The album trilogy, dubbed Tres Caminos, began with the recording of “By No Means” in Michell’s home studio. With David Boucher co-producing they recorded 10 tracks in five days, all live, very simple. One pandemic later it was time to get the band back together for the second album. The same crew met up in January 2023 and recorded Daylight. This time they worked at Valentine Studio in the Valley, an ancient studio built in the early 60’s with a vibe (and gear) unchanged since then. Again, they played live, five days, and this time recorded 12 tracks. So here it is. A continuation of their concept, with a dozen new songs. Simple and straightforward. It goes down easy. Highly recommended!

Instrumental gypsy highlights played by Italian trio with great knowledge of jazz.

When you first listen to Mark Brown, you might find yourself wondering where he’s been and why it took him so long to get here. Combining a sharp eye with a sly sense of humor reminiscent of John Prine, Mark makes songs that hail from everywhere, incorporating ballads, cowboy songs, jigs, sideshow melodies, and field hollers. His songs give voice to craftsmen, broken-hearted mechanics, heavy equipment operators, squatters and girls with their dirt bikes. Like many of his characters, Mark’s been around: after growing up in Maryland, he’s done some farming, worked as a mechanic, spent years as a commercial fisherman in the northern Pacific and worked as a carpenter in the northeastern US. These experiences have influenced his music the way an oak cask influences good whiskey. In his latest album ‘Happy Hour’, Mark's distinctive voice is accompanied by his band of longtime friends: Ken McGloin joining in on guitar, Mark Murphy on bass, Dean Sharp on drums and the versatile talents of Dean Jones.

After nearly forty years of musical and personal camaraderie, drummer and producer Bob Christina began studio work with Matt "Guitar" Murphy on what would become Murphy's final project. After he passed in June of 2018, the fate of the unfinished project was placed in Christina's hands. He began outreach to musicians who were friends of Murphy, played with him, or were otherwise influenced by him. The response was overwhelming.
Featured artists include Doyle Bramhall II, Fran Christina & The Original Roomful of Blues, Steve Cropper, Ronnie Earl, Sax Gordon, Jaimoe, Bill Kirchen, Chuck Leavell, Bob Margolin, James Montgomery, Tracy Nelson, Johnny Nicholas, Christine Ohlman, Lee Oskar, Jerry Portnoy, Duke Robillard, Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, Toni Lynn Washington and more.

Beautiful dark, mysterious concept that infiltrates your brain.

The release ‘Outsiders’, consists of nine new songs and, for the first time as Ledfoot, it sees him accompanied by a full band for a record that operates on a wider musical spectrum, albeit one still rooted in his 12-string sound. Ledfoot himself once again demonstrates his excellent songwriting and unique storytelling skills via vocal performances packed with all the requisite integrity and authority. The album title itself is also no coincidence; a collection of songs about people living on the edge, each in different ways relates the story of an outsider, those who might find themselves lost and ultimately dealt a dud hand in their life’s story, but at the same time unwilling to accept defeat without a fight.

For this new 'On The Dancefloor With', Bear Family Records rightly focuses on Jack Hammer. Jack Hammer was not only a talented rock 'n' roll artist in 1956, but he also composed the vast majority of his songs. Gradually the music evolved and so did Jack. The twist was coming and Hammer was there too, just like later with the emerging soul. He proved that he already had the necessary skills as a composer by writing the hit 'Great Balls Of Fire' together with Otis Blackwell. It wasn't until he moved to Europe in the early sixties that Jack started scoring hits. The Belgian Ronnex label signed him, so that the new dance 'The Wiggle', created from Jack's mind, received the necessary airplay in Belgium and became a hit. In Europe he managed to build an impressive career and was even crowned as the 'European king of twist'. He performed in America, England, France, Germany and of course in Belgium. In Belgium in 1962 he even recorded a currently hard to find song with the then young Jo Leemans, the celebrated singer, actress and TV personality. That was the wonderful 'Twist Talk' and can also be found on this compilation, just like the live recordings Jack made with the combo of Paul Würges and the orchestra of Max Greger, with whom he recorded 'Die Schöne Lola', a translation of 'Be-Bop-A-Lula' in the studios of the German television channel ZDF. Jack Hammer could also be humorous. This is evidenced by the previously unreleased 'Earth Cousins', which he recorded together with Tony Middleton, member of the doo-wop group The Five Willows. Song in which fragments of the current hits can be heard, including 'Great Balls Of Fire'.
The 32 tracks paint a beautiful picture of the talent and impressive career of Jack Hammer, from his musical start as a rock 'n' roll artist to his later soul singer.
In addition to beautiful and rare photos and illustrations, the 36-page booklet contains a detailed biography, as well as a carefully compiled discography.
Jack Hammer died in Oakland, California on April 8, 2016 at the age of 90.

