Headed by Catalano and Bell, “Set Me Free” also features Tom Vaitsas on piano, Kurt Lubbe on drums, and Aaron Mitter on bass. It is the Great American blues songbook, covering standards like “The Sky is Crying,” “Every Day I Have the Blues,” and Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Help Me.” Each cut is done in a more traditional blues style, with Bell’s vocals sounding silky, but also commanding and heartfelt. Catalano’s solos are soulful and precise, holding back what could have been a volcanic torrent of bebop notes in favor of sharing the spotlight with Bell’s vocals and guitar and Vaitsas’ piano.

The annual holiday is coming to an end. For many, a new school year awaits, while others are saying goodbye to the school gates for good and are looking for a suitable job. Whatever situation you are in, it doesn't matter much, because the German Bear Family Records has once again bundled 32 formidable tracks on the second volume of 'School House Rock'. Tracks in the most diverse music genres that make you look back on the past holiday, guide you to the new school year or to your first job. Rocking and rolling, Mack Vickery moves through 'High School Blues', yearning for the holiday. Gary U.S. Bonds is also happy that the school year is over. His 'School Is Out' is also the ideal party song to celebrate this. Soulful rhythm & blues can be expected a little later from Hank Ballard & The Midnighters. For straightforward rockabilly, you should skip to Miss Georgia and her beautiful 'Rockin' After School'. The Hollywood Playboys give 'Ding! Dong!' School Is Out’ the end of the school year again a wonderful doo-wop feeling. Connie Francis’ ‘Vacation’ will undoubtedly sound familiar. Another legend who is present here is Chuck Berry. He keeps it rather quiet in the bluesy ‘Vacation Time’. More famous people pass by with Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps during ‘Walkin’ Home From School’. Personally, I am a huge fan of Smiley Lewis. Glad that he also got a place here with the powerful ‘School Days Are Back Again’ and certainly with the sublime work on the six strings. Later The Coasters also pass by with their inseparable ‘Charlie Brown’. He gets an answer in ‘Charlie Brown Got Expelled’ by Joe Tex and his X Class Mates. Dale Hawkins’ version of ‘Back To School Blues’ is also beautiful. It is a more commercial version of Mack Vickery’s ‘High School Blues’, with which this album opens. Later ‘Vacation’s Over’ by Faron Young drifts more towards pop. One of the first pop stars in England was Adam Faith. Here he successfully works his way through Jerry Lee’s ‘High School Confidential’ and also note the great backing vocals and the excellent guitar work. For a tearjerker of size you have to go to John D. Loudermilk and his ‘Goin’ Away To School’. Blues is more the basis for ‘School Boy Blues’ by Bobby Mitchell and The Toppers. Another bluesy tune is also Timmie ‘Oh Yeah’ Rogers’ ‘Back To School Again’. A very special and extremely successful version of Chuck Berry’s ‘School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell)’ comes from Bob Cort Skiffle Group.
An obscure track, but a fantastic one comes with Bucky & Premieres. With ‘Summer School’ they present a beautiful example of garage rock. A voice drenched in echo makes Lou Josie’s ‘Vacation’s Over’ a super fine rocker. Legend Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five may close with ‘School Days’. The beautiful combination of lesser-known and well-known tracks makes this second volume of ‘School House Rock’ a success and more than worth purchasing.

Blame It On Eve is Shemekia’s ninth record on Alligator. It’s full of passionate performances and instantly memorable songs. Like her three previous albums—America’s Child, Uncivil War and Done Come Too Far—Blame It On Eve makes bold statements about today’s crucial topics—a woman’s control over her own body in the title track, the horrors of climate change in Broken High Heels, and urban violence in Tough Mother. But Shemekia was determined not to cloak the album entirely in seriousness.

Some critics label our music as blues, others as absolute blues rock, even hinting at pub rock. Madcat’s Roughriders’ sound is framed by their diverse musical background. Yet they have one common admiration for blues legends and rock pioneers. Fortunately, that musical opus does not let itself be drummed into that often one-sided musical corner. Now there is the self-titled release, which is colored with twelve original songs. Whatever it may be, they play it with all here heart and soul! We already settle down on a front porch with Madcat’s Roughriders. Highly recommended! 

