​​Groundbreaking and innovative tribal funk.  This is real world class and will set every stage on fire. The public will love it.  Not to be missed.

FreeWorld has long been a familiar face on and around Beale Street in Memphis. For almost four decades, they have been on stage and accompanied countless artists who visit the musical capital. The release ‘More Love’ is a true tribute to founding band member, jazz and blues saxophonist Dr. Herman Green, who performed with iconic names and historical associations from Rufus Thomas to B.B. King, Lionel Hampton and John Coltrane. Green had been a local fixture in jazz/improvisation groups for years, he passed away in 2020 at the age of ninety. The sound of FreeWorld goes from soul to funk, jazz, blues, reggae and gospel tunes. It is therefore an evolving formation, a multicultural groove of soulmates. “More Love” is FreeWorld's eighth album, it is a creative highlight in musical breadth and originality.

All that experience can be heard on his new album ‘Bluesman From Jupiter’, ten original tracks that cover it all, from the high times to the rocks, from boogie to the blues. Dennis Spencer’s life in music has been great...when it wasn’t trying to kill him. When he was 12, his father came home with an accordion and a guitar and told the kids to flip coins. Dennis got the guitar. At 16, he got backstage to a B.B. King concert and jammed with the legend for a few minutes. He went home and tried to look up “Blues” in the dictionary. He couldn’t find anything and says he has been looking ever since.

The European Blues Aces. Five musicians, five countries, one simple aim - to offer top quality, no-frills traditional blues that is so seldom heard in European clubs and at festivals nowadays. 

Belgium’s blues icon Roland - who travelled the world as a side-kick for his close friend Rory Gallagher - locked himself in a studio for two days with improvisation collective “I H8 Camera” [pronounce: I Hate Camera] who feel at home in the worlds of jazz, kraut, rock, folkn post punk or electronics for that matter. Ten numbers were then selected for this long-player on vinyl, as released by Belgian label Starman.
The opening tune ‘After the Rain’ is an instrumental in folk-psych mood and it’s folk-pysch that characterizes the overall sound here, though we are treated to jazzy and electronic parts as well. Roland doesn’t really sing, he just tells us stories distilled from his life as an artist – a weird, adventurous and often improvised life that few survive intact. He speaks to us jokingly, tongue-in-cheek, with some cynicism as well, not taking himself too seriously, obviously wondering himself how he made it till the ripe age of 80. You will hear some Dutch, a little French, but mostly English – with a Flemish accent. 
This album doesn’t come as a real surprise for those who remember he made a wonderful LP with Flemish poet Patrick Conrad as early as 1973 – true poetic psych. If you want to enjoy ‘Two Days in August’, forget everything you know about Roland the Blues Icon, sit down, relax and open your mind to Sound before you open your ears. 

