As we have often shown in previous reviews, a pollination of American roots genres took place regularly. The result of this was that on the one hand artists who were linked to one genre tried to reach a wider audience through it and on the other hand this pollination often resulted in very nice songs.
The Atomicat label puts the fusion of rock-‘n-roll, rockabilly and country in the spotlight on its new series ‘Rockin’ Country Style’. On the first volume we are already introduced to 33 tracks that contain influences from the aforementioned genres. We get a nice example of this right away with opener ‘Rock And Roll Country Boy’ by Curley Millikin & The Sundowners, with beautiful vocal work and excellent guitar and piano playing. The country influences are even clearer through the use of the lap steel in the successor, Billy Walker’s ‘Whirlpool’. The fiddle provides the country feeling in ‘Walk Off And Leave It’ by Sonny Sims. More delicious fiddle awaits you later in the rocking ‘Rattle Snakin’ Daddy’ by Boots Woodall and his Radio Wranglers. ‘Bird Dog’ was a hit for The Everly Brothers. Here you get a version of Half Brothers, which is quite close to the version of Don and Phil. The song was written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. This duo was also responsible for ‘Crazy Dream’ by Eddy Arnold. A great uptempo number, which Eddy unfortunately could not cash in on, because he was no longer the age of the record-buying teenagers. Artists also influenced each other. In ‘Wham Bam’ by Dave Edge, you can clearly hear the influence of George Jones. It is a fact that acetate recordings often contain endearing songs. This is once again clear in ‘Johnny Vagabond’ by Ned Miller, which is now released by Atomicat. The oldest recording on this compilation dates from 1947, namely ‘Something Within Me (Is Telling On You)’ by Buffalo Johnson. Number that, like the other tracks, also has a superior sound quality. Artists do not always go all out for a musical career. Too bad because 'That'll Be Love' by Glenn Reeves is a formidable number. Reeves emerged as a family man rather than an artist. Big 4 Hits was a budget label for which artists recorded covers of well-known hits. That this does not always have to be in a negative light certainly applies to 'Hepcat Baby' by Jim Fair. Anita Carter was one of the Carter sisters. She can rock and she clearly shows it on 'He's A Real Gone Guy', originally a piano rocking rhythm & blues by Nellie Lutcher. Another number that belonged to rhythm & blues is the often covered 'Hound Dog' by Big Mama Thornton. A very nice country version is given here by Billy Starr. A nice and especially humorous version comes with 'Chew Tobacco Rag' by Spade Cooley. He ended his musical career by murdering his wife, after which prison became his new residence. ‘California Blues’ has already been performed by Jimmie Rodgers and Webb Pierce. Unknown but certainly not inferior is the version by the virtually unknown Charlie Duke. Ferlin Husky scored a country hit with Jean Shepard with ‘A Dear John Letter’. Under his alter ego Simon Crum he rocked on ‘Stand Up, Sit Down, Shut Your Mouth’. ‘Cry, Cry, Cry’ is immediately associated with Johnny Cash. Texas Bill Strength recorded the song two months after Cash in a more country-sounding version. Another high-flyer on this album is certainly the more rockabilly-leaning ‘Easy Money’ by James O’Gwynn.
A swinging instrumental piano boogie is served by Moon Mullican with ‘Country Boogie’. Blues are interwoven in Mitchell Torak’s ‘No Money Down’, originally by Chuck Berry. ‘Sale Of Broken Hearts’ by Johnny Bond is reminiscent of Johnny Cash in terms of structure and performing. A great duet comes with ‘Hillbilly Wedding’ by Shorty Long & Dolly Dimple.
The surprises on this album come from artists whose identity is unknown. But that ‘I’m Tired Of Honky Tonkin’’, in the style of Lefty Frizzell, is an impressive song, is a fact. The other song by an unknown artist is the country boogie ‘Stop Look And Listen’.
With ‘Rockin’ Country Style’, Atomicat can once again add a qualitatively excellent series to its list of achievements. We can already announce that the second volume in this series will be released in September. Definitely something to look forward to!

