Best americana band from Denmark.  Strong recognizable songs with love, passion and humour performed. Love it!

Featured as "The Best New Contemporary Blues Band" combining elements of Traditional Blues, and Modern Blues. Cassius King and The Downtown Rulers has all the makings to keep the Blues tradition alive.

​Poetic and experimental album that makes you muse about life.  Great stuff!

The Blue Velvets is a German/Canadian trio consisting of guitarist and singer/songwriter Alistair Christl, Mario Wachsmann on drums and Ralph Sommer on upright bass. Alistair, who comes from Canada, is not only a gifted guitarist but also a more than excellent songwriter. Mario and Ralph, on the other hand, gained their experience in bands like Spo-Dee-O-Dee, The Rob Ryan Roadshow, The Lazy Boys, Rosis Rockets, Johnny Falstaff and John Lewis. A trio that is certainly not up to his test piece. The release of this album was preceded by the vinyl single 'Waiting For A Sign / I'm Her Man'. A single that made us very curious about the full album. Thanks to Patrik Staffansson, head of Enviken Records, the 11-track CD arrived in our mailbox. All songs are by Alistair Christl and that is the first plus. The two songs from the single are also on this album, which opens immediately with the title track. However, those are not the only advantages. First of all, the 11 original songs, which contain influences from country, rockabilly and rock 'n' roll, are of an extremely high level. The trio does not follow well-trodden paths, but consciously explores further, resulting in a complete and, above all, unique sound of its own. This unique sound can largely be attributed to Alistair's masterful string playing. Ralph and Mario roll out such a tight rhythm carpet on bass and drums, on which Alistair can play to his heart's content on his string board. And he does that with verve. His clean and twang sound immediately hits you. In addition, his talent and creativity ensure that his game is full of surprising twists. You immediately get a taste of this on the intro of 'Waiting For A Sign', a high-flyer in the rockabilly genre. You can also place 'I'm Her Man' in the same genre. For a nice intro by the rhythm section, go to 'Troubles Ahead', where the knowledgeable trio slows down a bit. All 11 songs are absolute hits, although we cannot hide our love for the wonderful groove-driven 'Joe Jobs'. Country is the undertone for 'Last Chance Saloon', after which creativity reigns supreme in the super melodic 'A Girl I Used To Know'. Wonderful song, with a guitar solo that Brian Setzer should be jealous of. The intro of 'Long For The Wild' creates an Eastern atmosphere, but nothing could be further from the truth, because the song turns out to be a pure rocker with Alistair in top vocal form. He proves once again that he can go high vocally in 'Amelia'. The Blue Velvets conclude in a rockabilly style with 'Little Jane May'.
We can certainly conclude by saying that The Blue Velvets have delivered a formidable and promising name tag for the future with this debut album. If you like sky-high quality, both in terms of songwriting and performance, then The Blue Velvets is your band. Recommended!

The debut album of soul singer Maiiah is also the third full-length by Hamburg collective Angels of Libra, following on from the success of their collaboration with Irish singer Nathan Johnston. Maiiah is a singer with roots in the Balkans but growing up in Düsseldorf, the city of the legendary Unique Club and the label of the same name. Soul left its mark on her early on, and when she met Hamburg producer, musician and composer Dennis Rux (Hamburg Spinners/Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Studios) during the pandemic, the two realized they shared a similar musical vision. The ingredients of Maiiah and the Angels of Libra's recipe are authentic lyrics, to the point arrangements, tight horns, rousing background vocals and the spirit of the golden age of soul music, as it was shaped by labels like Motown and Stax. 