Spanky and Our Gang were among the most original American bands to emerge in the second half of the sixties, releasing four albums in four years’ time [1967-1970) and scoring three Top 20 hits at home – only to quickly disappear soon afterwards. And that’s a real shame.  They mixed folk, rock, ballads, jazz and blues to great effect, making the most of Spanky’s formidable voice – think Mama Cass – and sublime group harmonies. Their songs are full of humour, with the laid-back ‘Commercial’ telling the tale of a garbage man being saved from boredom thanks to a daily joint! Spanky and her Gang were a true sign of the times, with lots of peace and love mixed with critical comment on the conservative christian society, such as the ‘moral threat’ posed by sexuality and pool-tables in ‘Trouble’. When I first heard ‘5 Definitions of Love’, I couldn’t believe they were actually singing the definition of ‘love’ as listed in Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. But they did! I know no other band like them. Thanks are due to BGO Records for re-releasing the band’s four Mercury albums on two compact discs – re-mastered of course – augmented with a nice booklet.
Radio 68 will play two different selections on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 August from 11 a.m. till 11 p.m. GMT.

Finally, after two decades and dozens of recordings, we got to the place where it was time for my final Stony Plain record.  All this time, I knew we had to get back to the album we had started back in 2005. I knew those tracks were really strong, but until I listened to them again, I didn’t realize just how strong they really were.” On  Roll With Me, Robillard pays blazing tribute to Texas immortal Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown on “You Got Money” and the instrumental “Boogie Uproar;” legendary blues shouter Big Joe Turner on a piano-driven “Boogie Woogie Country Girl” and New Orleans kingpin Fats Domino on the rumba-rocking “Are You Going My Way.” There’s also a trio of Chicago blues classics from the respective songbooks of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Eddie Boyd. Duke’s vocals connect with the same power as his razor-sharp guitar (Chris Cote takes over at the mic for “Look What You’ve Done” and “You Got Money”). Duke invited some heavy hitters to back him up. Pianist Matt McCabe is on all but two tracks (those feature Bruce Bears), while bassist Marty Ballou and drummer Mark Teixeira keep the rhythm section cooking. Doug James and Rich Lataille are among the muscular saxophonists; Sugar Ray Norcia guests on harp for “Look What You’ve Done.” Duke cools the tempo down to lights-out level for an elegant “Give Me Back My Money,” but the title track sums the mood up: this album hurtles forward like a hard-charging midnight express.

The latest release in the ‘Destination’ series takes us to the exotic dream destination Bermuda, unattainable for many. This paradise also inspired songwriters and filmmakers. Bermuda is known for its subtropical and tropical climates and colorful coral reefs, in short, the ideal place where wonders and dreams become reality. No wonder Bermuda was a source of inspiration for songwriters, as is evident from the 25 songs on this compilation. You can expect sweet melodies on tropical exotic rhythms, such as Latin American rhythms, calypso, rhumba, mambo, chachacha and even a bit of rock-‘n-roll and hillbilly. The dreamy lyrics take you in your mind to sun-drenched golden beaches and clear blue water.
Prominently present on this album are the from the islands’ The Talbot Brothers, also known as The Talbot Brothers Of Bermuda. For the first time, they already put you in a holiday mood with the sweet ‘Sunset In Bermuda’. Later they return six more times with, among others, the light calypso on ‘Bermuda’s Still Paradise’. Vocal groups also visited Bermuda in a musical way. For example, there are The Imperials with the wonderfully beautiful ‘Bermuda Wonderful’. They are followed by The Del Vikings who travel doo-wop-style to ‘Down In Bermuda’. Ruth Wallis’ ‘Letter From Bermuda’ sounds rather light-footed and poppy. Hillbilly bopping, Marlon ‘Madman’ Mitchell works his way through ‘Bermuda Shorts’ a little later, with which he immediately draws attention to the ‘somewhat long shorts’. That piece of clothing is also the subject of the rocking ‘Bermudas’ by Big Jay Mercer with Joe Anderson and The Rovers. The Delroys sing about ‘Bermuda Shorts’ in a rocking doo-wop way. ‘Betty In Bermudas’ by The Dovells is a rather pleasantly crazy song with a cheerful Farfisa organ. For a cheerful summer instrumental, you can go to ‘Queen Of The Bermudas’ by David Dee and The Dons.
With a little help from her father, the then 16-year-old Cynthia Strother wrote the song ‘Bermuda’. Here you get the song in no less than 6 versions, so that the song is approached through a different musical genre each time.
The tour guide on duty is Roland H. Rumtreiber. He guides you through the summery-sounding tracks in the 20-page booklet.
Tips for a relaxing evening….! If necessary, put that beach chair in the living room, make sure there is a small amount of sand between your toes, open that parasol, put on your sunglasses, treat yourself to a delicious cocktail and….put ‘Destination Bermuda’ in your CD player, relax and enjoy. We bet you will want to do this again, again and………again!