Suzy Thompson has an unusually deep mastery of the whole gamut of Southern old-time music, from prewar acoustic blues to Louisiana Cajun-Creole to old-time fiddle tunes, especially the kind that have a ragtime or blues feel.  In 2025, she has released a new album, "Suzy Sings Siebel" in which she displays her powerful skills as a song interpreter, with ten songs by the great 1970s songwriter Paul Siebel. 

V&BT is a Norwegian band that was founded in 2016 with the collective goal of creating a good live atmosphere on small local stages. This self-produced album, which will be released on the independent record label Roller Records, is a mixture of songs that can be categorized as blues, bluesrock and popmusic. 

The great thing about series like ‘Boss Black Instrumentals’ is that you get a detailed picture of a certain genre, in this case instrumental rhythm & blues. The big names in the genre, such as ‘Hide Away’ by Freddy King, are well-known, but many instrumental numbers within rhythm & blues remained under the radar. Numbers by famous artists, but also by artists who often had to be satisfied with local success. This mix of well-known, lesser-known, and often obscure talent also populates the fifth volume in this series. Volume that was given the title ‘Ginger Snap’, borrowed from the song of the same name by The Exotics. Billy And The King Bees may give the starting signal with ‘Susie Q’, originally by swamp rocker Dale Hawkins, which does very well in an instrumental version. Buddy Lucas was an American saxophonist, who actually gained more fame through his performances on the harmonica. You can witness this on the slow blues ‘Show Down’. Harmonica is also the main instrument on the energetic ‘Braggin’’ by The Temps. Another talented harmonica player was Whispering Smith. He worked with Lightnin’ Slim and Silas Hogan, among others. That he was capable of great things on the small instrument, you can heir on ‘Harmonica Twist’. More harmonica can be discovered on ‘Slipping In’ by Lee Walker, as well as on ‘Red River Shuffle’ by Haze Hart. Pianist Jimmy McCracklin was mainly active in West Coast blues and jump blues. Especially this last style is expressed in ‘Trottin’’. The palmares of saxophonist / trumpeter Herb Hardesty is impressive. Not only because of his collaboration with Fats Domino, but also with the orchestras of Duke Ellington and Count Basie. On ‘The Chicken Twist’ you don’t hear Herb on one of his favorite instruments, but he did start his musical career as a musician on the double bass…..! Surfsound on harmonica may sound strange to you. But it is possible, just listen to ‘Honky’ by The Ho-Dads. Really cool songs with the sax in the lead role are certainly ‘In The Dog House’ by The Mack Johnson Combo and the party-infused ‘Rooty Tooty’ by Lionel Torrance. You can certainly add the more than 5-minute long ‘How About It’ by Big Bo Thomas to that. Big Bo will return later, this time together with his Arrows for ‘Big Bo’s Twist’. Where better to go for a portion of jungle beat than with the master himself, of course Bo Diddley with ‘The Twister’. Googie Rene was a well-known American musician, orchestra leader and songwriter. You can hear him on the piano on ‘Rowdy Dowdy’. Blues guitarist and singer Jimmy Reed provided many now classic blues numbers. That he was also a virtuoso on the harmonica can be heard on ‘Boogie In The Dark’. Another legendary artist is without a doubt B.B. King, here present on ‘Don’t Touch’ in his recognizable guitar style.
The fifth volume in the ‘Boss Black Instrumentals’ series is again full of energetic and danceable rhythm & blues instrumental work. It is series like this that you can not only enjoy, but that also send you on a discovery.

Emma Wilson is a dynamic soulful singer who now pays tribute to Willie Dixon on her new LP. No one is as closely associated with the blues genre as Dixon and friends. With his back catalogue of timeless classics, often performed by the most iconic blues musicians, Dixon's compositions still form the essence of the most creative and soulful blues tracks. Emma Wilson Wilson recorded six Dixon songs, including four well-known classics and two songs to discover. Highly recommended! 