With 'Let's Rock And Roll', the fifth volume in the 'Black Pearls' series, compiler Ronni Boysen lets us once again enjoy 28 gems of songs that black artists recorded around the middle of the last century. Once again, the names of some artists will not be unknown to you, but this compilation also contains artists you may have never even heard of. With Little Shy Ghy we immediately start with the title track, a wonderful blues with an impressive performance on the blues harp. With successor 'Kansas City Dog' by Little Cameron we move a bit towards Little Richard. The same Richard was clearly also a source of inspiration for Willie West in 'A Man Like Me'. Joe Hudson & His Rockin' Dukes came from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a region that produced a typical bluesy rocking sound. You also experience this in 'Oooh Wee Pretty Baby'. You can then listen to beautiful guitar work by Willie Johnson on 'Lazy Dizzy Daisy' by Mc Kinley Mitchell. V & BB serve up a wonderfully rocking duet on 'They Just Rockin' and Rollin''. 'Saturday Night Fish Fry' is a Louis Jordan classic. But as you hear the song here in a doo-wop rocking version of Blue Dots, you've probably never heard the song before. Well-known people will certainly come with Big Mama Thornton. You undoubtedly know some of her songs from her impressive repertoire. But are you also familiar with the 'call and response' 'Don't Talk Back'? The name H-Bomb Ferguson will certainly also ring a bell. You get a beautiful song in the 'blues shout' genre with the raw 'No Sackie Sack'. Little Miss Jessie sounds just as raw in the rhythm & blues song 'My Baby Has Gone'. This is also the sound of Frank Motley’s 'New Hound Dog', which clearly follows in the footsteps of 'Hound Dog'. Etta James called Jesse Belvin the best singer of her generation. Here Jesse delivers a pearl of a jump rocker with 'Deacon Dan Tucker'. The following 'Ain't That Right' by Marvin & Johnny clearly floats on a Diddley beat. That beat is also somewhat the undertone in Mel Smith's 'Pretty Plaid Skirt' and pay particular attention to the not bad percussion here. Sometimes you can't understand why an artist only recorded one single. This certainly applies to Big T-Tyler who delivers a perfectly rocking 'Sadie Green' here. You can count on Jimmy Lewis for sublime work on the six strings. Just listen to 'Last Night (I Was In Heaven)'. A little later, Rhythm & blues at top level brings Modest Showstopper Clifton with 'Reelin' & Rockin'', just like Eugene Isom & His Van Glorians Featuring William French in 'Hey, Hey Baby'. The Ike Turner Band has become synonymous with quality. Ike and his companions also ensure this on Willie King's 'Peg Leg Woman'. Classy Phillip Walker recorded with Clifton Chenier for Specialty at the age of 16. The list of artists Walker worked with is impressive. Some examples are Rosco Gordon, George Harmonica Smith and Eddie Taylor. On guitar, Walker creates a catchy instrumental song with 'Louisiana Walk'.
Just like the previous volumes in the 'Black Pearls' series, volume 5 is also a high-flyer. We are already looking forward to what the upcoming volumes in this series will offer us.

It’s been a journey so far and we are more than proud to keep on with our Originals series to bring you the best in contemporary Funk, Soul, and positive vibes, and be a spotlight for your listening pleasure. You will find artists you might never heard of before as well as renowned names of the international scene. Enjoy over 50 minutes of funky breaks, heavy organ sounds, sweet soul ballads, and dreamy grooves on one record. 

Dutch punk that at least gives the bandmembers a lot of fun.

'Sloppy Drunk' is the second release after 'Booze Party' to highlight the 90th anniversary of the end of Prohibition in America. The Rockers were featured on the album 'Booze Party' and now on the 29 tracks on 'Sloppy Drunk' it is up to the R & B Rockers. The album immediately starts with a song from 1946, namely 'They Raided The Joint' by Hot Lips Page. In addition to being a trumpet player, Page was also a band leader. Not surprising that 'They Raided The Joint' was included in a big band arrangement. A little big band then supports saxophonist Louis Jordan in the swinging rhythm & blues 'House Party'. More Louis Jordan, but in the version of Gay Crosse and His Good Humor Six, comes Gay's version of Jordan's 'Saturday Night Fish Fry', which perfectly describes the atmosphere of an exuberant house party. You hear Gay Crosse a second time in 'Swallow Dollow', which starts with a wonderful piano intro. Piano also introduces 'Hootie's Ignorant Oil' with a long intro. Jay McShann is on the black and white keys and Walter Brown is responsible for the vocals. Together they can also be heard on the title track of this compilation. 'Thunderbird' is a synonym for cheaper wine. It gave Dossie Terry a good feeling and that undoubtedly inspired him for the beautiful blues of the same name. You get a nice piece of 'shout blues' from Roy Brown and His Mighty-Mighty Men in 'Bar Room Blues'. After the death of the original Sonny Boy Williamson, Rice Miller took over his name. The original Sonny Boy graces this compilation twice. The first time with 'Bring Another Half A Pint' and then with 'Whiskey Head Blues', with Sonny Boy on the blues harp and Yank Rachell on mandolin. Two great blues songs! Rufus Thomas is no stranger to the world of thundering rhythm & blues. In 1950 he took over as Mr. Swing to the catchy 'Beer Bottle Boogie' together with the Bobby Platters Orchestra. 'Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee', originally by Stick McGhee, has been known in countless versions. Here you hear the version by Wynonie Harris who, like McGhee, recorded it in 1949. Wynonie can also end the album later with the energetic 'Down Boy Down'. Jimmy Lewis navigates strongly towards rock 'n' roll in 'Cherry Wine', the cause of the break in his relationship.
The Bel-Aires mix excellent doo-wop with rocking rhythm & blues in 'White Port & Lemon Juice'. This also applies to 'Empty Bottles' by The Robins, who would later record as The Coasters. In addition to doo-wop, 'Sweet Was The Wine' by Jerry Butler and The Impressions also contains a good dose of soul.
Beautiful harmony vocals are also present in 'Beer Barrel Boogie' by The Platters, just like the backing vocals do in 'Wine-O-Wine' by Willis 'Gator Tail' Jackson.
In short, 29 tracks that combine the very best of rocking rhythm & blues from the middle of the last century. If you also like brilliantly performing 'horn sections' then you will definitely enjoy 'Sloppy Drunk'.