“Live At Buddy Guy’s Legends” is Willie Buck’s fourth album on Delmark. First came “The Life I Love”, followed by “Cell Phone Man” and Delmark LLC’s kickoff blues release “Willie Buck Way”. An elder statesman of the Chicago Blues style, who has performed with everybody and knows everyone on the scene, Willie is one of the last standard bearers of the “old school” blues at its best. This album was recorded at Buddy Guy’s Legends, ground zero for this genre in Chicago, blues capital of the world. For the occasion, Willie brought his right-hand man of many years, guitarist Thaddeus Krolicki, to join the Delmark All-Stars consisting of some of the most experienced and respected performers of the Chicago tradition.
The DELMARK ALL-STARS is a band that showcases a legion of Chicago blues instrumentalists that have been present for years in the label’s catalogue. Some of the most talented guitarists, harmonicists, bassists, keyboardists and drummers, take turns performing with this emblematic ensemble. This album features an experienced and illustrious team among Delmark’s stars, perfectly adapted to play the “old school” blues that Willie loves so much.

In the rockabilly genre, Ronnie Self is one of those performers who provided the genre with brilliance with their raw and energetic vocals. Born on July 5, 1938, Self recorded in the fifties and early sixties for labels such as ABC Paramount, Columbia and Decca. Although Ronnie released fantastic singles, he could only force a place in the charts with ‘Bop-A-Lena’. Incomprehensible because in addition to this hit, songs such as ‘Pretty Bad Blues’, ‘Big Blon’ Baby, ‘You’re So Right For Me’, ‘Ain’t I’m A Dog’ and ‘Rocky Road Blues’ are also on build solid rockabilly foundations. You will get this and much more on this 33-track compilation. The early demos of ‘Grandma’s Rockin’’ and ‘Money Honey’ are also extremely interesting. During the opener ‘This Must Be The Place’, you immediately get to know Ronnie’s emerging raw voice. It gets even stronger in the follow-up ‘You’re So Right For Me’, where it really comes into its own, which will repeat itself often. Such as in the sublime ‘Petrified’, ‘Date Bait’ and ‘Ain’t I’m A Dog’. ‘My Own Kick Going’ then floats on a formidable jungle beat, after which ‘I Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere’ even taps into a bit of country. Rockabilly in its purest form can be found in ‘Big Fool’, while a nice honky tonk piano sets the beautiful ‘Black Night Blues’ on the right track.
But also in the slower numbers, such as in ‘Big Town’ and ‘Bless My Broken Heart’, Self effortlessly remains upright.
Ronnie Self was not only an impressive performer, but also a talented songwriter. You can already fully enjoy that on this compilation. But he also provided great material for colleagues. In that capacity he provided Brenda Lee with ‘I’m Sorry’, ‘Sweet Nothin’s’ and ‘Everybody Loves Me But You’.
Self struggled with an alcohol addiction, which sometimes made him violent. He died on 28 August 1981.
Traditionally, you will find all the information about Ronnie Self and the tracks in the booklet. Booklet that once again contains beautiful photos and illustrations.
‘Ronnie Self Rocks’ is full of authentic, honest and raw rock-‘n-roll and rockabilly and provides proof that Self was undoubtedly one of the greatest in the genre. This compilation is therefore without a doubt a ‘must have’.