A mystical guitar man from a bygone era, David M'ore arrived to L.A in the early 90's committed to alter the musical scene. Club goers and musicians begin to talk about the new kid with the virtuoso aggressive guitar style, raspy vocals, and his high energy fueled Blues-Rock tunes.

In the review of the fifth volume in the ‘Jive-A-Rama’ series we already mentioned that the fifth volume in the ‘Bop-A-Rama’ series would soon be released. Well, it has already happened and a review is therefore necessary.
Traditionally, you will once again get 28 tracks from the middle of the previous century, supplemented with two contemporary tracks from the Rhythm Bomb archives. These two tracks come from the Australian Chrome Daddies with ‘Cattin’ Around’ and B and The Bops from Ukraine with ‘Crazy Over You’. We start with Johnny Taylor and the rocking rhythm & blues ‘Mixed Up Rhythm & Blues’, including a beautiful piece on the steel guitar. Taylor is followed by the pure rock-‘n-roll of Dick Bills and his ‘Rockin’ And A Rollin’’. A fun fact is that Bills was the uncle of Glenn Campbell, who even worked with Dick in his early days. With John Lee Hooker and Loneseme Sundown, the blues legends announce themselves. Hooker is present with ‘How Can You Do It’, a boogie in his well-known style. Second guitarist on this recording from 1951 is Little Eddie Kirkland. Sundown became especially famous for his Excello recordings. He also recorded the catchy ‘I’m A Mojo Man’ for that label. Also note that beautiful piece of solo on the blues harp. Lightnin’ Slim also comes from the blues, who scores boogie-wise here with ‘Love Me Mama’. Tom James was originally a country artist. That he could just as well put down a cool rockabilly, he shows on ‘Hey Baby’. Country, by means of fiddle and lap steel, was also injected by Curtis Gordon in the beautiful ‘I’d Do It For You’. There are artists that little is known about. One of them is Steve Shuma. For his ‘Thunder Lightnin’’ ‘unknown is unloved’ certainly applies, because the man delivers an impressive rockabilly song, in which the guitar somewhat nods to the recordings of Johnny Cash. That guitarist would be Bob Scott. That roots genres can easily be mixed is also evident from ‘Opal Lee’ by Earl Scott. Scott, a country artist who presents an excellent boppin’ beat here. Country can also be found in ‘One Dead Man Ago’ by Jimmie Skinner. A song that was produced by Ray Stevens, who also recorded under his own name. Curley Griffin wrote songs for Carl Perkins, among others. The ‘You Gotta Play Fair’ presented here also flowed from his pen. You can also hear Perkins’ style in it. Nice tempo changes come to the surface in the super cool ‘It’s A Great Big Day’ by Derrell Felts. With his falsetto voice and ukulele, Tiny Tim scored his world-famous hit ‘Tiptoe Through The Tulips’ in 1968. Eight years earlier he recorded the ‘Teenage Lover’ that can be heard here. Talk about a world of difference! When a music genre is very hot, artists from other genres often try to jump on that train. For example, Jimmy Swan, who operates in country, recorded ‘Country Cattin’’, a somewhat rockabilly number in the hope of gaining the approval of teenagers. Incidentally, Wayne Busby, an artist who used to belong to bluegrass, did the same. His trip towards rockabilly is certainly impressive with ‘Live Your Life With Care’. Straightforward rock-‘n-roll comes in the fiery sax-drenched ‘Hollywood Rock’ by Al Turnage. A song clearly modelled on Bo Diddley is ‘Arkansas Jane’ by The Millionaires. For a black artist who sounds more like a white person, we refer you to Nick Greene and ‘My Lovin’ Baby’.
Volume 5 in the ‘Bop-A-Rama’ effortlessly maintains the high quality level of the previously released four volumes. A series to continue following, that’s for sure!

With his new album ‘Collapse’ JoosTVD wrote, played and produced an album that begs to become a concept album.  Rise and shine Joost!

