songwriting contract in 1958. At the same time, Ram also signed Benny and Big John Tayor for the music publisher Argo Music. In 1958 Benny recorded 'Little Red Book / Crash The Party' for Rams Antler label. That same year, Ram sent the duo Joy/Taylor to Nashville to record with professional musicians. After his collaboration with Buck Ram, Benny moved to Decca. There he recorded 3 singles that did little. Benny previously made a living as a songwriter. He held that job for 10 years in Nashville, where he wrote more than 200 songs for well-known country artists.
At the age of 52, Benny died on October 28, 1988. John Taylor, like Benny, died of cancer on April 13, 1995. He was 58.
'Little Red Book / Crash The Party' was Benny's only hit single outside America. Too bad because his other performances are simply the same gems.
The quality of Joy is immediately clear with opener ''Hey'…High School Baby!'' from 1957. The song had a lot to offer and was certainly head and shoulders above many rock 'n' roll productions that were produced during that period. The energy that Benny Joy exhibits here drips from the songs. Vocally he was blessed with a powerful voice. He linked these to powerful compositions of his own, which he also provided with sublime rock arrangements. Both versions of 'Spin The Bottle' are also nice. In 1957 he recorded the rock 'n' roll version and released the song on vinyl a year later in a somewhat Dixie version. Together with Big John Taylor, Benny delivers a strong example of an instrumental song with 'Money, Money'. Big John signed this composition. Joy shows that it didn't always have to be rock 'n' roll in the 'tearjerkers' 'Sincerely, Your Friend' and 'You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)'. In the early sixties the music drifted somewhat towards pop. That was no problem for Joy, because with 'Birds Of A Feather Fly Together' and 'I'm Of No More Use To You Old Earth' he knew perfectly what that genre should sound like.
Furthermore, on this album you will hear Benny's compositions performed by other artists. Artists who do justice to the value of Joy's compositions. The kink in Marty Evans' voice in 'Eyes Of Tears' is a bit reminiscent of Buddy Holly. Furthermore, those songs have a wonderfully poppy atmosphere, while 'Lets Walk Away Strangers' by Bill Phillips clearly has country in the genes. Which once again proves what a talented songwriter Joy was. Exceptions to this are (What I'll Do) Call The Zoo' by Darrell McCall and 'Hey, Boss Man' by Ray Smith, where rock 'n' roll takes a little bit more the lead again. 'She Loved Everybody But Me' by Charlie Rich could just as well have been performed by Elvis. What a beautiful song!
Big John Taylor provides the closing track with the formidable guitar-driven instrumental 'Stompin'.
For many, Benny Joy and Big John Taylor may be footnotes in American music history, but the 29 tracks on this album show that this is actually unjustified and that the laws of the music business are anything but the same for everyone. Because both Joy and Taylor deserved more recognition. Benny was not only a gifted performing artist, but also had 'real skills' as a songwriter.
The album is available on CD and on 10 inch LP. The 10-inch LP contains 10 tracks selected from the CD, but when you purchase it you will receive the CD with all 29 songs as a bonus. Don’t miss this release!

New Original Rhythm Architects  (N.O.R.A. ) is an indie R&B band based in the Netherlands. Funky, melodic grooves, disguised as catchy popsongs, N.O.R.A, stays fresh yet oh so greasy. With a hint of blues and reggae, the band brings a surprisingly full and original sound.

On September 12, 1959, ABC TV launched the show 'Boy Meets Girls' in England. The show was the successor to the legendary pop TV series 'Oh Boy!'. The latter took place in a more hectic style, while the new 'Boy Meets Girls' was more sedate. When 'Boy Meets Girls' disappeared from the screen in March 1960, a number of great stars had delivered fantastic performances in it. Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Ronnie Hawkins and Billy Fury, among others, were regularly present. In a tragic coincidence, Eddie Cochran died in a car accident six weeks after the series ended. Series producer Jack Good, planned to rebroadcast Cochran's appearances on the show as a tribute. Unfortunately, he had to find that ABC TV had deleted all recordings.
Later, sound engineer Ron Parker discovered that ABC TV did make audio recordings of Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent, which had been preserved. In 2013, Rockstar Records released a CD with the recordings discovered by Parker.
The MC of 'Boy Meets Girls' was none other than Marty Wilde. Naturally, he was regularly featured as an artist himself. In addition to the previously mentioned artists, Johnny Cash, Johnny Gentle, Lyn Cornell and The Vernons Girls were also present. A nice anecdote is that after his performances in the show in May 1960, Johnny Gentle took Liverpool's The Silver Beatles with him as backing for a tour of Scotland. Gentle could not  have foreseen at that moment what these boys would do in the near future. But there's more... you'll also hear how Johnny Cash performed during his first TV appearance, where he was accompanied by Joe Brown and The Firing Squad. You will also hear performances from Little Tony, who has been labeled as the 'Italian Elvis, Billy Fury, Michael Cox, Adam Faith, Jess Conrad and many others. The total of 128 tracks cover a broad musical spectrum from rock 'n' roll to pop, both vocally and instrumentally. Sporadically you also hear the enthusiasm of the audience. Let us make it clear that this is not disruptive at all, but rather provides added value.
Moreover, if you consider that these live recordings were made over 60 years ago, you can say that the sound is very good.
Meanwhile, we are in 2024 and Rockstar Records is celebrating its 50th anniversary. A milestone in the label's history that the Rockstar crew does not want to let pass by. The label will celebrate this anniversary with impressive releases throughout the year, which they are already doing with this three-part CD box 'Mighty Good'. The 3 CDs contain recordings that have not been heard since the broadcasts in 1959 and 1960. These are certainly impressive historical recordings. What is also very nice are the announcements and the short conversations that Marty Wilde had with some of those artists. And as if this were not enough, this box comes with a booklet of no less than 64 pages, where you can follow the developments of the TV show through detailed data from various TV episodes. A booklet that also contains beautiful photos and illustrations of the artists participating in the shows. If you know that the scripts of the TV broadcasts suffered the same fate as the TV recordings, then Rockstar Records has achieved a real feat with the release of this box. Even if you only buy one album at the moment, let it be 'Mighty Good'. You won’t regret it!

