We all know Chuck Berry, we all know some of his biggest hits – like ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ or ‘Memphis Tennessee’ – probably through one of dozens if not hundreds of covers released in the sixties by The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks, Dave Berry and about every other Merseybeat or London R&B group that respected itself. All these famous songs are, however, from the fifties. Now, what was Chuck Berry doing in the sixties, when all these covers came out? Well, he simply continued recordings albums, like these four here from 1967 and 1968, neatly remastered and re-released on two CDs by BGO Records.
We come across his typical R&R riffs, but the glory days are clearly over [‘Louie to Frisco’]. On the other hand, it’s nice to see Chuck Berry expanding his talents to other territories: pure blues [It Hurts Me Too], jazz [‘Flying Home’ – see Lionel Hampton], funk [‘I Love Her, I Love Her’], soul [‘I Do Really Love You’], and even a slight psychedelic experiment on ‘Oh, Captain’. No surprises here either, though. This is America and thus Berry is obliged to fill these albums with standards that really don’t become him at all.
I’d like to make an exception for the title track of ‘Concerto in B. Goode’, where he uses one LP-side to demonstrate all his riffs in different tones and styles, with some experiments on the side. A true ‘tour de force’.
The rest is fans only.
The remastered double cd comes with a nice booklet.
Radio 68 plays choice tracks on Tuesday 22 April from 11 a.m. till 11 p.m. GMT [London]  - 12 noon to 12 midnight GMT+1 [Brussels].

In the fifties of the last century, when foreign holidays became commonplace, Italy was the dream destination for many tourists. Enjoying the ‘dolce vita’ on the Adriatic coast or sipping a cocktail in a sun-drenched romantic setting, it was for many the ideal holiday to leave the stress of work and home behind for a while. Of course, this also included a soundtrack that reinforced this feeling. A soundtrack that even resonated once back home and made you dream quietly of the holidays to come many years later. On ‘An Evening In Italy: Dining, Dancing And Romancing The Italian Way’, Bear Family Records bundles no fewer than 28 tracks that undoubtedly convey the Italian holiday feeling. The well-known and lesser-known tracks come from both Italian artists and American artists, because the latter also discovered Italy. Even our Italian Belgian Rocco Granata shines on this compilation with, how could it be otherwise, his mega hit ‘Marina’. Who better to kick things off than Louis Prima and his inseparable ‘Buona Sera’. Prima returns later, this time together with Keely Smith in the medley ‘Angelina / Zooma Zooma’. Prima is followed by Vittorio Und Die Rivieras. Lead singer Vittorio was born in Italy but lived in Germany from the age of ten, where he achieved success with ‘Tintarella Di Luna’. In his home country Italy, Fred Buscaglione was successful as an actor and singer. You get him in the ballad ‘Love In Portofino’ and the somewhat swinging ‘Teresa Non Sparare’.
In the fifties, Renato Carosone was a celebrated musical star in Italy. He is present with the swinging ‘Tu Vuo’ Fa’ L’Americano’ and ‘Torero’.
Trumpeter Nini Rosso then delivers an excellent, abundantly trumpet-injected ‘La Ballata Della Tromba’. One of the most famous, if not the most famous Italian melody is ‘Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu’, better known as ‘Volaré’, here you get the original version by Domenico Modugno. Another well-known song is ‘Quando, Quando’, Quando’. The song has been covered many times, but the original is by Tony Renis, who was also co-writer of the song.
The American part is started by the unknown Lou Monte, although he also had Italian roots. He was born as Louis Scagione. He is present twice. The first time with the rock-‘n-roll song ‘Pizza Boy USA’ and a second time with the famous ‘Sixteen Tons’ by Merle Travis, this time in Italian.
A name that sounds more familiar is that of the also Italian-rooted Dion DiMucci. You can hear him in the well-known ‘Donna La Prima Donna’. When Elvis Presley returned from Germany where he completed his military service, he had become a different singer. The time of rousing rock-‘n-roll was over and that is evident from ‘It’s Now Or Never (O Sole Mio)’. You will later also get that song in an instrumental rhythm & blues/boogie version by pianist Camille Howard as ‘O Sole Mio Boogie’.
Nat ‘King’ Cole was not only blessed with a unique voice, he could also master any musical genre. Listen here to the stunning ‘My Dream Sonata’. Connie Francis recorded several Italian-tinged songs in her career. You can hear one of them here with ‘Roman Guitar’. The Gaylords provide vocal harmonies a little later with ‘Ma Ma Ma Marie’. In the fifties, Roosemary Clooney scored several hits. She signs off with ‘Mambo Italiano’. ‘A Steel Guitar And A Glass Of Wine’ are ingredients that certainly promote the Italian vibe. Paul Anka had already understood that, after which Dean Martin takes care of the crooner part with ‘On An Evening In Roma’. This album ends grandly with Mario Lanza's 'Ave Maria'.
If you want to get into the holiday mood, Bear Family Records offers you the accompanying soundtrack on a tray with 'An Evening In Italy: Dining, Dancing And Romancing The Italian Way'. Nice compilation! 