An Apulian polyphonic vision on literature, tradition, folk and saga.  Four voices with an immense creativity.

Lonely Mission is the 11th album by Canadian indie musician Jake Nicoll. The title refers to both the title track of the album and to the time of the album’s creation - deep in the dark lonely depths of the pandemic. Stranded on his family farm for that first year of lockdowns and outbreaks, Jake assembled himself a studio in a cabin, built himself a number of vintage styled tube preamps, microphones and compressors and nestled into his creative cocoon. With the snowy rolling hills and farm fields as a backdrop, Jake let his creativity wander; writing, recording and experimenting with a patience that only a locked-down pandemic world could grant to an artist. Having stepped out of the endless rush of touring, producing albums, and running a recording studio, Jake found himself thinking about the larger questions of life and the future of this warming planet.

Jesse Dayton also does what he has always been good at on his latest album. Dayton is a storyteller who also interprets the 'outlaw country' in his own way. He knows how to fuse country with Texas rockabilly and blues in a formidable way and then covers the resulting product with a layer of punk rock, but he also leaves room for evolution. Evolution that characterizes 'The Hard Way Blues' more than once. You can immediately hear this with class on the energetic opening track 'The Hard Way', where he mixes the rock 'n' roll from the seventies with powerful pop influences. 'Night Brain' starts off as a somewhat country blues, but when the guitar comes on stage, the song transforms into a power blues rocker. With the slower 'Talkin' Company Man Blues', Dayton presents a beautiful contemporary city blues, which is followed by the acoustic, changing tempo 'Baby's Long Gone'. Power blues later becomes the breeding ground for 'Navasota'. You get a wonderful example of Dayton's talent as a 'storyteller' in the 'Ballad Of Boyd Elder', a Texan who was adept at painting longhorn skulls. Truly impressive and emotional, Jesse tells the story of a Haitian immigrant in 'Esther Pearl' who assisted runaway slaves in the half of the 19th century. That Dayton can just as well conjure up a catchy love song, he shows in 'Angel In My Pocket'. 'Hunstville Prison Rodeo' reminds me a bit of Springsteen. The album closes with the hypnotic riff floating 'God Ain't Makin' No More Of It'.
Jesse Dayton has been shining in the Americana firmament for three decades. He proves that he wants to keep it that way with 'The Hard Way Blues', an album that shows his current position in music. Jesse Dayton has reinvented himself with this album.

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In the series 'Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight', Bear Family Records dedicates its next release to Bob Wills. Bob Wills was rightly given the title of 'King of Western Swing'. The label's careful selection includes Bob's recordings for Vocalion/Columbia and Kapp, Master, MGM and the Liberty labels in the period 1939 - 1963. Wills usually stuck to his pure Western Swing, but hillbilly boogies and rockabilly also grace this compilation. In addition to being the inventor of the Western Swing genre for his fans, Bob Wills was also the best fiddler and arranger. He also introduced the beat to the country genre. That made him the best 'dance band' in the South West at the time. This is not an exaggeration, because it is difficult to sit still while listening to this compilation. Naturally you will find classics such as the blues, 'Keep Knocking But You Can't Come In', which Bob initially played with his legendary partner Milton Brown in the Fort Worth Doughboys, 'Don't Be Afraid Of Your Age' and the influential mainly instrumental 'Twin Guitar Special' here. More mainly instrumental work comes later with 'Texas Drummer Boy'.
What is immediately noticeable when listening to this album is the intense enthusiasm that Bob put into his band The Texas Playboys, which ensured that the merging of ingredients from the various styles of American roots music went smoothly. The vocal work is also positive. Such as in 'Nothin' But The Best For My Baby', in which the lead vocals encounter vocal opposition. This also repeats itself in other songs with different vocalists. Wills clearly continues the bluesy tour in 'Trouble, Trouble Blues' in which the fiddle further enhances the blues feeling. Rockabilly then surfaces in 'So Let's Rock'.
As is a tradition at Bear Family Records, this album also contains a beautiful 34-page booklet compiled by Roland Heinrich Rumtreiber, containing not only a detailed biography, rare photos and illustrations, but also all information regarding the tracks.
For fans of Western Swing at first hand, with formidable fiddle and steel guitar parts, this edition is a simply a 'must have'.