In her debut album titled "The Woman I Would Be," Emily delves deeply into the journey of heartbreak and growth that accompanies the loss of those you love. Written over the course of several years that included the passing of her father and brother, this album chronicles Emily’s navigation through grief, relationships, self reflection and new beginnings. Co-produced by renowned Chicago singer-songwriter Steve Dawson and her husband Alex Lee, "The Woman I Would Be" is more than just a collection of songs—it is a therapeutic labor of love.

Original Blues, Soul, and Rock & Roll band based out of Northern New Jersey. Powers rock music embodies the essence of his life. This is how rock music should always sound. Irresistible, danceable and everything in between. Highly recommended…! 

Album opener ‘Whirlpool’ is a blues strain that is colored with captivating harmonica. In addition to many acoustic Delta blues songs, the country-infused ‘The Wishing Game’, the cozy piano rockers ‘Rock It All Night’ and ‘No Mercy’ and the jazzy ‘Get Her Outa Yo Head’ provide some diversity. Great! 

Of course you remember Black Widow, if only because of their hit ‘Come to The Sabbat’, a most rhythmical affair with crescendo vocals and tons of threatening flute about Satan, switches, sabbats and naked virgins ready to be sacrificed – the ingredients their three-albums career were made of. Cherry Red presents re-mastered versions of all three albums, plus singles, excerpts from a German tv show, idem ditto of an Italian concert [poor sound quality], the entire 1969 album by Pesky Gee [the Leicester band that would evolve into the Widow], a few tracks from an aborted solo effort by Pesky Gee singer Kay Garret and the demo version of Black Widow’s first album, ‘Sacrifice’. In fact, “demo” is an understatement, as this is a finished product with enough differences in sound and approach to thrill any Widow fan.
Introducing a truly original approach to early prog – both theme- and sound-wise, the work of Black Widow stands as a fine example of a fully achieved unity between lyrics, atmosphere, sound and the central theme.
Radio 68  plays choice tracks from Sunday 18 till Wednesday 21 August in three different shows. 

Memphis Royal Brothers come from Clarksdale, Mississippi, a city in the Delta where the blues was born. A place where the blues had a baby, and which is called rock-‘n-roll. It would change the musical world forever. Their first goal of The Brothers was to create a distinctive sound from that Mississippi Delta blues, mixed with Memphis soul, R&B, Nashville country and a dash of rock. The Royal Brothers are one big spiritual family. Authentic Americana music, flowing from its roots. Ranging from cheerful party joy to poetic emotion over engaging soul spirituals.

The name Fish will probably ring a bell to many, as Amanda is the sister of Samantha Fish. Amanda's voice sounds just a little deeper, rougher and more powerful. Her rougher approach perfectly reflects the darker lyrics that drive these bluesy, often dark, introspective and indie sizzlers. With the album opener 'Mockingbird', Amanda immediately makes a statement. Fat slide guitar veils her gritty vocals! Highly recommended…

‘The Blues Remind Me’ is a new album by the LA-based band fronted by Kelly Zirbes, a folk singer-songwriter with a heart for the blues.  