The interweaving of Soul, Americana, Rock, Gospel and Blues is an integral part of Nikki's sound, and you can hear it on Stories I Only Tell My Friends. Written in 2023-2024, three years after Nikki relocated to Chicago from Los Angeles, some of the songs on this album revolve around exclusion, uprooting and her personal experiences with migration, while others describe the struggles of staying creative and maintaining a quiet sense of wonder in a fast-paced information-driven society. There are also songs that are pure celebrations of love.

This spring, the intriguing self-titled debut album by the Belgian- Dutch blues band Big Dave & The Dutchmen will be released on the Donor/Naked label on vinyl and CD. It was recorded at the Rabbit Field Studio with Stef Kamil Carlens (Moondog Jr., Zita Swoon) in Antwerp-Hoboken. Together with the rhythm section of Roel Spanjers (piano and vocals), guitarist Mischa den Haring and the two Dordrecht brothers Darryl on drums and Dusty Ciggaar on bass, Big Dave conditionally takes you on a nostalgic blues journey. They catapult you back to the heyday of the blues in the fifties and sixties. 

In the late eighties, Paul Deakin, Robert Reynolds and Raul Malo, three school friends, decided to form the band The Mavericks. In 1990, they got a contract with MCA Records in Nashville and their second album ‘What A Crying Shame’, which sold more than a million copies in America, put The Mavericks on the musical map. For their album ‘Music For All Occasions’, they won a Grammy Award, gold and silver. The band surpassed themselves once again with their fifth studio album ‘Trampoline’, released in 1998. An album that was particularly well received in Europe. The sound of The Mavericks is therefore without a doubt unique. You can hear The Travelling Wilburys, Los Lobos and Chris Isaak in it. It is therefore fantastic that the German Bear Family Records is releasing ‘Trampoline’ for the first time in a deluxe edition with 2 180 gram LPs. Furthermore, this edition is limited to 1500 copies worldwide, contains 17 tracks with a playing time of approximately 69 minutes. And the most special is yet to come… Not only do you get the original album on vinyl, but this edition also contains four bonus tracks, which were only found on the CD released in Japan. ‘Trampoline’ is also the most varied and even artistically the highest quality album of the band. It also gave the band their mega hit ‘Dance The Night Away’, which made it to number four in the British pop charts. It is therefore not surprising that the number of European fans of the band experienced a huge explosion.
From the first track ‘Dance The Night Away’ the super good sound quality of this vinyl edition is noticeable, which is more better than the CD. The frontman of the band is the extremely talented songwriter and charismatic singer, the Cuban-born Raul Malo, who vocally can certainly be counted in the category of Roy Orbison. Another plus is the original style of The Mavericks. With their mix of country, Tex-Mex, gospel, Western swing and rock-‘n-roll, they were not only founders of the Americana style at the time, but their songs still sound wonderful today. ‘Quality always comes first’ is a statement that certainly applies to ‘Trampoline’. It is astonishing how well Malo and his fellow supporters manage to combine various music genres, both in uptempo and in ballads. Of the latter, ‘Fool #1’ and ‘Dream River’ are great examples. In addition, the band is also strong in an instrumental track, such as in the wonderful ‘Melbourne Mambo’. Gospel influences come to the surface in ‘Save A Prayer’. The four bonus tracks that only ended up on the CD released in Japan can be heard on the fourth side of this double LP. ‘All I Get’, a composition by Nick Lowe and Raul Malo, is an emotional song that immediately grabs you by the scruff of the neck. The next bonus track is the traditional, the festively exuberant ‘La Mucara’ performed in Spanish, which is followed by the uptempo ‘She Does’. It ends with the instrumental ‘Panatella’, which once again puts the musical craftsmanship of The Mavericks in the spotlight.
If you have the chance to attend a concert of The Mavericks, definitely do so, because they are still active and their sound is still at a lonely high level.
Bear Family Records can rightly put several feathers in their cap for this sublime edition of the legendary ‘Trampoline’ album that, we cannot say it often enough, bathes in a heavenly sound quality. Lovers of special editions, be quick, because this edition is limited to 1500 copies worldwide. It would be a shame if you missed out on this vinyl reissue.