D.K. Harrell has become a sensation in the blues world. The Louisiana native was unknown only a couple of years ago and since then has played to great enthusiasm on festival stages all over the world, wowing crowds with the confidence and skill of a seasoned veteran. Talkin' Heavy hits a blues sweet spot in a free and invigorating new way.  It continually surprises with twelve instantly memorable original songs filled with Harrell’s biting guitar and authoritative, church-born vocals.  Produced by musician and studio wizard Christoffer "Kid" Andersen, the album reveals Harrell as a generational guitar talent with a wide-eyed vision and a street-smart singing style that bring life to his memorable original songs.

The band Sacromud guarantees swinging blues, soul, and so much more! It is a project of the ‘Italian blues master’ Maurizio Pugno. Musically they define as ‘Overground Blues’. Just like the project ‘Bluesland’, an "off-scale blues suite" was based on a secular prayer that speaks about exodus, about the sensuality of our weaknesses, about the sound of our footsteps and about the alienations of wandering spirits! Now the five seasoned musicians headed to the famed SUN Studio in Memphis, TN. Sent by ‘The Lord’, an unusual snowstorm, a session that was skipped due to force majeure, a chance meeting with sound engineer Daniel Crockett and five hours at their disposal. A mix that is more unique than rare and one of those opportunities that you rarely get twice in life. Memphis and his Sun Studio! And to think it all started in 2023 with a victory at the Italian Blues. The band opens with the soul and gospel inspired ‘The Mule’, to continue on the chosen path with the bluesy ‘Holy Day’ and the swinging soul caput ‘Symmetry’. The horn section is present in almost every song, and that sets the tone for that danceable. A subdued Hammond organ as an intro for the diffuse ‘Sticky Situation’, and then follows that heavy trombone bass line for songs as ‘The Hider & The Seeker’, ‘Pray For Me’ is a rare blues ballad to round off with the soul track (Extra) ‘Ordinary Day’. The release ‘The Sun Experience’ is Sacromud’s logbook.

Volume 50 in the ‘That’ll Flat…Git It!’ series is the fifth, and also the last CD, that pays attention to the more than formidable recordings made by the Columbia label. No surprise that Bear Family Records is once again diving into the archives of this label. The gems are inexhaustible, as is once again evident from the 30 tracks brought together here. In addition to recordings by Columbia, you will also find a few songs that were released by sister labels Epic and OKeh. Once again, we see quite a few well-known artists in the track list. In addition, this CD also contains a number of lesser-known artists, who made wonderful recordings, but for one reason or another were unable to reach the general public. The rockabilly genre developed rapidly, which is why artists from the country also wanted to get a piece of its success. Naturally, they injected the genre with country influences. And you also get wonderful examples of this. We start with Link Wray, the king of distortion and the well-known instrumental ‘Raw-Hide’. Wray returns later with the bluesy ‘Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby’, one of the rare songs where he also makes himself heard as a singer.
And Link is not the only well-known one. He is soon joined by Johnny Horton (present with three songs), The Collins Kids (twice) and Carl Perkins. Also present is Johnny Cash, who scored his first hit with Columbia with ‘What Do I Care’, after he left Sam Phillips.
A dynamic raw rocker, with razor-sharp guitar work is ‘Do Do Do’ by Ronnie Dawson, then still recording as Commonwealth Jones. Impressive, but also somewhat more commercial, sounds ‘Let Me Your Comb’ by Bernie Nee.
The influences of country are clearly audible in ‘Little Jimmy Dickens’ ‘Stinky Pass The Hat Around’, partly due to the nice piece of fiddle. Country also resonates in Charlie Adams’ ‘Cattin’ Around’ and ‘Sugar Diet’, as well as in ‘Case Of The Blues’ by Mel Tills, Lefty Frizzell’s ‘From An Angel To A Devil’, ‘There’s A Change In Me’ by Bill Phillips and in ‘The Little Rock Roll’ (with a nice harmonica) and ‘Lay It On The Line’ by Johnny Bond. Even more country is provided by ‘Hook, Line And Sinker’ by Gordon Terry and Carl Butler’s ‘Baby I’m A-Walkin’’.
Hillbilly influences are expressed in ‘Let Me Love You’ by The Maddox Brothers and Rose, while a touch of rhythm & blues can be heard in ‘A Looka – A Looka’ by Larry Hart. Doo-wop is part of ‘Party Pooper’ by Bobby Lord.
It must be said that the Columbia label was certainly not inferior to Sam Phillips’ Sun label in terms of quality rockabilly recordings. This compilation proves this once again with great aplomb.