Seth Lee Jones not only relishes his Oklahoma roots, but he actively nurtures them to ensure they remain real and relevant. His sophomore studio release, Tulsa Custom, reflects his strong work ethic, continually developing his unique playing style that complements his original material and fresh interpretations of covers. 

The West Indies, the Bermudas, Cuba and thousands of small islands spread across the Caribbean Sea, along which Columbus reached the new continent. In the 1920s, the Caribbean emerged as an attractive stopping place for tourists. The vibrant nightlife on islands such as Antigua and Quadaloupe also attracted an audience of gangsters and smugglers. The Latin rhythm, characterized by African drums and percussion, conquered the world in the late 1920s. Congas and their exciting rhythms were also part of the blues and rhythm and blues in the forties and fifties. In short, the casual, cheerful and inviting sound that originated in the Caribbean still forms the perfect soundtrack for summer parties today.
The KokoMojo label collected 28 tracks that immediately immerse you in the Latin atmosphere. You immediately get a taste of this with the opener, the instrumental 'Ojai' by Joe Lutcher and his orchestra. Song that connects rhythm & blues with Latin rhythms. If you want to get even more into the sultry Latin atmosphere, 'Geechie Goomie' by Marga Benitez will undoubtedly take care of that. Every big band in half of the last century had one or more Latin songs in their repertoire. So, the big bands are clearly present on this compilation. This also includes the famous Dave Bartholomew and his orchestra. Bartholomew is featured three times, namely with 'Cat Music', 'Messy Bessy' and 'Carnival Day'. Songs that he links perfectly to New Orleans rhythm & blues.
Nat King Cole also immersed himself in the relaxing genre in the beautiful 'Bang Bang Boogie', just like Joe Liggins, who serves the summery 'Hey Mama' together with his Honeydrippers. Things get really hot with 'I Come From Jamaica' by Chris Powell & his Blue Flames. The hypnotic percussion also gives the instrumental 'Teen Flip' by Ernie Fields' orchestra that typical Latin feel. You will experience a more than sublime example of the mix between rhumba and blues in 'The Rhumba Blues' by Skeets Tolbert and orchestra. This also applies to 'Harlem Rhumbain' The Blues' by Oran 'Hot Lips' Page. The fact is that Latin feels like a fish in water when the genre is mixed with American influences. This also happens in 'Going Back To New Orleans' by Ellis Slow Walsh.
Artists from the Caribbean region who were brought up with the Latin sound are also present here. A first time with The Talbot Brothers of Bermuda with 'Bermuda's Buggy Ride', in which Latin is subtly interwoven with an American sound. Cyril Diaz follows later with 'Voodoo'.
Rose Mitchell shows how you can give a classic like 'Baby Please Don't Go' an exotic touch. Formidable verzien! Blues grandmaster and guitar legend T-Bone Walker can close. He also fell for the Latin rhythm in 'The Plain Old Down Home Blues'.
With summer on the horizon, summer bars and cocktail parties are coming again. Let 'Shake It! Rhythm and Blues gone Caribbean' accompany you there with a summery sultry Latin sound. 'You won't regret it!'

Johnny Burgin often travels without a band and discovers new and fruitful collaborations along the way. The album 'Ramblin' From Coast To Coast' is the result of eleven original blues tracks. Registered en route, from Dallas via Cincinnati, Rochester NY and Memphis TN. Because Burgin was recording from Coast To Coast, so nineteen musicians were used. The Chicago blues is alive and well with artists like Johnny Burgin...