The release ‘Missy Sippy All Stars Vol.II’ is more than an anniversary album, it is a disparate roots record, with a lot of blues, jazz and world music. It is representative of the house values of the Ghent Bluesclub! The Ghent blues scene is growing more luxuriantly than ever. The Missy Sippy Blues & Roots Club, in Klein Turkije, in the heart of Ghent, will of course be no stranger to this. And they just celebrated their tenth anniversary there. So, is there a better way to do that than with a fat party and an even more corpulent album ?!

With ‘Morph’, the Ellis Mano Band presents a multi-faceted, coherent opus. “It is more than just an album for us - it's our next big step, our musical diploma,“ says the band. With songs like the epic ‘Countdown To Nothing’ and the powerful anthem ‘For All I Care,’ the multinational blues-rock institution invites their listeners to join in on an intense journey through the evolution of our sound. ‘Morph’ represents change and growth – a transformation reflected in every track. Energized riffs meet unexpected, quiet moments, creating a listening experience full of tension and depth. The artwork by Canadian album design legend Hugh Syme (Rush, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi…) perfectly captures this essence and symbolizes the spirit of ‘Morph’. The band is excited to share there new sonic worlds with our fans, both on record and live!”

The Brazilian choro style loves virtuosity and combines perfectly with French chanson and storytelling.

Derev’s second release "Troubled Mind" takes a deep dive into the intricacies of the human psyche, addressing a spectrum of mental health issues ranging from temporary mental instability to more severe conditions such as schizophrenia, cognitive immobility (a fixation on the past), and depression stemming from loss. Musically, the album builds on the foundation laid in the first release, offering a diverse range of sounds from mellow, calm tracks to adrenaline-pumping heavy headbangers, while maintaining their distinctive progressive rock sound, enriched with Middle Eastern influences. In this album, Derev elevates their sound by incorporating more prominent keyboard and synth parts, experimenting with various time signatures, and introducing new instruments such as the Cajon, Darbuka, and electronic elements.

Lorana surprises with honest songs.  Lovely emotional stuff!

The Lucky Strikes blend rock, blues, and funk with infectious grooves that’ll have you shimmying whether you're in a dive bar, a smoky juke joint, or cruising down a dusty backroad. It’s a sound that’s equal parts raw power and musical mastery, with enough swagger to keep your feet tapping long after the show is over. Highly recommended! 

The vocals are clear and the lyrics are more than gripping here. The release ‘The Other Me’ is a release with eleven songs that are steeped in some great folk habitus and that’s  deserves a lot of recognition.

Delicate Italian singer-songwriter who surfs on lamenting emotions

The perfect band to liven up a party and to lose yourself on the dancefloor.