Vanja Sky ‘Access All Areas Live’, as the title already suggests, Vanja Sky lets her fans completely immerse themselves. Vanja Sky and her excelent band with Guenter Haas, Johannes Hoffmann and her long-time bassist Artjom Feldtser present a live recording that captures the pure concert magic. The show is recorded in 2024 at a sold-out concert in Germany. One hour and a half, a fascinating document that once again makes you want to see Vanja Sky on stage. This live album is much more than just a collection of songs, it is a statement that celebrates the young Croatian. An exciting, versatile live album that captures Vanja's passion on stage. 

Warm and lovely album of a talented jazz singer.  But notice also the piano playing. Just beautiful as a whole!

​Sacromud has been one of the best and most interesting realities of the blues landscape for several years. Italian virtuosity, the project of ‘blues overground’ and ‘new place for the blues’. The double release ‘Gubbio To Memphis: Live At The Opera House, The Overground Suite’ is a live recording of the band at the Luca Ronconi Theater in Gubbio, Italy on December 9, 2023. The hometown of guitar virtuoso Maurizio Pugno. It is a blues-inspired project, with a number of songs that explicitly refer to the blues and related musical styles! Highly recommended… 

The artists who recorded energetic rock-‘n-roll and rockabilly also had a romantic side. This resulted in stirring, often emotionally charged ballads. Bear Family Records bundles 32 of these songs in this first volume, which spotlight the soft side of the fiery rockers. Songs that often served as a B-side or appeared on an album, but once they reached the fans, they unleashed a lot of sentiment in them. Successful country songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Gene Dunlap gets to start with his Jokers in ‘What Do I Want’. In this wonderful ballad with a voice drenched in echo, Gene immediately makes his wishes known. A little more tempo comes with Tracy Pendavis and The Swampers and ‘A Thousand Guitars’, with indeed nice clean work on the six strings. Sleepy LaBeef is present as Tommy La Beff with ‘Lonely’, a song that perfectly highlights his impressive and immediately recognizable voice. Ronnie Self had talent to spare, but due to his rather destructive behavior, he only managed to enter the charts once, namely with ‘Bop-A-Lena’. Here you get the cool ‘I Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere’, the flip side of that single. Ronnie is followed by another Ronnie, namely Hawkins with ‘Someone Like You’, which also uses great backing vocals. As a young man, Sanford Clark was influenced by the work of Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell. He also managed to get a song from the now famous Lee Hazlewood for the minimalistic performed ‘A Cheat’ that can be heard here. This song certainly contributed to the illustrious career that Lee would later build up as a composer and producer. If anyone can create a catchy ballad, it is country artist Patsy Cline. She certainly does so convincingly in ‘Walkin’ After Midnight’. An artist who, like so many others, left us far too early is Ritchie Valens. Fortunately, there were still some of his recordings on the shelf. You could always expect quality from him, just like here in ‘We Belong Together’, a tearjerker of size. Unfortunately, Ric Cartey could not cash in on his composition and original performance of ‘Young Love’. Sonny James did so. That Ric was a talented songwriter is clear from ‘Crying Good Bye’. Ricky Nelson became known to us mainly through his ‘Hello Mary Lou’. However, the man had much more up his sleeve. Just dive into his oeuvre for that. You can already get a foretaste with the formidable ‘Poor Little Fool’. For a dreamy instrumental with nice steel guitar, you should skip to ‘Sleep Walk’ by Santo & Johnny. With the delicious ‘More And More’, Tooter Boatman increases the tempo considerably. Number that contains a cool piano solo. A single with a double A side was ‘Love Me Tender’ by Elvis. On the other side and also on this compilation you get the equally hit-sensitive other side, namely ‘Anyway You Want Me (That’s How I Will Be)’. That same Elvis also had a great influence on Ral Donner’s singing style, as can be heard on ‘Turn Back The Clock’. Link Wray may have been the promoter of the ‘distortion sound’, but he had to leave the vocal qualities to brother Vernon Wray. He can be heard here as Ray Vernon on ‘I’ll Take Tomorrow (Today)’. The album ends in style with top-notch Carl Perkins and ‘Sure To Fall’.
With ‘Rock-A-Ballads’, vol. 1, Bear Family Records suggests that there will definitely be a sequel. For rockers who want to catch their breath or perhaps wallow in heartbreak, this album is the absolute soundtrack. Highly recommended!