After releasing a re-mastered 180g vinyl version of The Searchers’ second LP – ‘Sugar and Spice from 1963 – BGO Records applied the same treatment to their third 33rpm offering, 1964’s ‘It’s The Searchers’.  And this one too comes with four bonuses – When You Walk in The Room, What Have They Done To The Rain, Goodbye My Love and He’s Got No Love.
Melodies and harmonies is what The Searchers did best, think Jackie De Shannon’s ‘Needles and Pins’ or David & Bacharach’s ‘Empty Place’, but Merseybeat implies both fast rock and roll and – forgotten too often - the rhythm and blues that is too exclusively accredited to the Bluesboomers that came later. Just listen to their take on ‘Hi Heel Sneakers’ and ‘Gonna Send You Back to Georgia’.
A beautiful album and a beautiful product too. 

Wayne Cochran was born on May 10, 1939 in Georgia and died on November 21, 2017 in Florida. Wayne became known for his immense white pompadour hairstyle and for the song 'Last Kiss', the last song he wrote. He started as a young rocker, but later evolved into an impressive soul artist. He was influenced by Otis Redding and James Brown, among others. Two artists he could also count among his circle of friends. On this compilation you will also find the very first recording of 'These Arms Of Mine', written by Otis Redding. Cochran was widely regarded as the best white soul and rhythm & blues artist, earning him the title 'The White King Of Soul'. On this double CD, released by Bear Family Records, you get all the recordings that Wayne made in the period 1959 - 1966. In addition to the rare recordings on local labels, this double album also contains all the recordings he made for Chess, Mercury and King. Plus you get three exceptionally rare instrumental songs recorded by his band The Rocking Capris. Including the bonus tracks, this release contains 42 tracks. On the first CD, Wayne presents himself as a rocker of his time, where he effortlessly convinces in both the slower and uptempo songs. Wayne is completely immersed in his songs and when he comes out vocally raw, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Wayne Cochran simply deserved worldwide recognition.
The second CD starts with a soulful rhythm & blues version of 'The Coo', a song that can be heard in a rock 'n' roll version on the first CD. On this CD the sound becomes fuller due to the horn section, which fits better with the soulful. The influence of James Brown is clearly heard in Wayne's performance of 'Think'. 'You Let The Water Running' sounds extremely soulful, even with some gospel influences. The dynamics and intensity that Wayne puts into the Bob & Earl classic 'Harlem Shuffle', 'Somebody Please' and 'Get Down With It' is heavenly, which justifies his title 'The White King Of Soul'. In 'No Rest For The Wicked' Otis Redding nods approvingly from behind the corner.
The bonus tracks consist of 3 Cochran compositions, performed by Bobby Lee Smith, Alice Rozier and Richie Kall and 4 songs by Otis Redding. Three of them, including 'These Arms Of Mine' sung by him, supplemented with Buddy Leach's version of this song.
It also becomes clear that Wayne Cochran, in addition to being an excellent performer, also had a knack for writing formidable songs.
In the 35-page booklet, written by Bill Dahl, you receive an extensive biography in addition to beautiful photos and illustrations. 'The Bigger The Pompadour...' is a beautiful tribute to an artist who deserved more recognition than he received.

Turkish folk songs and own compositions in a very modern interpretation.  Creative and original world music indeed! 