Keeping in spirit with his predecessor troubadouring minstrels, Keegan has spent the better part of the last two decades traversing the roads, wildernesses, and cities of the Old World and New, weaving the resulting experiences and observations together with varied influences from folk, country, and the blues to create an original and evolving tapestry of story-driven American roots music.  

With a strong batch of original songs rooted in blues and southern rock traditions, Standing Out Loud builds upon the momentum created by his critically acclaimed solo releases of recent years. “Teaming up with Ruf Records for this album feels like a natural and perfect fit for the progression of my career,” says the California native. With ‘Standing Out Loud’ (his 11th solo record), Greene set out to create an honest, no-nonsense record that recalls the spirit of his favorite music from the 1960s and 70s.

The 'Black Pearls' series is almost complete, because with 'Let's Have Some Fun' we have already reached the ninth volume. It is best to take the title of this volume literally, because there is a lot of beautiful music to listen to. Jesse Thomas and his orchestra open the list with the swinging title track. Mahalia Jackson was not only an impressive artist but also had a nose for talent. That's how she discovered Johnny Sellers, who brought him to Chicago. You can hear Sellers here with 'Heavyweight Mama', a beautiful rhythm & blues song. The fact that Big Duke got his inspiration from Big Joe Turner is clearly noticeable in 'Baby Beat It', which is bursting with Turner influences and yet he could not achieve commercial success. Another person influenced by shouter Turner was Allen Thomas. Listen to 'Blowing My Horn' and then you will know. Blanche Thomas' 'You Ain't So Much A Much' reminds me of Big Mama Thornton. George 'Mr. Blues’ Jackson provides a fine example of New Orleans rhythm & blues with 'Hold Me'. Jimmy Nolen made his mark as a guitarist in the bands of Johnny Otis and James Brown. He was a member of the latter for almost twenty years. He proves that he can also be enjoyed as a solo artist in 'I Can't Stand You No More'. Peppermint Harris had a number 1 hit with 'I Got Loaded'. The 'Hey Little Schoolgirl' recorded here will undoubtedly also sound familiar to you. Mr. Bear, real name Teddy McRae, was not only a bandleader and composer, but also a renowned saxophonist who worked with Chick Webb, Lionel Hampton, Ella Fitzgerald and Champion Jack Dupree, among others. He made solo recordings, including the exciting 'Mr. Bear Comes To Town' was one. Sublime guitar work undoubtedly characterizes 'Sleepwalkin' Woman' by Smilin Joe. Completely unknown to me is Dorothea Fleming. Perhaps the fantastic rhythm & blues 'I'm Glad You're Leaving' was on the only single she ever recorded. Other unknowns who grace this album are Carl Matthews and Fercy Welch, who serve tasteful rhythm & blues with 'Big Man' and 'Back Door Man' respectively. H-Bomb Ferguson is well known, who you get here with the jump blues 'She Don't Want Me'. Little Sylvia collaborated with guitar legend Mickey Baker. Together they had a huge hit in 1956 with 'Love Is Strange'. She would later find herself in the spotlight as the founder and CEO of the hip-hop label Sugar Hill Records. Here you can hear her in the somewhat jazzy sounding 'Drive Daddy'. Ray Charles had his first hit with 'Mary Ann'. The song was about Mary Ann Fisher, who came into contact with Charles as a dish washer and started touring with him as a vocalist from 1955 to 1958. Not surprising when you hear what a singer she was on 'Wild As You Can Be'. Roy Brown was an inspiration to many such as B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Elvis, Jackie Wilson and Little Richard. Hear Brown at work here in the rather rare 'She's Gone Too Long'. The bridge between post-war blues and the legendary Tamla Motown sound was pianist Joe Weaver. In Motown's early years, Weaver was also heard on many of their recordings. Weaver also worked with legends such as John Lee Hooker and Marvin Gaye. Here you get Weaver with the instrumental 'Too Hot To Trot' with which the album also closes.
Just like the previously released volumes in the 'Black Pearls' series, volume 9 is also one to cherish. It should be clear by now that this series is full of excellent rhythm & blues. You probably won't know many of these songs, but the motto 'unknown is unloved' applies here more than once.