Soundtrack from a social Mongolian drama with traditional music like overtone singing mixed with western influences like blues and hip-hop.  

The PR-sheet rightly states that ‘Shazam’ is considered The Move’s finest long-player and that they were “blessed with one of the most imaginative songwriters of his generation in Roy Wood”. Surprisingly, Roy Wood only wrote three tunes for ‘Shazam’, the other three being covers of quieter, softer originals you wouldn’t associate with The Move. At any rate, The Move deliver six rocking tracks, evoking their earliest hard rock days while psychedelically nodding at their prog future as ELO. 
The opening track is Roy Wood’s ‘Hello Susie’ - a smash hit for teeny boppers Amen Corner the year before, but this version here sets the template for the entire album: it is twice as long, twice as hard and twice as slow as Amen corner’s take. ‘Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited’ is a tough one too, comprising a long bass & drums part. .
I think I prefer the three covers that make up the B-side, if only because they took me by surprise: the ten-minute plus take on ‘Fields of People’n a psychedelic piece of work originally by Ars Nova [1968],  ‘Don’t Make My Baby Blue’ from 1963 which secured a hit for Frankie Laine [!], and  Tom Paxton’s splendid folk-tine ‘The Last Thing on My Mind’ from 1964 on which the bass and a psychedelicguitar lead the game.
Please note this Cherry Red reissue is vinyl only!   
Radio 68  plays choice tracks in ‘Rock On!’ on Wednesdays 17 en 31 Jan. 2024, from 11 a.m. till 04 a.m.

With this EP Evan Nicole Bell  has effortlessly found the balance between blues and modern funky pop. She is one of the most exciting newcomers into the Baltimore blues scene. It's truly a skill to play the blues in a way that resonates with a mainstream audience. And Evan succeeded with brilliance. Anyone who puts this lady on their festival poster will get immediately a banger.

Jennifer Porter is a critically acclaimed singer, songwriter, and pianist known for her distinctive voice and vibrant performances. With a career spanning decade, Porter has established herself as a prominent figure in the world of Blues and Roots music. ‘Yes, I Do!’ marks her ninth studio album, a testament to her enduring passion for creating music that resonates with audiences around the globe. With ‘Yes, I Do!’, Jennifer Porter invites listeners on a joyous and soulful experience through the heart of Blues and Roots music. This album is not just a collection of songs; it’s a celebration of life, love, and the enduring power of music.

I’ve been listening again and again. It was like an angel that came down to earth to give a good feeling. Different music genres with a relaxing atmosphere. Recommended!

We were all aware of the innovating technological skills of producer Joe Meek, and yet the ‘Tea Chest Tapes’ turned out to be an astonishing find with hundreds and hundreds more takes, versions and pure experiments. This 5Cd box by Cherry Red gathers 131 tracks by The Tornados, of which 119 were never issued before – and not one commercialized version in sight! Instead, you get all types of demos, mixes, vocal dubs, guitar dubs, backing tracks and-what-not. Of course, much of this material is Fans Only, but I got quite intrigued by alternate takes such as the ‘Phase 1 Take 1’ version of their hit ‘Robot’ (no keyboards) – or better still by the ‘SFXTape’ intro to Telstar, a threatening space-like sound that was never used.
I was possibly even more surprised to find out that The Tornados’ repertoire included sweeping rock’n’roll and quite some R&B, such as ‘Rip It Up’, ‘My Babe’ (backing track only), ‘Fortune Teller’, or ‘Go Go Go’ featuring Bill Fury.
Do take your time to enjoy this. And play their original Best Of afterwards.
In the meantime, you can listen to a serious helping on Radio 68 on Sunday 14 and Monday 15 Jan. 2024, from 01 p.m. till 3 a.m.  

Alligator Records is pleased to announce the signing of soulful vocalist, dynamic harmonica master and gifted songwriter Chris O’Leary, and his label debut ‘The Hard Line’. O’Leary is among the blues and roots world’s most talented unsung heroes. With ‘The Hard Line’, Chris O’Leary is at the peak of his creative powers, delivering memorable, thought-provoking original songs informed by the complex road he’s traveled

Now the long-awaited EP '23' is out. It's no coincidence that twenty-three is his favorite number. Over time, Giba has noticed that he encounters this number in different ways. 23 years ago he made peace with the guitar and started playing again. At the age of 23, Byblos' life finally became full. Coincidence or not. The EP ‘23’ is a thoroughly modern album that anyone with an appreciation of straight-ahead Chicago-style guitar blues absolutely will love. After an experimental intro, Giba gradually emerges from his habitat with exciting Chicago blues guitar riffs. “Let me do my thing,” says Giba… Highly recommended EP…!

“No ending, no beginning: only passion for life.” said the late Fellini.  Tornado became an album full of contrast and emotion.  Recommended.

Fascinating symbios of two completely diverse cultures. Goosebumps!

Two like-minded souls and (a lot of) Orval, that's all it needed for a wonderful project that harks back to the renowned The Odd Cases. A glorious drunken oath, one with wild plans somewhere in a brown pub in the field in Klein Brabant. Now to get very serious again, with or without Orval, this is a sparkling blues mission. We settle down on a front porch somewhere in the deep south and absorb exciting Mississippi Delta blues. ‘Bad Love’ thats’ a highly recommended release…!