With ‘The Band’s A Rockin’’, Johnnie Lee Wills is the next artist to appear in the ‘Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight’ series. Johnnie Lee was the younger brother of Bob Wills. During Bob’s first successful years, Johnnie played the tenor banjo in his band. In 1940, Bob Wills decided to split up the Texas Playboys because of the ever-increasing demand for live performances throughout the country.
In order to keep radio work and dance evenings going in their home base of Tulsa, Bob gave Johnnie Lee the right to stay in Oklahoma and form his own group, Johnnie Lee Wills and All The Boys. Johnnie was an excellent bandleader who always managed to surround himself with impressive sidemen. He may not have made as many recordings as his brother Bob, but with the songs that have already been covered many times, the excellent piano-laden ‘Rag Mop’ and the bluesy ‘Milk Cow Blues’, Johnnie Lee undoubtedly put Western Swing on the map. Both recordings can also be found on this album. Johnnie's rhythm and style were deeply rooted in the thirties. Because he kept his arrangements tight and danceable, Johnnie Lee Wills and All The Boys were enormously successful with the swinging and rocking dancers at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa. On radio KVOO in Tulsa, the band was a fixture until 1958. In 1964, Johnnie Lee Wills and All The Boys split up. This compilation contains many interesting recordings, released on Decca, Bullet Records and RCA Victor. It is also worth mentioning that the Decca and Bullet recordings have not been available on CD for some time.
The opener and the title track immediately set the tone for over 75 minutes of pure Western Swing pleasure. What is also immediately noticeable is that Johnnie's band, as previously indicated, contained wonderfully talented musicians. The sky-high level of the first track is effortlessly continued throughout the entire album. It becomes difficult not to get moving and before you know it you are accompanying Johnnie with a snap of your fingers. Impressive musicians deliver impressive performances. This also applies to ‘Coyote Blues’, probably provided with a sublime clarinet solo by Don Harlan. Humorous lyrics are part of ‘She Took!’. Beautiful guitar solos cross songs such as ‘I Like You Best Of All’, the blues-laced ‘Levee Blues’ and ‘Two Step Side Step’. Fiddle at its best can be heard in ‘Let Me Be’, ‘A-L-B-U-Q-U-E-R-Q-U-E’ and ‘Four Or Five Times’.
The instrumental ‘Boogiewoogie Highball’, where the musicians once again get their ‘moment de gloire’, is a rock-‘n-roll song ‘avant la lettre’. A song that undoubtedly inspired many later rockers. Johnnie’s interpretation of the Glenn Miller classic ‘In The Mood’ is downright impressive, once again displaying instrumental mastery and craftsmanship. ‘Southland Swing’ also sounds instrumental and fun.
A beautiful example of harmony later characterizes ‘Honey In The Horn’, while ‘Devil’s Blues’, which relies on subtle piano sounds, is a swinging version of a typical blues song. Rocking and swinging, the last track comes with ‘I’m Leaving (Yes Indeedy)’.
In the beautifully executed an illustrated 29-page booklet, you will get all the information about the tracks as well as in ‘The (Dance-) Marathon Man Of Western Swing’ written by Roland Heinrich Rumtreiner, all the information about Johnnie Lee Wills.
Rare, hot, swinging and rocking are the keywords for this fantastic album. ‘Johnnie Lee Wills: The Band’s A Rockin’ has become an unmissable release!