With the 33 tracks on this album, all from the archives of the Starday label, we are already at volume 47 in the ‘That’ll Flat…Git It’ series. Starday was founded in Beaumont, Texas in June 1953. The owners were Jack Starns Jr. and Harold ‘Pappy’ Daily. The intention of both gentlemen was to make Starday a pure country label. Don Pierce soon came on board. After the departure of Starns Jr., the rockabilly genre emerged in the mid-fifties, from which Starday was eager to get a piece of the pie. They brought on board greats such as George Jones and Sleepy LaBeef, then still listed as Sleepy LaBeff. In addition to these two artists, well-known rockers such as Sonny Fisher and Link Davis also found shelter at Starday. Just as important, however, were the many recordings of unknown, often amateurish and obscure, but energetic talents, which the label released in the ‘Starday’s Custom Series’. For this series, amateurs could send in their home-made recordings and, for a fee, they would become the owners of 300 vinyls with their creations. This way, unknown but no less talented rockers got their money's worth. That these gentlemen produced exciting, energetic rock-'n-roll can be heard on the gems of Buddy Shaw, Larry Nolen, Hal Payne, Arnold Parker and The Southernairs and Lou Walker, among others.
Rocky Bill Ford ran a barbershop, but that he was also a talented rocker is shown in the first track 'Have You Seen Mabel'. Bill Ford is immediately followed by the well-known Sonny Fisher with the excellent rockabilly song 'Sneaky Pete'. Sonny returns later with 'Little Red Wagon'. The then still called Sleepy LaBeff, gets to shine for the first time in the previously unreleased 'I Ain't Gonna Take It' and in the closing song 'I'm Through'. Wonderful rockabilly, including excellent guitar and piano work, comes with ‘Don’t Sweep That Dirt On Me’ by Buddy Shaw. A recording that was released in the aforementioned ‘Starday’s Custom Series’ was ‘King Of The Ducktail Cats’ by Larry Nolen & His Bandits. Formidable rocking Western Swing! George Jones became known earlier as a country artist. However, rockabilly also suited him like a glove. You can hear that here in ‘How Come It’ that he recorded as Thumper Jones. Jones was not the only country artist who recorded rockabilly. That also applied to Leon Payne, who recorded the excellent ‘That Ain’t It’ as Rock Rogers. Another Payne provides a dose of honky tonk, namely Hal Payne in ‘Honky Tonk Stomp’. Vernon Wray was the older brother of Link Wray. His typical guitar sound can also be heard in ‘Teenage Cutie’ and the other Wray, namely Doug, was on the drums. Steel guitar and fiddle give Bill Mack’s ‘It’s Saturday Night’ a country vibe in addition to rockabilly. Link Davis was not one to stick to one genre. Link started as a country fiddler, then switched to Cajun and finally shone as a tenor saxophonist on several legendary rock-‘n-roll songs, including ‘Chantilly Lace’ by The Big Bopper and ‘Runnig Bear’ by Johnny Preston. Under his own name, he recorded the original ‘Sixteen Chicks’ and ‘Don’t Big Shot Me’ for Starday. Top-notch rockabilly, on which he also presents a nice piece of sax solo. If you like excellent vocal work, then ‘My Blackbirds Are Bluebirds Now’ by Sleepy Jeffers and The Davis Twins is definitely recommended. Blues influences can be found in Jimmy Johnson’s ‘Woman Love’.
Bill Dahl once again provides you with all the information about the artists and tracks in the 37-page booklet.
It should be clear by now that if you want to add the hottest rockabilly of The Lone Star State to your collection, the 47th volume in the ‘That’ll Flat…Git It!’ series is more than worth its money.

Toronto-based powerhouse Bywater Call delivers a compelling blend of Southern rock, blues, and soul in their new album Shepherd, set to be released on August 9th. The seven-piece band, featuring Meghan Parnell’s commanding vocals, Dave Barnes’ dynamic guitar work, and a robust brass section, offers a rich musical experience that spans ten tracks.

Mick Kolassa has been a blues fan most of his life – all kinds of blues. His previous albums have all contained a few subgenres of blues, but in this album, his 15th blues, he wanted to include as many as he could – the result is the aptly named ‘All Kinds Of Blues’