Dark and haunting tales about love and nightlife with little musical fuss.  A mysterious album!

The ‘A-Rama’ series is already on its fifth volume. Volume 5 of ‘Jive-A-Rama’ has already been released and soon you can expect the fifth volumes of ‘Bop-A-Rama’ and ‘Stroll-A-Rama’. First up is ‘Jive-A-Rama’. Traditionally, you will once again get 30 tracks that boost the ‘jive feeling’ and make you long for the next party. It is always nice that the Atomicat label brings together well-known and unknown artists and songs on its compilations. Mind you, there is no compromise on quality. All tracks are without a doubt gems, whether you know them or not. Mark Cleary starts energetically with the authentic rocking ‘Bop-Cat Rock’, including surprising sax and guitar solos. Cleary is followed by Jack Moore and The Clefs with ‘Baby Don’t Cry’. A wonderfully poppy number with sublime backing vocals. The cheerful atmosphere is continued with Kimo Lee and ‘If You Don’t Like It, Don’t Knock It’. ‘Old Black Joe’ by Jerry Adams is a rocking song that also has a bit of country in it. Adams recorded the song with The Starlighters, which included J.J. Cale. Georgia Gibbs was originally a jazz singer. Surprisingly, she recorded a version of ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ at the age of 38. And, to be fair, she made a nice fiery cover of it. Country artist Billy Brown originally recorded the Wayne Walker composition ‘Lost Weekend’. As you can hear here, Cab Calloway made a catchy rhythm & blues version of it. Chubby Checker became world famous with his version of ‘The Twist’ by Hank Ballard. Here he works his way through ‘Dance-A-Long’ while jiving. A very nice song is the country-infused ‘Pin Ball Fever’ by Jack Toombs. A song that shows a great piano. Toombs started out as a DJ, but later emerged as a songwriter and musician. Country was also the genre in which Jimmy Lloyd was active. He also showed that he could record a great rocker in ‘You’re Gone Baby’. Even more country influences can be found in ‘I’ve Got The World By The Tail’ by Australian Kevin Shogog and also note the lovely background choir. A dose of humor is contained in ‘A Fish House Function’ by Emmy Oro and Her Rhythm Escorts. A timeless song is certainly ‘I Know That We’ In Love’ by Franny Boye. It is the flip side of Boye’s poppy cover of ‘Rock Around The Clock’. ‘Keep A Knockin’’ is a classic, but we bet you have never heard the song as energetic as in the version by Little Ronnie Sessions. ‘Shy Boy’ by George McCannon III sounds poppy and completely contemporary. A little later, Ronnie Summers provides a great rocker with ‘Salt And Pepper’, a song that would also have been released in Belgium and the Netherlands via the London label. I personally did not know the song, but which small record dealer would have dared to buy it at the time. Too bad, because it is a very good one. You certainly know ‘I’m Walkin’’ in the New Orleans style of Fats Domino. Paul Evans provides a more rocking version.
We would like to refer doo-wop lovers to ‘Shut Your Mouth’ by ​​The Eboniers, ‘Big Deal’ by The Skee Brothers, ‘Come On Baby’ by The Youngtones and ‘Why, Why, Why’ by Scott Stevens and The Cavaliers.
Traditionally, this volume also ends with a contemporary recording from the archives of Rhythm Bomb Records. This time, the Australian Chrome Daddies and their ‘Blackberry Boogie’ were chosen.
We can't say it enough, but the 'A-Rama' series consistently contains the very best recordings from the heyday of the genres. Add to that the excellent sound quality and the attractive covers by the artistic Henrique San and you know that these releases are more than worth it.

