​André has created his own musical brand infused with soul, roots, blues, and R&B.  Using an eclectic combination of instruments, he creates a musical story that becomes the soundtrack for his lyrics. Since first taking to the stage at age 15, André’s love and dedication has always been to the live show.  Combining his powerhouse vocals with a group of world class musicians, André makes it a priority to always give the audience an exciting, intense, and memorable musical experience.  The connection between the musicians, the song, and the audience is always the ultimate goal. 

​Very mature folk music with storytelling and emotional polyphonic songs.  A relief in these turbulent days.  Tip: Play it a little bit harder than normal to enjoy the soft instrumental details.

Jason Ricci is one of the best and most imitated blues harmonica players of the 21st century. What defines Jason Ricci as an artist is the fearlessness with which he approaches his instrument and music and transmutes the hardships we all face into unforgettable music. Behind the Veil was produced by Jason Ricci and Tony Daigle and recorded at Dockside Studio, Maurice, Louisiana. The band is Jason Ricci – diatonic and chord harmonica, vocals, and backup vocals; Ricci’s wife Kaitlin Dibble – vocals and backup vocals; Brent Johnson – guitar and backup vocals; Jack Joshua – double bass, electric bass, vocals, and backup vocals; and John Perkins – drums and backup vocals. Special guests include Joe Krown – piano and Hammond B3 organ (tracks 2, 8, 12); Gulf Coast labelmate Joanna Connor – guitar (track 10) and Lauren Mitchell – backup vocals.

Danny Bryant is a British blues guitarist and singer-songwriter who has toured all over the world.  One of the most prolific and celebrated blues-rock artists in the UK, Danny Bryant is to release a brand new album - 'Rise' - on 29 September through Jazzhaus Records. His 13th album, it is Danny at his dynamic best - his distinctive guitar once again complementing his gravel-tone vocal that exudes with the raw emotion this new body of work intended. 'Rise' follows the release of his critically acclaimed 2021 album 'Rage To Survive' which Blues Matters! Magazine described as ... everything I part with money for and this will be played and played and Classic Rock Magazine noted Danny's true blues-rock credentials by describing it as ... new songs with blues-rock provenance. Written by Danny (with the exception of the Bob Dylan cover 'I Want You') and co-produced with Ian Dowling, 'Rise', like all twelve albums previous, further deepens Danny's authority as one of the leaders in British blues-rock proving his genuine authenticity.