A memory ghost is a memory so strong that it’s left an invisible mark so it can never be forgotten. Some memory ghosts are so strong they cause an eruption of emotions. In celebration of his 62nd year as a musician, Australian Blues Griot STEVE TALLIS delivers his latest release, Memory Ghost – an audacious 3CD set comprising a monumental 66 songs and nearly 4 hours of music, recorded live first take. A limited edition of 1,000 copies and all in glorious mono, coproduced by the internationally acclaimed Rob Grant, Poons Head Studio – Fremantle. His style is unique in an Australian context with names such as Howlin’ Wolf, Dr. John, Captain Beefheart, Bob Dylan, Leadbelly and Tom Waits mentioned by way of reference points. Tallis dig deep into his spirit, incorporating Country Blues, Rock, Spirituals and Field Hollers. Complex layers that plunder the depths of the human experience: Songs of love, desire, death, politics, romance, skeletons, elephants, redemption, hobos, ghosts – challenging, intense, raw, enriching, unpredictable, fearless, restless, tender, reflective, sensitive, instinctive, radical – by a musical outlaw, a renegade observing, contemplating, reflecting and commenting on the world around him.

Now Grey is promoting her new CD, ‘The Grey Album’, which embraces no less than twenty beautiful country songs. She is definitely the perfect return to the golden age of Nashville country singers. 

An instrumental musical journey between Europe and South America with blending Brazilian choro and Venezuelan joropo.  Enjoy also the French and Italian influences.

Money may not be everything, but it does prevent you from ‘headin’ for the poorhouse’. The German Bear Family Records bundles no less than 30 tracks on this compilation, all of which have ‘money’ or ‘poverty’ as their subject.
The kick-off is given by the vocal group The Silhouettes, who immediately create a stunning doo-wop rhythm & blues with the title track of this album. More doo-wop follows later with The Penguins and ‘Money Talks’. Clyde McPhatter continues with The Drifters with the classic ‘Money Honey’. Later you will also get this song in Elvis’ version.
For a wonderful piano blues you can go to Johnny Ace and ‘No Money’. A song that also contains a lot of soul. Excello has many wonderful songs in its catalogue. One of them is ‘I Need Money (Keep Your Alibis)’, an rousing rhythm & blues by Slim Harpo. Howard Crockett was a talented songwriter who wrote hits for Johnny Horton, among others. You can hear Howard here in a harmonica-driven ‘Just A Poor Man’. Lovers of ‘old school’ country will certainly find something to their liking in ‘I’m Broke’ by Glen Paul and The Sunset Wranglers. More country comes with Faron Young and the self-written ‘I’m A Poor Boy’, including a wonderful fiddle solo, as well as with ‘No Money’ by the lesser-known Carl Runner.
‘Money That’s What I Want’ comes twice. The first time by Barrett Strong. Berry Gordy, owner of the Tamla Motown label was co-writer and this song was also the first big hit for his label. Also from Tamla Motown come the vocal group The Miracles with their version of the same song.
‘Ain’t Got No Money’ by The Rebel Guys is mainly a beautiful, sax-driven instrumental number. A magnificent rock-‘n-roll song comes with Cecil Moore in ‘My Money’s Gone’. On a boogie rhythm, Arkie Shibley presents his ‘talking blues’ in ‘I’m A Poor Oakie’.
At the time that Jessie Knight joined Ike Turner’s band, the electric bass made its introduction in rhythm & blues bands. Ike made sure that his cousin Jessie got his hands on the instrument. Here you get Jessie Knight with the formidable rhythm & blues ‘Nothing But Money’.
Well-known names that grace this compilation include Carl Perkins, blues shouter Jimmy Witherspoon, The Louvin Brothers and blues harmonica player Billy ‘Boy’ Arnold. Blues pianist Sunnyland Slim is also well-known. Here he brings a pearl of a piano blues as Dr. Clayton’s Buddy with ‘Broke And Hungry’. In the middle of the previous century, Frankie Avalon was one of the many teen idols. Here he is present with the wonderfully rocking ‘I’m Broke’.
Country-wise, Al Terry and Rusty & Doug close with the emotional ‘Money’.
In the 38-page booklet you traditionally get all the information about the artists and the tracks.
Thematic albums show how certain situations or feelings inspired artists to make great songs about them. One of those compilations that certainly meets all expectations here is ‘Headin’ For The Poorhouse’.