In 2017, with the album ‘Going Places’, Doghouse Sam & His Magnatones proved to belong to the absolute top of the Belgian roots scene. Unfortunately, it later became a bit quiet around Doghouse Sam. When he started with acoustic solo performances a while ago, we secretly hoped that Doghouse Sam & His Magnatones would not be a thing of the past. Sam and his companions still deserve to be taken into account, as their recently released new album ‘Gone Too Long’ proves. After an impressive presentation of the album in the Muze café, this became more than clear. Attending a concert by Doghouse Sam & His Magnatones is an experience in itself. The energy and the joy of playing radiate from the stage. The fact that a band can convey these feelings on an album is rather exceptional. Well, let Doghouse Sam be that exception. ‘Gone Too Long’ was recorded in a relaxed atmosphere at Doghouse Sam’s home. Admittedly in a relaxed atmosphere, but the recordings did result in an album that is bursting with enthusiasm and energy. This is immediately clear with the opener and also the title track, on which Doghouse Sam, supported by his masterful rhythm section, shows an enormously catchy riff and powerful vocals. The album contains ten original songs, all by Doghouse. Incidentally, he repeats this again on the erupting volcano 'The Other Side', on which the slide immediately makes its appearance. 'I'll Take It' is the next in line and live, as proven during the CD presentation, the swinging song for an interaction with the audience. 'Shakey Situation' has a very special story attached to it. When the trio recorded the song at Sam's house, it was warm and the door was open. There is an airfield for sports aircraft nearby. During the recordings, a small plane certainly flew in. The band did not let themselves be distracted, stopped the song, let the plane fly over, and simply continued the song. Sublime and certainly original to record the song like this. And the level remains high. ‘Nobody Else Around’ is driven by a beautiful blues vibe, after which ‘Time Well Spend’ shows the country side of Doghouse Sam. A very beautiful song, followed by the super swinging ‘The Boogaa Hoogaa’, with a formidable guitar solo, where he, just like his great examples from the fifties, creates his own dance. A typical rhythm & blues comes with ‘Good Lookin’ Woman’, where Doghouse also lets his first love, the harmonica, shine. He will do that again on the instrumental closing song ‘Stompin’’. In between both songs is the ‘low down blues’ ‘Low Down Dog’.
With ‘Gone Too Long’ Doughouse Sam & His Magnatones have delivered a heavenly album. Doghouse is comfortable in his own skin, writes sublime songs that he packages in the typical ‘Doghouse’ arrangements. In short, ‘Gone Too Long’ confirms Doghouse Sam’s place at the top of the Belgian roots scene. Highly recommended!  

Except for the lucky few who had already witnessed Santana’s rhythmic tour de force in the Woodstock movie – released in Europe in the Summer of 1970 - Osibisa’s mix of African rhythms with funk and soul on their 1971 album ‘Woyaya’ was truly unique and groundbreaking. We had never heard anything like it. In fact, ‘African’ is not correct as the band also comprised musicians from Antigua, Grenada and Trinidad. Besides, funk and soul were augmented with rock and prog. Defying all categories, Osibisa was a success with a wide variety of audiences.  
Cherry Red remastered two albums of their second period and put them on one cd. The new line-up doesn’t really alter their vibrating and complex sound. Both ‘Happy Children’ [1972] and ‘Osibirock’ [1973] put drums and percussion to the fore and use Africa’s varied rhythmic heritage as the foundation of a rich structure composed of rock, prog, jazz, rock and roll, a touch of cabaret and – why not – a nursery rhyme approach, on tunes like ‘Happy Children’, ‘Who’s Got the Paper’, ‘Osibirock’ or ‘Adwoa’.
It is also happy music to sing along and dance too, while a critical view on society is channelled through double entendres and apparently innocent word-play.
The concept ‘World Music’ did not exist, but music from all over the world was entering the rock scene - and here is an example in all its authentic glory.
Radio 68 plays choice tracks on Wednesday 11 December from 11 a.m. till 11 p.m. GMT. 

In 1967, American quartet Vanilla Fudge took the pop world by surprise by turning The Supremes’ take on ’You Keep Me Hanging On’ into a baroque valley of tears – lasting six minutes and fourty seconds. The first album comprises more of the same, like ‘Ticket to Ride’ or ‘Bang Bang’. For optimum dramatic effect, Vanilla Fudge slowed down the speed, put the rhythm section to the fore, inserted solo guitar with care and loosened the reigns of the organ – allowing the singer to churn out as much as sadness as possible. It is simply a milestone of what the band themselves called ‘psychedelic symphonic rock’.
Surprisingly, they turned 180 degrees for the second album [The Beat Goes On], experimenting with self-written tunes. Although being both substandard rock and amateur avant-garde to my ears, it sold well.   
The foursome returned to the template of their first album for four more LPs on Atco. They keep insisting on playing their own stuff, though the covers still stand out, think ‘Season of the Witch’ on ‘Renaissance’ or ‘Shotgun’ on ‘Near the Beginning’, both released in 1969.
At any rate, Vanilla Fudge should be regarded a pillar of heavy rock – as early as 1967 - and an example of improvisation and inventiveness. Drummer Carmen Appice and bassist Tim Bogert would later team up with Jeff Beck.   
This Cherry Red box comprises no less than nine discs: all five albums on Atco between 1967 and 1969 [the first two in both mono and stereo] and two CDs with live recordings, singles and rarities – all nicely remastered and accompanied by an instructive booklet.
Radio 68  plays choice tracks on Wednesday 18 December, from 12 noon till 12 midnight CET, 11 till 11 GMT. 

