Matt T Mahony (BE), artist name of Matti De Rijcke, is a guitarist, singer and songwriter located in Ghent's thriving music scene. Since the early days of blues and roots club Missy Sippy, he has organized the now legendary 'Sunday Sessions' every first Sunday of the month. As host, he always puts the heat on his guests. Finally, the release of the long-awaited new album is here! 'Good man blues' represents a wandering in search of a lost sense of home. The artwork was created by designer Mark Schmeitz. He drew inspiration from one of Matt T Mahony's favorite films, Wim Wenders' 'Paris, Texas'. In a melancholic mood, you cast your eyes on an arid landscape where the scorching heat makes you wonder if it is reality or rather a reflection or shadow you see. The music reflects this feeling just fine. A blues-dripping guitar, cutting harmonica, deep grooves at the bass and exotic rhythms in the drums provide the foundation for Matt T Mahony's songs. You hear a clear foundation of blues tradition but also wild organic improvisations that lean more towards Jazz.

Creativity and talent are in abundance with David Ronaldo and his Dices. With "Six String Preacher", they have once again delivered an impressive album featuring eleven absolute top tracks.

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. 

‘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. 

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. 

‘Revival’ is the sixth full-length album from Kat Riggins, a Miami native whose gritty vocals and powerful singing style are peppered with generous hints of R&B, soul, gospel and rock ‘n’ roll – but deeply rooted in the blues.

We recently reviewed the first volume about Lafayette Thomas in the series ‘Right Hand Man’ released by the KokoMojo label. That volume covered the period 1948-1954 and you can read that review here again. The now released second volume ties in nicely with this and focuses on the period 1955-1962. In 1955, Thomas released his third solo single ‘The Thing / Weekly Blues’ on Ollie Hunt's Trilyte Records label. ‘The Thing’ was actually a reference to Lafayette's acrobatic stage presence. His fourth solo recording came in 1957 with ‘Cockroach Run’, a formidable instrumental number as can be heard on this compilation. In the meantime, he also continued to record with Jimmy McCracklin & His Blues Blasters. As always, Thomas’ guitar playing was sublime, as can be heard on McCracklin’s ‘Beer Tavern Girl’. That Thomas Lafayette as a guitarist determined a large part of Jimmy McCracklin’s success is beyond dispute and can also be heard on, among others, his ‘Take A Chance’, the fun riff-driven ‘Georgia Slop’ and the instrumental ‘The Swingin’ Thing’.
In 1957 and 1958, Lafayette also recorded with Juke Boy Bonner and Big Mama Thornton & The Hi Tones. In 1958, Thomas went into the studio for the Rhythm Recordings label, now Rhythm Records. He did this with pianist Roy Hawkins. With him he recorded four songs, namely ‘I Hate To Be Alone’, ‘Lonesome Without You’, ‘It’s Love’ and ‘Baby Please Don’t’, each of which is a song to which Thomas Lafayette adds value through his guitar playing. He certainly sounds otherworldly beautiful on ‘I Hate To Be Alone’, ‘It’s Love’ and ‘Baby Please Don’t’. In 1958 Thomas moved to New York City, where he can be heard on Little Brother Montgomery’s album ‘Tasty Blues’, of which the beautiful title track and the equally superior ‘Sneaky Pete Blues’ can be heard here, as well as on the album ‘Just Blues’ by Memphis Slim. This album was later re-released under the name ‘Bluesville’. Thomas’ fifth solo single came in 1959 with ‘Please Come Back To Me / Lafayette’s A’ Comin’’, with Sammy Price on the piano and where Lafayette shines especially on the instrumental ‘Lafayette’s A’ Comin’’. After his stay in New York, Thomas returned to California, where he continued to play on the album ‘Jimmy McCracklin Sings’. There he could also be heard on singles by Al & Nettie and Camille And The Creations. In 1972 he appeared again on a single by Sugar Pie DeSanto. Lafayette made his last recording on a few soul/funk records by Papa & The Utopians and The Luscious Three.
Thomas Lafayette died in Brisbane, California in 1977 at the age of 48 from a heart attack.
So much for the second part of Lafayette’s biography, but let’s take a closer look at this second volume. Jumping, we start with ‘Jumpin’ From Six To Six’ by Jimmy Wilson and His Band, on which Thomas’ guitar playing is somewhat pushed into a corner. That changes immediately on the instrumental ‘The Thing’ and on the slow blues ‘Weekly Blues’, on which he shows a textbook example of how the guitar can give a slow blues an emotional boost. He repeats this on Jimmy Wilson’s ‘Poor Poor Lover’ and on his own ‘Please Come Back To Me’, simply heavenly. He shows this again with verve on ‘Don’t You Think You’re So Smart’ by Memphis Slim and on the instrumental ‘Irma Special’ by Roland Mitchell & Band, where the sax and Lafayette’s guitar complement each other beautifully.
The album closes with two songs by Camille & The Creations, where ‘Johnny’ in particular stands out because of the excellent harmonies.
The nice thing about the ‘Right Hand Man’ series is that as a listener you get a completely different picture of artists who made a career. A career that would not have gone so well for many, if they had not been able to count on the super talented musicians, who put their knowledge and craftsmanship at their service. Such a person was certainly Lafayette Thomas!

