​Just like the previous volume entitled ‘It's Your Voodoo Working’, volume 4 ‘Voodoo Man’ maintains the same atmosphere. An atmosphere that is again created by 24 breathtaking rhythm & blues songs. Songs that may not always be known, but after listening to them you will undoubtedly confirm that it is a shame that they stayed under the radar for so long.
So, volume 4 in the ‘The Mojo Man Special’ series again contains a lot of very enjoyable rhythm & blues and rocking blues. Sometimes recognizable, but often not, but always of an extremely high quality.

​Buffalo Music Hall-of-Famer Patti Parks is an immersive live performer, with a soulful and sensual voice that produces an uplifting, exuberant mix of Chicago Blues, Funk and Memphis Soul. Kenny Neal invited her to his Brookstown Recordings studio in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to record this eclectic gem, "Whole Nother World." In addition to that tight backing band, Neal joins Patti for a vocal duet on the track "Baby Bee", while also providing a lot of harmonica and guitar arrangements. Memphis soul, some ballads, funky tunes and swinging Chicago blues. Well, Patti Parks has arguably produced the album of the year.

Jazz fusion guitarist Gerald Gradwohl easily combines a lot of different styles between his contemporary sound. Like a real chameleon, Gerald wriggles very easily into many style.

Travelling gives inspiration with ups and downs, a smile and a tear.  Strong contemporary popsongs with good vibes.  

​This album contains new songs as well as standards. It is brought by a well-oiled group of musicians which will certainly please lovers of big band music! 

​This album brings a kind of ambient music that goes in the direction of dreamy pop. The Estonian guitarist Robert Jürjendal plays a hybrid of guitar synth and natural guitar sounds. For fans of guitar music.

​Volume 15 in the ‘Southern Bred, Louisiana & New Orleans R&B Rockers’ series goes by the name ‘I Hate To See You Go’ and is the third album to spotlight artists from Louisiana and New Orleans. Some of them retained that typical danceable and exuberant musical atmosphere of the region, while others mixed the style with rhythm & blues, rocking blues or rock and roll. The innovative exuberant horns, the inspiring guitar parts and the solid rhythm sections made the music, in whatever form, extremely enjoyable. Again we get 28 tracks from figureheads of the genre, supplemented with the work of lesser known artists. But always keeping in mind KokoMojo's motto, they are all ‘killers and no fillers’.
So again there is a lot to discover and especially to enjoy on this album. Authentic New Orleans rhythm & blues, whether or not mixed with rockin’ blues or rock and roll, the fact is that the 28 danceable tracks again have a high quality content. Add to that the ultimate sound and you have no good reason to miss out on the Southern Bred Series.

There’s nothing special about friends putting together a folk group in their final year at secondary school. Something special is going on, however, when these students record an entire LP  in one of their former class-rooms the following summer. Ninety-nine copies are pressed and given away to friends and family as a kind of sophisticated souvenir, before the seven members of Oberon go their own way. This is the Summer of 1971.
Why bother in 2021? Well, apart from its rarity, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is a great album: the (re-mastered) sound is excellent, the musicians operate on a professional level performing originals written by band members. They may sound like your typical English folk group  -  splendid harmonies and all - on their covers of ‘Nottamun Town’ and  ‘Scarborough Fair’, but their true nature is revealed on their own compositions, including instrumentals such as ‘Syrinx’ an ‘Minas Tirith’, where the flute, the violin and brushes of jazz are prominent. One can guess how they could have evolved.  
Disc 2 features a live performance proving how good these teenagers really were, even if only two tracks differ from the album.  
Cherry Red  put the re-mastered  LP and the live performance on two discs, adding a  most informative booklet with pictures of the 1971 session for good measure. Radio 68  will play choice tracks from this lovely release on Wednesday 21 April from 11 a.m. onwards.

​A remarkable album, excellent for those who love southern music, on which Quintero forges his own personality and style to blend his ethnic roots with jazzy world music. 

Gregg Karukas shows us here another side of his talent, and the result is fine. A very nice solo piano album, which I will listen to several times over. 

​One of the most interesting debuts of the year.  Jaouad Alloul has made a statement: “Set Me Free, And Let Me Be” he sings in ‘Father’.  Inspiring album!

​You don’t have to take drugs to dance on Vex’ debut album.  Enjoy at home (watch out for the neighbours).

​The fact that many African-American female singers were given the opportunity to enter the studio, ensures that volume 5 in the ‘Rock and Roll Vixens’ series again unleashes 25 tasteful recordings. Recordings that unfortunately, when they were released, did not always get the attention they deserved. Fortunately, this series changes that half a century later.
Authentic rhythm & blues, blues, beautiful vocal harmony vocals and traces of early soul also provide 25 formidable songs on volume 5, recorded by African-American singers from the early 1950s to the mid-1960s.