‘Calling Long Distance’ features eight originals and four covers, all done in the unique Hitman style. New York-based Russel Alexander is a hgreat vocalist/guitarist with just enough grit in his voice. For his new release ‘Calling Long Distance’, his seventh album, he went into the studio with Mike Katzman (keyboards), Mike Porter and Bob Sander (bass), Guy LaFountaine (drums) and the horn section with John Kelly on alto sax, Tom Mineo (tenor sax), Eric Altarac (trumpet) and trombonist Al Alpert. Twelve songs, including four idiosyncratic covers and eight originals grace the release. There is an original approach to Johnny Cash’s ‘Folsom Prison Blues’, the funky piano boogie ‘I Know You Rider’, the swinging ‘Watch That Thing’ and the cool ‘Sunday Morning Comin’ Down’, originally by Kris Kristofferson, nicely reworked cover versions. Highly recommended ! 

He is currently the hottest Scandinavian blues musician, has received numerous awards and inspires blues audiences throughout Europe. The music here is anything but a well-behaved string of Chicago blues clichés that become boring and soporific after a while. Rather, these are very unique, individual interpretations, the four musicians have found their own personal way of expression, they are new creations in the Chicago style. Exciting

Irishman Dom Martin is a multi award winning artist from Belfast Northern Ireland. The 34 year old's music is steeped in the atmospheric celtic hallways of the past with many likening his style and stage presence to the likes of the late greats Rory Gallagher and Belfast's own Gary Moore. Equally at home with an acoustic guitar in hand tearing at the heartstrings of the audience, he's an inducted UK Blues Hall of Fame Artist as a result of three consecutive acoustic awards, and his trusty telecasters and Les Pauls that lead his power trio. Whilst touring the UK and Europe in 2023/2024, many tracks from 'Buried In The Hail' were recorded live along with several from his previous albums, 'Spain To Italy' and 'A Savage Life'. The result is 'Buried Alive', a double live album by one of the most exciting artists to come out of Ireland in a very long time.

​A young blood with an old soul, Marcus Trummer marries modern sensibilities with tradition in his distinctive style that encompasses blues, soul, and rock. Dubbed "a precocious guitarist whose vocals possess a wise-beyond-his-years weariness" by the Calgary Herald, the Calgary-born artist is already earning recognition. In 2022, Trummer snagged a nomination for New Artist of the Year at the Maple Blues Awards in Toronto. The following year, he traveled to Colorado to perform as a finalist in the 2023 Telluride Blues Challenge, which he would go on to win. Marcus Trummer's debut album, 'From The Start', draws inspiration from the timeless sounds of the 60s and 70s. With his warm and emotive vocals, Trummer pays respect to classic soul singers like Bill Withers and Al Green. Equally featured on the album is Trummer's expressive guitar work, in which he channels the impassioned approach of players like B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix. Packed with raw emotion and honesty, Trummer's songwriting is not to be overlooked. His thoughtful lyrics examine universal subjects of love and coming of age, unpacking experiences that resonate with all listeners. 

Jam packed with west coast twang and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, the Doohickeys' debut albumAll Hat No Cattle tackles classic country topics like gettin' groped, tiny trucks, and LA traffic. Produced by two-time Grammyr nominee,Eric Corne, the record will have you two-steppin' along and laughing out loud. The opening track ‘Rein It In Cowboy’, includes rippin' licks from Dwight Yoakam’s touring guitaristEugene Edwards, as well as back-up vocals fromHayley Orrantia (The Goldbergs, The Masked Singer). World-famous comedianJim Jefferies makes an appearance at the end of ‘Please Tell Me You're Sleepin’ (he infamously suggested the song idea to the duo). ‘This Town Sucks’ earned an award for Outstanding Songwriting in the 2023 Great American Song Contest and the music video for "Rein It In Cowboy" won The American Songwriter music video contest.