Is the Rev really dead? Well, in any case the latest double album of 19 songs is presented as a posthumous retrospective collection.  Including never heard before tracks, alternative takes, remixes, hidden gems and some amazing blues masterpieces done in the Rev’s distinct style - A Bluesman of Sorts indeed! It seems by all accounts the Rev is alive and well on this latest release. 

Johnny Rawls is a soul blues legend, with a career spanning more than fifty years. Produced by Jim Gaines, who unfortunately passed away last year, in his Bessie Blue studio in Stantonville, Tennessee, this was Gaines last album that he produced. Whether he's playing in a small club or a big festival, Johnny always brings the same energy to his performances. and that's exactly the same on this new release...So, make them dance!

With ‘Cooter Bug’, a song by Dave Hamilton, we are now at the fourth volume of the ‘Boss Black Instrumentals’ series. Naturally, you will find the song, namely as the 13th track, on this compilation. Most of the rocking rhythm & blues songs that managed to generate widespread fame, with a few exceptions, were sung songs. In the previous 3 releases in this series, we could already establish that the instrumental songs in the genre were by no means inferior to their vocal counterparts. This is once again evident from the 26 tracks collected on the fourth volume. As legendary well-known artists in rhythm & blues, the Kings are extremely well represented. Freddie King is present with ‘Sen-Sa-Shun’, ‘San-Ho-Zay’ and ‘The Stumble’ and Albert King is present with ‘Dyna Flow’. By the way, the three tracks by Freddie King all come from his album ‘Goes Surfin’’, album where his mega hit ‘Hide Away’ can also be found. The surf sound is therefore rightly reflected in these tracks. Each and every one of them is a high-quality song, but don’t be blinded by these famous names, because there is still a lot of work to enjoy by well-known and lesser-known artists. Opener is Earl Palmer. Palmer was a groundbreaking drummer, who can be heard on many well-known songs, such as on recordings by Fats Domino and Little Richard, to name but a few greats. He recorded a few songs under his own name, including the instrumental ‘Raunchy’, permeated with catchy sax, guitar and piano, a song from his 1961 album ‘Drumsville’. He later returns with ‘Teen Beat’, where you can convince yourself of Earl’s talent as a drummer. Super song! Longer instrumental songs used to be released as singles as part 1 on the A side and part 2 as the B side. This also applied to the rocking ‘Bloodhound’ by Willie Wright & The Sparklers. Here you get the 2 parts nicely presented one after the other in tracks 2 and 3 and also pay attention to those masterful sax. The slower bluesy ‘Slow Freight’ by the Bill Elliott Combo also consists of 2 parts and you also get to hear that nicely one after the other here. A song that conjures up a nice piece of guitar, especially in the second part. ‘Oasis’ by The Majestics also consists of two pieces. Both parts are nicely worked together in one track. Long John Hunter is no stranger to the blues world as a guitarist and composer. Here you hear him at work with his hit ‘El Paso Rock’. Ike Turner initially made many unforgettable songs together with his Kings Of Rhythm and later with Tina Turner. Here you get him in the lightning-fast ‘Doublemint’. When you think of Bo Diddley, the term ‘Diddley Beat’, also known as jungle beat, immediately comes to mind. On ‘Congo’ he takes a more versatile approach, resulting in a cool rocking rhythm & blues. Slim Harpo is known for his performances on the blues harp. This gave him many hits, which are still happily covered by blues artists today. You can hear the master himself here on the lazy ‘Snoopin’ Around’. James Brown would later become famous for his infectious funky sound. That the seeds of this were already sown in 1961, you can clearly hear in ‘Cross Firing’. Gus Jenkins reaped success as a pianist, composer and bandleader, both in blues and rhythm & blues. As a pianist you can hear him here together with his orchestra in ‘Cutting Out’. You already heard The Mighty Trojans in ‘Just About Daybreak’. They may also close with the rocking ‘Just Got Up’, an original number partly due to the use of a flute.
Sax is a frequently recurring instrument on this compilation. An instrument that lends itself particularly well to an exciting, scorching, party sound. Characteristics that also apply to ‘Cooter Bug’, the fourth part in the ‘Boss Black Instrumentals’ series. Fantastic album!