Jesse Stone, also known under the pseudonym Charles Calhoun, did more for music than is generally known. As the only black artist, he was for a while on the payroll of the Ahmet Ertugun-led Atlantic Record Company. Because of this he probably left that label. Not only did Stone largely model rhythm & blues, but he was also an important person who was closely involved in the development and evolution of rock 'n' roll. His greatest achievement is always mentioned as 'Shake, Rattle And Roll', which he wrote as Charles Calhoun for Big Joe Turner. Considering that Bill Haley made the song famous worldwide, this certainly makes sense commercially. But as this compilation in the 'Koko Mojo Songwriter Series' shows, there are still a considerable number of rocking rhythm & blues hits on Stone’s of Calhoun's list of achievements. In addition to a number of songs that he recorded under these two names, this album also provides a nice insight into the songs he wrote for big names in rhythm & blues. We find a number of them on this compilation, such as Lucky Millinder, Joe Turner, Ruth Brown, LaVern Baker, The Drifters and Jimmy Witherspoon. 'Get It While You Can', recorded under his own name, is the first track reserved for Stone. Song that puts Stone's strict rhythm & blues side in the spotlight. Later he appears again with the only instrumental song on this album, namely 'Tall And Short'. You can hear that his songs could be performed by a full orchestra without any problem in 'The Jumpin' Jack' by Lucky Millinder with John Greer as vocalist. Big Joe Turner scored with the general public with of course 'Shake, Rattle And Roll', but also with 'Lipstick, Powder And Paint' and 'Flip, Flop and Fly'. You will find these three songs here and on the latter you can even hear Jesse at the piano. From The Drifters this album contains 'Bip Bam' and 'Gotta Get Myself A Woman'. On the first, Johnny Moore takes care of the tenor lead vocals. On the second song, Clyde McPhatter does that. 'Dead Broke' by The Du Droppers opens the door for rock 'n' roll, just like Ruth Brown's 'As Long As I'm Moving'. LaVern Baker, with her powerful voice, later serves up a wonderful rocking rhythm & blues with 'You Better Stop'. Al Jones, the brother of Billie Jean Jones, in turn the ex of Hank Williams and the widow of Johnny Horton, surprises twice. The first time with the penetrating 'Mad, Mad World' and the second time with 'Why Can't We Get Along', which clearly bears the traces of rock 'n' roll. Jimmy Witherspoon was a well-known artist in the jump and blues genre. Convince yourself of this during the rocking 'All Right Miss Moore' that he recorded with Stone's orchestra in 1957. A little later you get pure rock 'n' roll from Billy Williams with 'Red Hot Love', as well as from Ray Scott with 'Silk Satin And Lace' and 'We Need Love'. Ray also recorded as Walter Spriggs. He can also be heard in that guise with 'I Pawned Everything'. He was also part of the doo-wop group The Five Echoes. His love for the genre is still clearly evident.
You get beautiful harmony vocals from The Eagle-Aires and the a cappella 'Money Honey'. Vocally, The Cues also shine in the uptempo 'Why' and 'Crazy, Crazy Party', The Cookies with 'My Lover' and The Flyers, one of the many Drifters line-ups with 'On Bended Knee' as well as Buddy Wilkins in ' Private Eye'.
Jesse Stone died at the age of 97 on April 1, 1999 in Altamonte Springs, Florida.
In addition to all possible information about the tracks, the liner notes also contain Jesse Stone's musical bio, his relationship with Atlantic Records and information about his 'cross over' recordings.
This compilation makes it clear what a gifted singer/songwriter Jesse Stone was. Not only did he have a nose for quality, but he also managed to produce a number of 'all-time hits'. And you still haven't heard everything, because in the 'Koko Mojo Spotlight Series' the label also has a 'Spotlight On Jesse Stone' planned. To be continued!

“This album is a short lifetime in the making,” says Kingfish. “I’ve long had an interest in recording a live album and I finally felt the timing was right. Not only do I have a deeper catalogue of music to choose from, but I also have been extensively touring with my band. Both of which truly made recording a live album smooth. Sprinkle in the opportunity to perform in a city I love, it’s all a no-brainer and something that makes me deeply proud.”

B.B. and The Blues Shacks are among the top German blues bands. They have proven their craftsmanship several times, both on their studio albums and on their live recordings. The 3 CD box 'Breaking Point', released in 2021, offered a nice overview of the evolution that the band has undergone in their 30 years of existence. Fortunately, new material from them is being released again with 'Lonesome In The Moonlight'. Guitarist and singer Andreas Arlt, singer and harmonica player Michael Arlt, Henning Hauerken on upright bass, Fabian Fritz on keys and accordion and Andre Werkmeister on drums and percussion, are assisted by guest musicians Tom Müller on sax and Simon Hartl on trumpet. The album contains 14 tracks, half of which are their own songs and we can only applaud that. The gentlemen open with 'I Go To Bed With A Worry' by Chick Morris. A great rhythm & blues that in the hands of B.B. and The Blues Shacks gets a serious upgrade due to the wonderful performances of guitarist and singer Andreas Arlt and the guest hornplayers, as well as Fabian Fritz on organ, who plays somewhat in the background. With its successor, 'That's A Lie', borrowed from Ray Charles, the mix of rhythm & blues and soul makes its debut, on which Fabian's piano takes center stage and Michael Arlt blows his blues harp. We encounter the first original song with 'I Told My Eyes', on which the band develops their swing side with verve. What a formidable song that also proves that B.B. and The Blues Shacks master composing with verve. This is also reflected in 'Steppin' Stone', which is bursting with high-quality contemporary soul and certainly in the bluesy 'Dead Notes'. In this latter song, the creativity on Andreas' six strings is once again expressed, with a style that makes us think at the great B.B. King. Andreas shows this again in King's famous 'I've Got Papers On You, Baby'. The fact that composers Andreas and Michael can convey any style with class in their songs is demonstrated in the rocking 'Feed The Flame', which is given a light zydeco touch by Fabian's accordion. And we haven't heard everything yet. With the original 'What You Mean' the band presents an exceptional 'old school' jump and swing song, with Andreas and Fabian in top form. The gentlemen slow down a bit in the emotional 'More To Life Than This', an example how contemporary blues should sound like.
With 'Lonesome In The Moonlight' B.B. and The Blues Shacks have released an album that can effortlessly compete with the productions of their American colleagues. The excellent instrument control, the formidable original compositions and Andreas' excellent voice for the genre make this album one that deserves a place in my end-of-year list. Enjoy!

