You recently could read the review of volume 43 in the 'That'll Flat...Git It! series, and now volume 45 is in our playback device. I already hear you asking... and where is volume 44? Well, that volume was already released in August 2023 and you can reread its review here. Okay, but now back to volume 45 which focuses on Imperial Records releases. The label had country, rockabilly and New Orleans rhythm & blues in its catalog. A catalog that was also supplemented with subgenres. The label produced many well-known artists. Just think of Ricky Nelson, The Burnette Brothers, Merle Kilgore, Lew Williams, Laura Lee Perkins, Dennis Herrold, Jackie Walker and Bob Luman. Other names that would later come into the spotlight are the then young Freddy Fender and Roy Brown, who later made a name for himself as a blues shouter. These buzzing names are joined by lesser-known and obscure artists. Tommy Lomonte kicks off. Together with the famous Dave Bartholomew he wrote the super rocker 'Yeah, Yeah, Yeah'. Tommy is followed by Ricky Nelson with 'Shirley Lee'. Nelson returns twice more with 'One Of These Mornings' and 'Milk Cow Blues'. Another great one within the genre was Bob Luman. He appears four times, including the often covered 'Red Cadillac And A Black Moustache', which Bob was the first artist to record. In 'Blue Days, Black Nights' he shows his country side a luttele more. Merle Kilgore was also one of the showpieces of the Imperial label. He is included on this compilation with three songs. The somewhat slow 'Start All Over Again' is intriguing. In addition to being a performing artist, Kilgore has also written many hits, such as 'Ring Of Fire' by Johnny Cash, with June Carter as co-writer. A strong hillbilly undertone characterizes Gene Henslee's 'Rockin' Baby' and 'Diggin' 'n' Datin''. With a very raw voice, Laura Lee Perkins works her way through 'Kiss Me Baby'. Remarkable is certainly 'So Shy' by The Leen Teens. Song that floats on a nice clean guitar sound. Voice drenched in echo and rock 'n' roll and rockabilly go together perfectly more than once. A good example of this is 'Get Off My Back' by Jay Blue. A highlight is certainly Ronnie Smith's 'Long Time No Love', which features a cool piano. Song written by Roy Orbison. Roy Brown showcases a relaxed blues atmosphere in 'Slow Down Little Eva'. Dorsey and Johnny Burnette composed 'Yes, I'm Gonna Love You', which you get here in Sonny Anderson's version. For a formidable instrumental guitar rocker you can go to The Sidewinders and their 'Sidewinder'. Long before he made a name for himself as a country artist in the seventies, Freddy Fender was active as a rocker. You can witness this during the slow rocking 'Mean Woman'.
This compilation once again makes it clear that Imperial took many well-known artists under its wing. A lot of attention was also paid to the recordings. Excellent compositions, clever arrangements and beautiful vocal performances completed the picture. All things you would expect from a well-known record label.

His highly anticipated new album, Dream Job, was recorded in the revered music mecca of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where many of the greats have recorded over the years, like Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Bob Seger, Wilson Pickett, Joe Cocker and many more. The band on the album showcases some legendary players, including Kelvin Holly (Little Richard, Bobby “Blue” Bland), Clayton Ivey (The Staple Sisters, Thelma Houston), Justin Holder (Keb Mo’, Delbert McClinton) and Shonna Tucker (Booker T. Jones, Drive-By-Truckers). The album is produced the Dick Cooper of The Cooper Brothers and features special guest appearances by Grammy Award winner, Colin Linden and Juno Award winning singer, Kellylee Evans. ‘Dream Job’ might be the boldest statement to date of Jeff’s vocal talent and songwriting gifts. Stay tuned. The story is just getting started.  

The title 'Oh! What A Wonderful Time' from the 7th volume certainly applies to the entire series, because you as a reviewer get a wonderful feeling with every release of a volume. The reason for this is that compiler Ronni Boysen delves deeply into the black rhythm & blues from the middle of the last century. The 28 tracks, some of which are obscure, take you back to the heyday of the genre. You will of course also find a large number of well-known artists.
Ervin Rucker can start off with 'Done Done The Slop', a wonderfully danceable rhythm & blues. Rucker also worked with Johnny and Jimmy Liggins and Johnny Otis. Jimmy Liggins will be featured later on this compilation. Rucker is followed by the funny uptempo 'Jess' One More Time' by 'Madman' Jones, who also toured with Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, also present on this album. For a beautiful sultry blues, Etta Jones signs with 'Moolah! Moolah!'. What a voice that lady had! One of the greatest songwriters within the genre was Otis Blackwell. He wrote hits such as 'Fever', 'Great Balls Of Fire' and 'Don't Be Cruel!'. Songs that became eternal in the renditions of Little Willie John, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley. Here Blackwell records the title track, which is also his composition. You also get Little Willie John with the energetic 'Don't Play With Love'. We previously met Marie Adams as a member of the Johnny Otis Band. Here she does it in her own name with a wonderfully changing tempo 'Boom Diddy Wa Wa', a song on which she and Otis are listed as co-writers. Johnny Otis is also featured later as a backing band for blues diva Big Mama Thornton in 'My Man Called Me'. You could actually say that Johnny Otis runs like a common thread through the history of rhythm & blues, because he also discovered the vocal group The Midnighters, which Hank Ballard joined in 1953. The Midnighters perform 'Don't Change Your Pretty Way' . Johnny 'Guitar' Watson is also well known. You can hear him in his own composition 'The Bear', where you hear that the seeds of the funk that emerged later in his career were already present. Jackie Brenston was at the forefront of the birth of rock 'n' roll with 'Rocket 88'. He also works dynamically through 'Gonna Wait For My Chance'.
'Feels So Fine' by Harold Barrage is compelling rhythm & blues. No wonder when you see that the backing band consisted of Chicago legends Willy Dixon, Lafayette Leake, Fred Below and Lee Cooper. You can dance into a sweat to the boogie 'Rhythm Rockin' Blues' by Rollee Mcgill.
You get a slice of popcorn within rhythm & blues with Neal Johnson in 'True To You Baby'. Big Bob Dougherty shows a fiery sax in 'Why'. The Lamplighters serve up rhythm & blues mixed with doo-wop with 'Bo Peep' and 'Rumblin' Tumblin' Baby' by Emeralds. Also worth mentioning is Eddie Banks with 'Sugar Diabetes', which also contains some 'Fever' influences. These influences are also rhythmically present in Angel Face's 'Listen Baby'. You get a good dose of jump blues from the grandmaster of the genre, Jimmy Witherspoon in 'Big Daddy'. And the list of well-known figures continues with Jimmy McCracklin. He ends the album instrumentally with 'The Swinging Thing'.
As you can see, the seventh volume again contains fantastic rhythm & blues. These songs collected on one album are of inestimable value and therefore highly recommended.

The Alders & The Ashes will be a double-length album consisting of 17 songs laid down at L.A.’s famed United Recording with multiple Grammy-winning engineer Ross Hogarth. The group, led by Romani-Canadian musician Candace Lacina and world-renowned Hammond B3 player Mike Little, The Hello Darlins consist of some of Canada’s most in-demand session musicians who came together to forge a distinct hybrid of country, gospel and blues.