‘Bloodier Than Blood’ is a reference to H4H’s deep family ties and connection to one another starting from the womb to the now. Bandmates intertwined for life, like the roots and limbs of an everlasting oak tree, these songs, the tight-knit family harmonies, this unbreakable bond, can be felt and heard through body, mind and spirit. Joyful, moving, humorous, thought provoking, ‘Bloodier Than Blood’ takes you on a colorful journey through life’s rich pallet.

Melding the talents of songwriter/vocalist/harmonica master Rick Estrin, wildly unpredictable guitar genius Kid Andersen, keyboard giant Lorenzo Farrell and drummer extraordinaire Derrick “D’Mar” Martin, the Nightcats have delivered another album of instantly memorable songs and startlingly great performances. All but two songs are originals, ranging from the most danceable tune you ever heard about drug addiction, to serious slow blues, to hard-charging rockers, to streetwise (and sometimes hilarious) songs, and the album closes with a dreamlike excursion into the crazed consciousness of the Nightcats. And, as a surprise to their hordes of fans (and the Alligator staff), Rick and the band created a bluesified version of Leonard Cohen’s Everybody Knows!

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Steve Dawson has announced the release of his latest album ‘Ghosts’ on Pravda Records on 14th June 2024. The album’s ten songs were largely written between 2017 and 2023, and combine “intimate confessions and tightly constructed narratives where there are no clear answers to violent changes. 

Bart Moore writes songs and plays a unique and eccentric brand of Folk and acoustic music, rendered from his home in the back country of south-central Michigan.  He plays live and live streams often and is available for just about anything other than children’s birthday parties.  

‘Wanderer’ is the long-awaited new solo album from Canadian singer-songwriter Ruth Moody, founding and current member of Billboard charting and JUNO award winning folk trio, The Wailin' Jennys. Recorded at Sound Emporium in Nashville, the self-penned album was co-produced by Moody and Dan Knobler Her first release since the acclaimed 2013 album ‘These Wilder Things’ and her celebrated collaborations with Mark Knopfler, ‘Wanderer’ is a transcendent collection of ten deeply powerful and personal songs that reflect Moody's inner world and wanderings. 

A Treehouse Wait is a Stockholm based band, centered around the songwriter and singer Jenny Wahlström. The music could be described as indieacoustic pop with strong melodies, and has a wish to make the listener be amazed by the beautiful and large in life.

Beaux Gris Gris And The Apocalypse is a Californian band fronted by Greta Valenti, aka Beaux Gris Gris on lead vocals and percussion. The second supporter of the group is guitarist Robin Davey, known from The Hoax. For the other members, the duo draws from a collective of musicians, so the composition of the band is not always the same. For the recording of this album, the pair called on Stephen Mildwater and Chris Cunningham both on bass, Sam Robertson on keys and Tom Rasulo on drums and percussion. Guest musicians were hired for the horn section. The band's repertoire is difficult to pigeonhole. New Orleans is certainly a source of inspiration, just like blues, soul, folk and rock. With 'Hot Nostalgia Radio' the group is already on their third album. It contains 14 tracks, all by Greta and Robin. Energetic and heavy rocking, Beaux Gris Gris and The Apocalypse start with 'Oh Yeah!', where Greta's vocals immediately grab you by the scruff of the neck and Robin provides sublime guitar work. The tone is immediately set for the rest of the album. The band continues blues rocking with dedication with 'Wild Woman' and 'Satisfy Your Queen'. In 'Middle Of The Night' the horns provide a funky touch and on 'Sad When I'm Dancing' it is a bit quieter, while for a sublime blues ballad you can go to 'All I Could Do Was Cry'. Song that highlights Greta's enormous empathy in a song. She also shows this in the soulful 'The Runaway', 'Don't Let Go' and 'Penny Paid Rockstar'. A touch of folk characterizes 'Harder To Breathe'. The album closes with the zydeco-radiating 'Mama Cray'.
'Hot Nostalgia Radio' convincingly showcases the versatility of Beaux Gris Gris and The Apocalypse, both in the heavier and quieter work. One to keep an eye on!