Track Dogs are celebrate 20 years together in 2026 and they thought to get the party started early, why not!? So, the band compiled our first six albums as Track Dogs into this collection, based mainly on the songs we regularly play live. Some of the tracks are appearing in album format for the first time, such as “Brandy” and “Easy”, which were previously released on EPs. We’ve also added an LP’s worth of new recordings, brand new tunes as well as live favourites “Ruby”, “This Old Heart” & “All of The Above”. 

With ‘Oh Yeah’ we have already reached the eighth volume in the ‘Hi-Strung R & B’ series. What is striking again is that a large number of artists who recorded excellent rhythm & blues during the fifties and sixties of the last century nevertheless did not make it into the spotlight. In addition, this edition also contains a number of resounding names. The album kicks off with Beverly Wright and the swinging ‘Shake Till I’m Shook’, which is followed by the cheerful and playful ‘Whoa-Ho (Let’s Get Together)’ by Kitty & Clay. Then Little Richard announces the first big name. His ‘Taxi Blues’ is still firmly anchored in rhythm & blues, in contrast to his later recorded rock-‘n-roll. When Little Richard decided to become a dominee, Larry Williams was seen as his successor. Although pianist Williams had the same raw voice, he did not quite live up to it. What Williams can put behind his name is that many of his songs, such as ‘Bony Moronie’ and ‘Dizzy Miss Lizzy’ were covered during the ‘British Invasion’. Here he is present with ‘Oh Baby’, which partly proves that he missed out on a few things as a successor to Little Richard.
Ear King spent his entire life in New Orleans and that typical sound is clearly heard in ‘Funny Face’. That sound also sounds in small doses in ‘I Got A Rock And Roll Gal’ by Billy Lamont, as well as in ‘You’re So Good Looking’ by Otis Smith. The odd one out comes in the form of Willie Joe. Backed by René Hall’s orchestra, he conjures up ‘Twitchy’ from his one-string electric guitar. For Bill Haley, ‘Shake, Rattle And Roll’ was a mega hit. Here you get the unedited and, to me, better version by grandmaster Joe Turner. Exciting rock-‘n-roll is also presented by Steve Gibson’s Red Caps with vocals by Dave Patillo in ‘Rock And Roll Stomp’. It would be Patillo’s only recording. Guitarist Guitar Slim is no stranger to blues fans. Here he provides the title track of this release, a serious rocking rhythm & blues that ends in a somewhat gospel-like manner. Annie Laurie continues on the path taken by Slim with the equally great ‘Rockin’ And Rollin’ Again’. Ike Turner’s Kings Of Rhythm always guarantee quality. Here they are the backing band of Billy Gayles, who unleashes a gem of a song with ‘Sad As A Man Can Be’. When you talk about the pioneers of rock-‘n-roll, you can’t ignore Chuck Berry. Not only was he an example for many artists, but his songs were and still are eagerly covered. This also applies to ‘Come On’, which can be found on this album and was once entrusted to vinyl by The Stones. Little Milton made great recordings in both rhythm & blues and soul. He shows that he could combine both genres in a very special way in ‘Long Distance Operator’. Del Thorne then presents a beautiful piano blues in ‘I Let Him Move Me’. Two greats who often shared the stage together were guitarist Earl Hooker and harmonica virtuoso Junior Wells. Here they make the most of the instrumental ‘Universal Rock’.
Doo-wop comes with Don Julian and The Meadowlarks in ‘Oop Boopy Oop’, as well as with Bill Pinky and The Turks in ‘After The Hop’ and by The El Dorados singing wonderfully together in ‘At My Front Door’. As we are used to from them, ‘Bark, Battle And Ball’ by The Platters also contains excellent harmonies. We would like to close with the instrumental ‘Quarter To One’ by Roy Hawkins…..but don’t stop your player, because with ‘Fun Fun’ by Lloyd Nolen you can expect a bonus track.
Series like ‘Hi-Strung R & B’ bundle quite a few songs that would otherwise not reach lovers of rocking rhythm & blues. Another plus is that the KokoMojo label always does full justice to their philosophy ‘killers and no fillers’.