Lots of sun and a water dominated by high waves form the ideal setting for surfers. In pimped cars, Californian surfers went to the coast in the sixties. The water and the waves were spectacular, but also involved risks that sometimes changed the surfing pleasure. However, to enjoy the music genre associated with this sport, namely ‘Surf Beat’, you do not necessarily have to brave the high waves on a surfboard. After all, the clean, twangy guitar sounds specific to this instrumental genre, floating on a nice percussion, are also very danceable. The term ‘surf beat’ only really became popular in 1961 when Dick Dale & The Del-Tones scored a huge hit with the song of the same name. That song ‘Surf Beat’ may also start this compilation. Not by Dick Dale, but in the otherwise excellent version by Aki Aleong and The Nobles. Dick Dale & The Del-Tones will be featured later with the equally well-known ‘Misirlou Twist’. More well-known artists will follow later with Duane Eddy, The Ventures and Jan and Dean. This compilation contains no less than 33 tracks, full of magnificent guitar work, often reinforced with sax. Guitar parts that float on a rhythmic percussion, symbolizing the waves, on which the surfers show their agility and control. The sound of the waves appropriately introduces ‘Tidal Wave’ by The Challengers. They will return later during ‘Pipeline ‘65’. The previously mentioned pimped cars also included hot rods. The musical mix of these vehicles and surfing inspired The Super Stocks, who are present here with no less than 4 numbers. Lead guitarist on these tracks is the well-known producer Richie Podolor, who has worked with Steppenwolf and Three Dog Night, among others. One of the cornerstones of surf music was ‘Pipeline’, released in 1962 by The Chantays. Here the group is present with ‘Tragic Wind’, which contains all the ingredients of ‘Pipeline’, including the electric piano. As far as instrumental guitar numbers are concerned, the British The Shadows were no strangers. Here you get the version of one of their songs, namely ‘Driftin’’, by the Danish The Go-Getters. An odd one out, although a very tasty one, are The Nocturnes, who had a complete horn section. The formidable result of this can be heard in ‘Baha-Ree-Ba!’. The very first recording of ‘Dardanella’ goes back to 1919. It was also the first album to sell more than 3 million copies. In 1961 The Raiders recorded an extremely successful version of it. The musicians on this version are unknown, but it is quite possible that Leon Russell was behind the piano. More than formidable work on the six strings can be expected during ‘Rumble Bee’ by The New Dimensions. Dave Myers and The Surftones certainly sound different, due to the piano, in ‘King’s Surf’, although the band could not force a big breakthrough. The Crossfires, who are present here with ‘Inferno’, were able to force a breakthrough. When they changed their name, they scored several times. How then, you may ask? Well, they became The Turtles and who does not know ‘Happy Together’? Al Casey was a much sought-after session guitarist and played long before surf music came into being. You hear him twice, namely in ‘Surfin’ Blues Part 1’ and then in ‘Part 2’. Despite Al’s excellent guitar parts, it was not a hit and here you can definitely hear Leon Russell on keyboards. An obscure and extremely rare recording comes with ‘Thunderbeat’ by The Thundermen. It was their only 45 tour by the way. What a stunningly beautiful song! Jan & Dean may close with ‘Something A Little Bit Different’ and you can take that title literally, because in addition to a spoken intro by Jan Berry, the song also contains shouted interventions from the audience.
‘Surf Beat!’ is an album that gives you a summery good feeling. Whether or not sun and water can charm you, it doesn’t matter. What is certain is that the 33 tracks on this album will definitely get you in their grip. 

Kid is widely known in the blues world as a guitarist and producer -he and his catalog have been nominated for the Blues Music Awards dozens of times. Lisa is GREASELAND’ s not-so-secret weapon. Her voice can be heard on hundreds of recordings, -a versatile, but signature sound of the studio. They own the gear, but the inner source of the magic they bottle there is love. The love of the music, the artists, the huge community of musicians that are drawn to them, as they love each other. To watch them work together is witnessing telepathy. It’s Lisa & Kid Andersen’s time to shine !

Little Village is thrilled to announce the brand new recording from the blue eyed soul & blues singer supreme, BILLY PRICE!  This Blues Music Award winning veteran singer/songwriter/bandleader and all around great guy has released 20 albums over his illustrious career, and as you’ll hear, you’ll agree with us that this is his best yet! Take a look at this all-star band that brought these 13 amazing original Billy Price songs to life, all, produced by our friend, Grammy (and BMA) award producer/drummer Tony Braunagel