An electrifying tribute to legendary women in Blues music, recorded live for the Groove Now concert series in Basel Switzerland. Blues Music Award winning bassist/vocalist Lisa Mann leads an All-Star band from the Pacific NW, with acclaimed drummer Jimi Bott, fiery guitarists Ben Rice & Jason JT Thomas, and B3 master Louis “King Louie” Pain, joined by Oakland’s own Blues goddess Terrie Odabi.

Alan Arena’s new album ‘Deceived’ is his most classiest work. Arena had a chance to work with his friend and Grammy winning producer Paul Nelson fort his release. Highly recommended! 

With a limited 10” edition of 500 copies, the German Bear Family Records is ready for its next showpiece with ‘Ooh-Eee! What You Do To Me? Rockers And Country Boppers From Atlanta, Ga’. This vinyl edition contains 12 super tracks by young, enormously talented rockabilly artists. Recordings they made for the Stars, Inc. label from Atlanta, Georgia. The man to whom we owe these beautiful recordings is Bill Lowery. As a 16-year-old he started as a DJ and then managed a radio station, after which he settled in Atlanta in 1946. Lowery was a man of many talents. In addition to being a well-known DJ, he was also present in a morning country program and had his own music publishing company, where he scored his first two successes with ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ and ‘Young Love’. His label Stars, Inc., which had already ceased to exist at the end of 1957, he launched in 1955, in the heyday of the rockabilly. Although Jerry Reed did not record his own single for this label, he can be heard as a composer and guitarist on many of the recordings brought together here. Such as immediately on the opener and also the title track of this release. Jerry is listed as a songwriter, but can also be heard as a guitarist on both the version by Chuck Atha and this one by Ric Cartey, with which the second side opens. And it is clear that Jerry takes the songs to a higher level with his playing. The second track comes with Judy Tolbert and ‘I’m Wise To You Now’, on which you can once again hear magnificent guitar work, which is probably also by Reed. Reed is a common thread throughout this album. For example, he also composed the two instrumental parts of the bluesy ‘Rock Bottom’ by The Rockateers, on which Jerry shows an extremely beautiful piece of blues guitar. Pay also special attention to the second part, which is started with a nice honky tonk piano. For a portion of impressive ‘straightforward’ rockabilly you can go to The Night Hawks with ‘You’re My Baby’ and later on the second side with Cleve Warnock and his ‘My Baby Is Gone’. Warnock returns later with the poignant country-like ‘A Boy And A Guitar’. The first side closes with the country-inspired ‘Song Of The Singing Wind’ by Kenny Lee. A cheerful and well-voiced Billy Barton turns ‘Ten Wheels’ into an attractive trucker’s song. Each song radiates its own grooves. This certainly applies to the enormously emotional ‘Riding Shotgun (In A Hot Rod Car)’ by Danny Welch. Side two closes in genuine raw, rousing rockabilly style with Billy Brown’s ‘Did We Have A Party’.
As an extra, you also get a beautifully illustrated 10-page folder with all the information about the artists and the tracks.
That Bill Lowery had a nose for talent is evident from the 12 tracks that adorn this vinyl release. He would later tap into that talent at NRC Records.

British blues-rock sensation Joanne Shaw Taylor has announced the upcoming release of her highly anticipated 10th studio album, Black & Gold, arriving June 6th via Joe Bonamassa’s Journeyman Records. Reuniting with iconic producer Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, Journey, Joe Bonamassa), the album showcases Taylor’s bold creativity, blending blues-rock with influences from Americana, indie rock, and retro ‘80s pop. Black & Gold offers a captivating mix of heart-wrenching ballads and hard-hitting rock tracks that redefine the boundaries of blues music.