Now Woodsmith Jr. is promoting his debut album ‘Hidden Tales’, coloured with a lot of his own work and Zita Swoon’s ‘Oir Daily Reminders’. And Kris introduces us to a lot of bluesy tracks and American folk songs. The lyrics are introspective and are about love, loss and self-reflection, musically everything sounds melodious and is a mixture of folk, blues, bluegrass and indie rock. The long player ‘Hidden Tales’ is released on the Starman Records label.

​With ‘A Real Mother For Ya’, the song on his album of the same name, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson became known to a wider audience in 1977. What was immediately noticeable was the very unique sound that Johnny squeezed out of his guitar. A heavenly sound that many had never heard before. The fact that he was given the nickname ‘Guitar’ is the best proof of his unique talent and associated sound. What many did not know at the time, however, was that Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson had already been active as a singer and guitarist for several decades. He scored in the fifties and early sixties with ‘Too Tired’, the impressive ‘Gangster Of Love’, ‘Johnny Guitar’, ‘Untouchable’ and ‘Cuttin’ In’. And yet, as a teenager, he did not start his career as a guitarist, but as a pianist. He recorded his unique sound as a guitarist as early as 1954 with the instrumental ‘Space Guitar’. Bear Family Records rightly pays attention to Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson in this recent edition of ‘Rocks’. This is done by means of 29 uptempo tracks recorded between 1953 and 1964, on which you can hear Johnny on both guitar and his first instrument, piano. With formidable guitar work, the album opens with ‘Hot Little Mama’, which he recorded for RPM in 1955. On the following track ‘Motor Head Baby’, you hear Johnny on the piano. He also repeats this later on ‘I Got Eyes’ and ‘What’s Going On’. And admit it, his nickname could just as well have been ‘Piano’. But rock-‘n-roll was also his thing. Listen to ‘Deana Baby’ and ‘The Bear aka The Preacher And The Bear’ for this, while ‘Oh Baby’ and ‘One Room Country Shack’ are both a slow blues of size. It was not unusual in the fifties and early sixties for artists to introduce a new dance. For Watson, that became the catchy ‘Posin’’. For some New Orleans blues, you can go to ‘Broke And Lonely’, which Johnny wrote together with that other Johnny, namely Otis. By the way, you can hear Chuck Norris on second guitar here. The well-known Earl King ‘Those Lonely, Lonely Nights’ provides a cracking tearjerker.
All the songs mentioned here and other, equally not to be sneezed at ‘guitar driven’ songs can be found on this album.
The cover mentions 29 tracks, but as a surprise you get an extra as track number 30. That is the remastered version of the slow blues ‘Cuttin’ In’.
In addition, the booklet contains all the information about Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson and the tracks.
What this compilation makes clear is the fact that Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson, with his somewhat aggressive way of playing, lifted the blues guitar to a higher level. The razor-sharp sound and his often surprising twists on the six strings certainly justify his nickname 'Guitar'.

That blues is an international event, we have known for a long time here. This project is also somewhat evidence of that. Harp virtuoso/vocalist and pianist Victor Puertas comes from Barcelona, Spain, Luca Giordano is an Italian guitar prodigy and producer/guitarist Netto Rockfeller has Brazilian roots. Luca often visits the sovereign state of Brasil in South America, and has maintained a long friendship with Rockfeller. Together with Victor Puertas (vocals, harmonica and piano), drummer Danilo Hansem and bassist Guilherme Ambrózio they went to the Blue Crawfish Records studio in São Paulo. Eleven tracks adorn the LP and they open with the Chicago blues ecstatic instrumental shuffle ‘West Armitage Shuffle’. Highly recommended! 

As a long-standing member of the Las Vegas Blues Society, Dick Earl has performed with numerous noted studio artists, worked as a pit musician at Tuacahn Amphitheater, shared the stage with Tas Cru, a national award-winning recording artist, and was even featured in the documentary "Into the Fire" which premiered at Doc Utah (2022) and won Best Feature at Zepstone Film Festival (2023). This is the highly anticipated sophomore album from Dick Earl’s Electric Witness; it follows on the heels of 2020’s live self-titled album. This new studio album was recorded at the Tone Factory in Las Vegas. 

Singer, guitarist and producer Dennis Herrera’s newest release “FOUR” is a definitive and passionate collection of original blues songs straight from his heart & soul.  A provocative fusion of Texas, Chicago, West coast blues grooves. This is a delightfully solid, self released, twelve track outing graced with an enticing sound inspired by the multitude of distinguished blues master musicians and singers past and present.