The Groove Krewe is Denver’s hottest funk unit. This is a mixture of gumbo and funky originals with a heavy dose of New Orleans, classic 70’s funk and disco, rock, jams, soul and beyond. Jonathon “Boogie” Long is the ultimate example of pure talent and musicianship. His powerful and meaningful lyrics, breathtaking guitar riffs, and a dynamic vocal range well beyond his years, have made his live show a fan favorite at music festivals and venues all over the world. 

​Let’s not talk but walk to the dancefloor.  Beats and grooves from the other side of the ocean turn you over in sweat and happiness. Great vibes so let’s party!

Popa Chubby and the Beast Band bring heavy blues rock on new double CD live best of set on Gulf Coast Records. The veteran blues-rocker produced and mixed this Gulf Coast Records label debut, a double-CD that constitutes something of a reunion for the man. He collaborates here with his all-star Beast Band on a nineteen song. 

The release marks Erja Lyytinen’s fourth live album, and follows ‘Songs from the Road’, ‘Live in London’, and ‘Lockdown Live.’ The new album is the first concert release from the gifted guitarist to capture the post-Covid live experience. ‘Diamonds on the Road’ was recorded towards the end of the Spring tour in March 2023. The band played ten shows in a row, of which eight were sold out. The band had a good flow going, and the songs were rolling nicely. Lyytinen’s musical pallet is vast, encompassing the very best of contemporary blues-rock whilst inspired and influenced by the blues greats of yore. 

It is a fact that Halloween is the time for record labels to release music adapted for this purpose. You could recently read the review of the album 'Hallowscream!3' released by the Atomicat label for this occasion on this site. The Koko Mojo label also makes a point of serving up a Halloween soundtrack with 'Horror Show'. Compiler Little Victor, aka The 'Mojo' Man, has put together 28 tracks that will make you shudder and tremble. Instrumentally we start straight away with The Ernie Freeman Combo and the 'Theme From Igor'. What follows is a super soulful rhythm & blues song by Betty Lavett and 'Witchcraft In The Air'. You can also expect exciting rocking rhythm & blues from 'Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde', by The Emersons. You might not immediately expect it from Louis Armstrong, but he also enjoys Halloween with 'Spooks'. Who fitted 'horror' like a well-fitting suit is John Zacherle. As a TV presenter of horror films, he enjoyed success in America in the fifties and sixties. Here he does it singing in 'Dinner With Drac Pt.1'. A penetrating blues harp sets off Bobby Garrett's rhythm & blues 'Vampire'. Harmonica is also the main instrument in the instrumental 'Terror' by The Bees. You can count 'I Know What Happened To Baby Jane' by Bent Forcep & The Patients as more of a popcorn item. Faye Adams had a mega hit in the fifties with 'Shake A Hand', but 'The Hammer (Keeps A Knockin')’ is also a great rhythm & blues song. A blues artist through and through was Lightnin' Hopkins. He remains faithful to the blues genre, and also note the fantastic guitar work, in the tormented 'Cemetery Blues'. Another blues legend is John Lee Hooker. In his well-known personal style, only accompanying himself on guitar, he also performs 'Graveyard Blues'. Luke Jones will later close the album with a song that has the same title, but is a completely different one. Johnny Thunder goes on a more rock 'n' roll tour in 'Horror Show'. Subdued bluesy with a somewhat jazzy touch, Georgia White continues in 'Dean Man's Blues'. That style is also contained in 'Graveyard Disposition' by Gatemouth Moore. Billy Ward and His Dominoes later provide a major slow soul in 'The Bells', including sublime work on the saxophone. Special and also humorous is the spoken 'The Mummy' by Bob McFadden and Dor.
For beautiful harmony singing you can go to The DelVikings and The Moroccos, with 'Voodoo Man' and 'The Hex' respectively. And The Elites also deliver beautiful vocal performances in 'Jack The Ripper', just like Edwin And Alvin in 'Shiverin' & Shakin''.
As you can see, 'Horror Show' again offers wonderful rhythm & blues, blues, soul and rock 'n' roll to spice up your Halloween period. Enjoy!