Insects and spiders don't just scare a lot of people at Halloween. They scare many people at any time of the year. Insects and spiders won't scare you on this compilation released by Bear Family Records. On the contrary, the 28 songs on this album will make you enjoy it to the fullest. To such an extent that you can no longer imagine that these little animals make you run wild when you see them. The album contains 28 tracks, all of which were recorded between 1937 and 1966 and many of which are beautiful instrumentals. Once again, well-known artists are linked to lesser-known and perhaps even completely unknown names. We also start instrumentally with guitar wizard Buddy Merrill and 'Green Hornet Theme'. And successor 'Hornet's Nest' by Curtis Knight and The Squires also does without vocaal. The lead guitar here is played by Jimi Hendrix. Here you can already hear that he had an enormous talent on the six strings. When you think of a vibraphonist, Lionel Hampton's name immediately comes to mind. He once again demonstrates his skills on the vibraphone on the instrumental 'Buzzin' Around With The Bee', recorded in 1937 and the oldest recording here, but it has not lost any of its power. A lightning-fast piano forms the basis for Winifred Atwell's 'Bumble Boogie'. More interesting instrumental work is coming, including Martin Denny who draws attention to one of the most dangerous insects in 'Tsetse Fly' or The Nobles who instrumentally frame another dangerous individual in the guitar-driven 'Black Widow'. The 1955 American science fiction film 'Tarantula' inspired Bob Regan, Bruce Gist and The Invaders, The Tarantulas and The Storms for instrumental songs with the same title. You will find sultry and jazzy with 'The Web' by Abie 'Available' Baker. The Swing Kings serve up a portion of instrumental rock 'n' roll in 'The Bug', as well as Link Davis with 'Beate Bug'.
Twisting, Chubby Checker achieved great success. Here he discovers himself to a new dance, namely 'The Fly'. The conversation between 'The Spider And The Fly' by John Zacherley sounds funny. For a dose of rock 'n' roll you can go to Jack Hammer in 'Black Widow Spider Woman' and in terms of rockabilly, Gene Maltais works his way through 'The Bug'. Who still knows jazz guitarist Freddy Sunder? In the late 1950s and early 1960s he was part of the then BRT Orchestra conducted by Francis Bay. Here you hear Sunder in the catchy 'Cucaracha Boogie' from 1953. The insect Boll Weevil that could be found in cotton fields forms the basis for Brook Benton's spoken 'The Boll Weevil Song'.
Also inspiring vocal work comes, among others, from LaVern Baker and 'Godfather of Country' Hank Williams. In the 16-page booklet, with rare photos of artists and memorabilia, Marc Mittelacher guides you through all the tracks.
'Beware! Insects And Spiders!' will not scare you, but you will enjoy it all the more.

French jazzy chanson with influences from Sade and some Tracy Chapman.  Jazzy worldmusic that feels nice.

It is no longer a surprise that both blues and doo-wop are about emotions and that both genres have a link. You could already read that in the review of the first volume in the 'Blues Meets Doo-Wop' series, which you can read again here https://www.keysandchords.com/album-review-blog/various-artists- blues-meets-doo-wop-vol-1. What might surprise you is the fact that there are quite a few blues recordings that connect both genres. Compiler Little Victor filled the second volume with 28 tracks that will sound like heavenly music to the ears of both blues and doo-wop lovers. The album starts immediately with class leader Champion Jack Dupree. On 'Somebody Changed The Lock', a fine example of New Orleans blues, he leaves the polyphonic work to The Empires. Another well-known artist, namely Tampa Red, passes later with 'Since Baby Been Gone'. Legend Bo Diddley is also present. He is assisted by vocal group The Teardrops during 'I'm Sorry', a major tearjerker. Johnny Darrow presents a formidable version of Sonny Boy Williamson's 'Don't Start Me Talking'. For beautiful guitar work you can later visit The Evergreens and 'Guitar Player'. 'Reno Blues' is a formidable blues by The Big Three Trio, which takes center stage here as a doo-wop group. This also applies to The Royal Jokers in 'I Don't Like It That Much', after which Baby Washington delivers a truly compelling blues with 'Congratulations Honey'. Another beautiful blues comes with 'Walkin'' by Phil Flowers. Jimmy Witherspoon was a blues artist who made impression as both a shouter and a crooner. Here he can be heard with the rhythm & blues song 'My Girl Ivy'. A very clever doo-wop song comes with 'Bye Bye Baby Blues' by The Ravens, which swingingly heralds the arrival of rock 'n' roll. Clarence Gatemouth Brown was a multi-instrumentalist. In addition to being a guitarist, he also played the mandolin, harmonica, violin and drums. On 'Be Bop Baby' by The Peacheroos he serves as a guitarist. Due to the constant female laughter, 'Talking Trash' by The Marathons sounds rather hilarious. You can expect a good dose of sixties soul from Little Eddie Mint and his 'Bring Yourself Back Here'. Soul is also contained in the following track, 'Cryin' And Sighin'' by Manzie Harris. Blues-wise, The Five Breezes, with the help of blues legend Willie Dixon, can close the album with 'My Buddy Blues'.
This second volume once again shows that fantastic songs were recorded by blues artists with the help of doo-wop groups, as well as by doo-wop groups in the blues genre. 'Blues Meets Doo-Wop' is a series that serves you the best of both genres on a platter.