In ‘The California Acetates And More’ series, this edition about Terry Fell is the third release. Jimmie Dolan and Billy Barton were previously featured in this series.
This box about Terry Fell also contains 3 CDs with a total of 94 songs and covers Fell’s career that ran from 1945 to 1963. Added are a number of Fell’s compositions that were recorded by fellow artists for the Lode Records label, which Fell owned. On this 3-part box, which focuses on Fell’s uptempo songs, you get no less than 21 acetate recordings, two of which are by Sammy Masters, which belonged to Fell’s record label.
Terry Fell was born on May 13, 1921 on a farm in Dora, Alabama. According to himself, he started playing guitar and harmonica at the age of 14 or 15 and played along with local musicians for fun. His musical interest was mainly sharpened by the broadcasts around The Grand Ole Opry and more specifically by The Delmore Brothers. A nice anecdote is that, at the age of 17, he decided to cycle to California, but he soon realized that the distance was too far. Fell sold his bike and together with a friend he went to California. His family joined him there around 1938-1939. Terry did volunteer work there and developed his musical talent by working with Merle Lindsay's Oklahoma Night Riders and shortly after with Billy Hughes and The Pals of The Pecos. His collaboration with Everette Ishmael 'Billy' Hughes also put Terry on the road as a songwriter. Between October 1945 and June 1946, Fell recorded three releases on the Memo Record label. He then signed with the Fargo Record label in 1946, where he recorded with His Red River Rangers. When listening to the recordings on this release, it is immediately noticeable that these last recordings are completely different and more refined in terms of arrangements. You can hear that especially on ‘You Don’t Want Me Any More’, which Terry recorded for Fargo in 1946.
In mid-1946, Fell signed for Courtney Records, where he recorded under his own name, as well as working with Lucky White and Dude Ranch Playboys, Douglas Venable and His Bar X Ranch Hands, and his most active participation with Leodie Jackson and His Western Swingsters. You will find songs from the latter on the first CD, including the sublime instrumental ‘Steeling The Blues’. Both on these tracks and on, among others, the instrumental ‘Texas A La Mode’ recorded for Courtney that Terry recorded with His Seven Southerners, you can hear that Terry evolved enormously musically. In 1947 Fell moved to the 4 Star Record label for a short period, where he recorded a new version of the Memo-released ‘I’ve Done All I Know To Do’. You can hear all this and much more on the first CD, which ends with 10 acetate recordings, and from which you can conclude that Terry had grown enormously as an artist in just a few years. Also note the good sound quality that could be achieved from the ‘acetates’.
 
With the second CD we find Terry’s recordings for the Gilt-Edge label, which after a short existence would merge into 4 Star Records. He recorded two sublime boogies for Gilt-Edge, namely the instrumental ‘Fireball Boogie’ and the sung ‘I Can Hear You Clucking’. With ‘Hillbilly Impersonations / Smoking Cornsilks’ Terry’s collaboration with Gilt-Edge ended in 1953. In late 1953, early 1954 he found a home with RCA's "X", for which he made five releases. His first recording for that label also gave him his first hit, namely 'Don't Drop It', which rose to fourth place in the charts. From the first notes you can hear that the song has commercial potential. Not surprisingly, it would be covered by Tommy Sands, Red Sovine, Betty Amos, Wilbert Harrison and Jerry Lee Lewis. Strangely, however, the b-side 'Truck Driving Man' did not make the charts. It was still a wonderful and now legendary country rocker, with a catchy harmonica. The song would be covered more than 90 times. Well-known covers are certainly those by The Green River Boys with Glen Campbell, Bill Woods, Buck Owens and His Buckaroos and Rick Nelson. Bill Woods' version can be found on the third CD. Also worth mentioning is ‘Mississippi River Shuffle’ that Terry recorded for “X” and where you can hear that rock-‘n-roll is starting to germinate. The second CD ends with 8 acetate recordings, including demo versions of ‘Smokin’ Cornsilks’, ‘Don’t Drop It’ and ‘Truck Driving Man’.
 