The release 'In Wording' is a conceptual experimental instrumental guitar rock/post-rock album with fourteen original compositions. Admirably handsome!

The sophomore release from award winning drummer Jim Casson's funky musical adventure "Davis Hall & The Green Lanterns". The sound is funky, rootsy, quirky and fun. There is a lot of laughter on this album. 

​Halloween is approaching again. Time for the labels to surprise us once again with songs that contain the unknown, unfamiliar and therefore somewhat fearful. The subtitle of this volume is 'Planetary Run', which means you can expect a selection of intergalactic rock songs. The first to get into their flying saucer are Eddie Cletro and His Round Up Boys with the appropriate 'Flyin' Saucer Boogie', a delicious boogie from 1952 that also contains some country influences due to the use of steel guitar. Jan Amber may only have two singles for the Cleff-Tone label to her name, but 'The Little Martian', set off by a sax solo, is certainly not bad. More top-level female rock 'n' roll will come later with Bonnie Lou and 'Friction Heat'. The Belgian The Jokers also grace this compilation. The Jokers stood for sublime spacy guitar parts. With this they also frame 'The Daughter Of The Moon', which was on the flip side of their surf version of Duke Ellington's 'Caravan'. E 'Tiny' Watkins recorded gospel, blues and soul throughout his career. His 'Rockin' Satellite' has a high rhythm & blues content. Bill Carlisle, brother of Cliff Carlisle, slows down a bit in the 'Tiny Space Man', which features excellent guitar, and also sounds a bit poppy. The Chaperones then provide some nice doo-wop with 'The Man From The Moon'. You will find harmony vocals of the same caliber in the also rocking 'Oh! Moon' by Ferrell Brothers with Terry and Ann. A nice dose of blues, including a beautiful guitar solo, contains 'Satellite Rock' by The Rebelaires featuring Sammy Smith. You get a previously unpublished song from Rayburn Anthony and 'Rocketship To Mars'. Later Rayburn returns with 'Mr. Moon', which you hear here without overdubs. Joe Bennett and The Sparkletones show that straight-ahead rocking works well for them in 'Rocket'. On the other side Georgia Jim proves that country and hillbilly match perfectly in 'Flyin Saucer Baby' from 1957. A very nice rocker is certainly 'Satellite Rock' by Joe Tate and The Hi Five, who sought inspiration for the song at the launch of Sputnik by the Russians in 1957. New Zealand certainly did not produce inferior rock songs. Ron Halls with Donna Reid and The Pic-Tones testify to this with 'Satellite', which also scores as a duet. Gary (U.S.) Bonds would go on to build a successful musical career. You can hear that he had talent in 'Trip To The Moon', which he recorded for the Legrand label in 1961 at the age of 22. If you know that Buck Trail co-wrote Moon Mullican's 'Seven Nights To Rock', then you know you can expect quality. You can convince yourself of this with 'Knocked Out Joint On Mars', which also came from his pen. High time for an instrumental. The Busters serve this up with 'Astronaut's', in which sax and guitar alternately take the lead. More interesting instrumental work comes with 'Man In Space' by The Vigliantes. They released the song shortly after Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space.
In the fifties and early sixties the race to discover space was in full bloom. This inspired many artists. Composer Mark Armstrong provided a formidable selection from this range for this 'Hallowscream! 3'. And also note the once again beautiful cover by the master illustrator Henrique San. Wonderful compilation!