​Joe Lewis presents himself with a wide variety of influences. The album swings from a lot of funky tunes over some emotional soul ballads and a rare Texas blues shuffle. Lewis' fantastic vocals and guitar technique, and a tight band is proof of his versatility. Highly recommended!

​Jazz singer Rebecca Dumaine brings together with her fathers trio a set of optimistic sounding songs. Next to a lot of covers she sings 2 original compositions. This is quality jazz!

​An absolute must for fans of the darker songs.  Ledfoot’s fingerpicking, slide and storytelling is intriguing and addictive.

​The Groningen band Them Dirty Dimes will remain in the music sky. With a lot of cozy swing, blues, folk and a lot of jazzy tunes they color their intended musical sounds.
Singer / guitarist Gijs de Groot, Johan Stolk (guitar), Joas Zuur (trumpet), Anne de Vries (double bass) and drummer Wessel de Vries proudly present their debut album. Higly recommended…!

​This album by Dutch pianist Jeroen Elfferich contains 15 compositions. They situate themselves all in minimalism. For those who love solo piano music. 

I wonder if there are any rockabilly bands that don't have a song by the Burnettes in their repertoire. This is proof of Johnny and Dorsey's importance in the development of rockabilly. Better yet, they really were at the forefront of the genre. Moreover, their sound was also recognizable. How often did it happen that when you heard a song, you suspected the magical hands of Johnny and Dorsey. The fact that countless artists originally recorded songs written by the duo says enough about their quality and importance. That is one of the reasons why it is fantastic that the Atomicat label has released this album. By the way, it is not only a nice tribute to the Burnette brothers, but it mainly points to their songwriting talent. 30 tracks convince you, including 4 on which the Burnettes can be heard under their own name, including ‘Me And The Bear’ where Johnny is joined by Eddie Cochran on guitar and Joe Maphis on guitar and banjo.
It is also admirable that the brothers could write songs for others, as if they could put themselves in the person of the performer. The fact that these songs have lost nothing of their strength more than half a century later, proves that ‘The Johnny and Dorsey Burnette Song Book’ can still be counted as groundbreaking in American music. Sublime album!

​Registration of hidden music on the Comoros. On one side a time document and on the other also a shocking indictment.

​The collaboration between guitarist Dan Rose and French pianist Claudine François exists already 30 years. On this new album they show their creative talents off. 

​When Clyde McPhatter died on June 13, 1972 at the age of just 39, he had a musical career of no less than 22 years. After providing lead vocals with The Dominoes and later with The Drifters, he still enjoyed success as a solo artist. In addition, he was the first artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, albeit posthumously. Once as a solo artist in 1987 and the other time in 1988 as a member of The Drifters.
When you listen to the recordings with The Dominoes and The Drifters with which this collector starts, you immediately notice the clear tenor voice of Clyde. A voice that also gives shine to his later solo recordings. But there's more. McPhatter may be classified as a rhythm & blues artist, but the soul he managed to put into his songs through his voice is unparalleled. The way he injected rhythm & blues with soul is so unique and also gives rhythm & blues an extra dimension. You can say that Clyde McPhatter, without knowing it, paved the way for the future soul artists. The 32 tracks, recorded between 1952 and 1963, provide his. It would do him an injustice to highlight certain songs, because then you would do the others short. And let us also point out the once again sublime sound. ‘Spotlight on Clyde McPhatter’ in the ‘Koko Mojo Spotlight Series’ series is already one of the top releases of 2021 for me personally. It is therefore definitely an absolute must have!

​Tomislav Goluban is promoting his twelfth album "Express Connection", on the Blue Heart Records label. Tomislav went to the Ardent Studio in Memphis and found there his soulmates in Jeff Jensen (guitar) drummer David Green, Rick Steff (keys), Bill Rufino on bass and special guests Mark Johnson on slide guitar, Marc Franklin (trumpet), Kirk Smothers (saxophone) and backing vocalists Joseph Franher and Kelly Zirbes. Goluban was inspired by harp masters like Little Walter, Paul Butterfield and Gary Primich. The album contains nine originals, including three instrumental tracks. He opens in style with the Chicago blues instrumental "Express Connection". As a full grown Chicago blues harp disciple, he also squeezes through his original songs. He confirms time after time, and that is an art in itself. Delicious release ..!

Fantastic positive vibrations from the Dutch brothers Van der Westen.  One of the most impressive folkalbums of the year

​This album by pianist Michael Neal combines two creative forces, peace and stress, and their coming together. But his piano playing is always quiet, on uneasiness. The album goes in the direction of New Age.