But Fell’s collaboration with “X” also failed. The label broke off the collaboration 4 months after Fell’s 34th birthday, after which he switched to the big RCA Victor. There he recorded a remake of his Gilt-Edge recording ‘I Can Hear You Clucking’. With the recording of ‘Wham! Bam! Hot Ziggity Zam / Consolation Prize’ on February 10, 1956, his collaboration with RCA Victor ended, which also brings us to the third CD.
 
In 1958, Terry took matters into his own hands and founded Lode Records and Lode Publishing, which he ran from his home address. He made magnificent recordings there with his most creative artist Sammy Masters and Fell himself did it under his pseudonym Johnny Valentine in the poppy ‘Angel On A Cloud’ and ‘Sandy’. That the appreciation between Terry and Sammy was mutual, Sammy proved by recording his ‘Hootnanny Hill’ and ‘Jenny Come Down’ as acetates for Fell. However, these numbers were never released commercially and you hear them here for the first time. Formidable rockabilly that flowed from Fell's pen can be heard here on Curtis Gordon's ‘Play The Music Louder’. Eddie Cochran is also present with ‘Never’, a composition by Fell, often wrongly attributed to Merle Travis and the also by Fell’s hand ‘Craddle Baby’
Fell rocked under his own name in ‘Y’All Be Good Now’. Lode Records recorded cool songs, such as the instrumental rocking ‘Grounded Wasp’ by Bob Morris and Gary Links ‘Her Skirt Was Just Too Tight’.
 
Terry Fell was not a real rock-‘n-roll artist. He did get involved in rock-‘n-roll indirectly because he added his country boogie to rock-‘n-roll. You can convince yourself of that on the third CD, where he managed to secure a place within rock-‘n-roll.
This release ends with ‘That’s What I Like’. Incidentally, it is the version he performed during his only known TV appearance, which was recorded on November 5, 1955 during the Ozark Jubilee and where he was introduced by Red Foley.
Fell moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1962 after having lived in Downey, California for 26 years. In Nashville, he rarely appeared in public due to throat problems. He did work there as a songwriter until his retirement. Terry Fell passed away at the age of 85 on April 4, 2007. It goes without saying, but with this release in ‘The California Acetates And More’ Atomicat has hit the jackpot yet again. Three stunning CDs full of discoveries, supplemented with a 16-page beautifully designed booklet by reissue producer Mark Armstrong, in which you can find all the information about Terry Fell. The way in which the label puts well-known and lesser-known artists in the spotlight is unique. Without a skilled and talented team, series like this would not be possible. We would therefore like to mention the clever design by artist Urban Zotel, Heiko Schulz of Black Shack Recordings responsible for the good sound result of the acetates and The Studio That Time Forgot in El Paso Texas for mastering the albums. They did an excellent job, so that we can enjoy these 94 gems. What a great series!

John Primer is the real deal and testament to the soulful, artistic rewards of committing and sticking to an art form with loyalty, passion and determination. Decades long commitment, respect and focus towards the art of blues music has seen Blues Music Award Winner Giles Robson build a dreamlike career. Giles Robson has seven vocal songs to his name, Primer keeps it modest with his rhythmic Chicago guitar-blues riffs. Every performance sounds spontaneous and creative, and this with the necessary respect for the original tracks. Highly recommended! 

Walk That Walk has served as the Boston-area touring band for two Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductees Bo Diddley and Johnnie Johnson, pianist and co-writer in Chuck Berry’s legendary combo. As one of the premier bands on the impressive Boston blues scene, Walk That Walk is an east-coast phenomenon, but its midwestern roots run deep. The group’s material and fiery performances are born of the fertile sounds of Detroit and Chicago, where the electric blues was forged in the 1950. Highly recommended.