Recently you could get acquainted with the first volume about Lafayette Thomas in KokoMojo Records' new series 'Right Hand Man'. A series that puts the musicians in the spotlight who undeniably contributed to the successes of many artists, but who unfortunately did not receive the necessary attention in the history of American roots music. By the way, the second volume about Lafayette Thomas, which highlights the period 1955 - 1962, will be released before the end of the year. But now it is Chuck Norris' turn first. By the way, there will also be 2 volumes about him. The first volume, which deals with the period 1946 - 1955, is available now.
Chuck Norris was born on August 11, 1921 in Kansas City, Missouri and grew up in Chicago. There he studied at DuSable High School with the legendary music teacher Captain Walter Dyett. He became skilled in reading music and always finding connections with the new musical trends and movements. Chuck was therefore very popular and constantly working, resulting in a career that spanned no less than four decades. In the mid-forties, Chuck moved to Los Angeles. Through his performances in local clubs, he came into the sights of independent labels and producers. In that capacity, he came into contact with saxophonist, songwriter and producer Maxwell Davis. Davis had connections at labels such as Aladdin, Modern and Specialty and Norris was able to work there as a session musician. In the late forties and early fifties, the West Coast was ‘the hottest place’ for rhythm & blues. They mixed Texas blues with the big band music of the Midwest, which did not escape Chuck’s notice.
As a solo artist, Chuck released only 16 tracks. The intention of the labels was not so much to build a solo career with him, but rather to use them as filler in their catalogues. They were therefore only pressed in small quantities and could not count on good distribution and are therefore practically impossible to find. Chuck Norris may not ring a bell right away, but be assured that you have heard him as a guitarist or bassist on recordings by Charles Brown, Dinah Washington, Percy Mayfield, Jesse Belvin, Bobby Day, The Robins, The Platters and The Rivingtons. His list of achievements also includes a session for an X-rated film and the soundtrack for the film ‘The Great White Hope’. In addition, Chuck played the banjo behind Louis Armstrong and Barbara Streisand on ‘Hello Dolly’.
With the exception of an interview on the back of the Swedish LP ‘Los Angeles Flash’, not much is known about Chuck’s career. There is also no official collection of his work. As far as Chuck’s earliest recordings are known, they tend more towards jazz. Later he would evolve towards the refined blues of Floyd Dixon and Charles Brown. When the latter left The Three Blazers in 1948, he formed his own trio The Smarties. In addition to Eddie Williams on bass, Norris was part of this trio on guitar. Like his good friend T-Bone Walker, Norris was mainly influenced by Charlie Christian. In order to keep working and earn a living, Norris often had to distance himself from jazz. Jules Bihari of Modern Records often hired Norris as a session musician behind Floyd Dixon, Jimmy Witherspoon and Little Willie Littlefield. As a result, Chuck soon only played blues. Chuck made his first solo recording in 1947 as the Charles Norris Trio with ‘No Better For Me / Money’s Getting Cheaper’. Songs that you will also hear on this compilation and that show that Chuck is also very strong vocally. And pay special attention to his sublime guitar part. Other songs that he recorded under his own name and that you will also find on this album are ‘Hey Everybody’ and ‘Kinda Sick, Mostly Worried’. These were recorded on December 28, 1950 with trumpeter Tom Reeves, alto saxophonist Early Brow, tenor saxophonist Maxwell Davis, baritone saxophonist Jim Wynn, Jesse Belvin on piano and Warren Owens and Peppy Prince, respectively on bass and drums.
The album starts with the 1946 recording by Estelle Edson, together with Oscar Pettford All Stars, ‘Don’t Drive This Jive Away’, which immediately shows Chuck’s love for jazz. A beautiful example of Norris on guitar, you get right on the second track, the instrumental ‘Shuffle Boogie’ by Will Rowland and his orchestra. Incidentally, he also repeats this on the following instrumental songs: ‘Pete Kay Boogie’ by Pete Johnson, the Norris original ‘Shuffle Boogie’ by the Floyd Dixon’s Trio, ‘Early Times’ by Red Callendar Sextette and the sublime ‘Blue Strings’ by Buddy Collette. It continues to be a pleasure, also on the smooth bluesy sounding 'Let's Have A Ball' by Charles Brown, where Chuck knows how to capture the perfect atmosphere for the song on the six strings and switches sounds effortlessly. Versatility and flexibility are qualities that Norris had. How he adapts to the artist without any problems, he shows excellently on 'Who's Been Jivin' You' by Jimmy Witherspoon. Norris is brilliantly bluesy and creative on 'You Had A Good Man' by Roy Hawkins. You hear Chuck swinging on 'Hey Lawdy, Miss Claudie' and 'Looped' by Calvin Boze & His All Stars. Chuck's adaptations to every musical style, is also evident on 'The Hatched Man' by the doo-wop group The Robins. Other artists who could count on Chuck's endless talent can be heard here on tracks by Jesse Belvin, boogie-woogie pianist Little Willie Littlefield, Ike Lloyd and his orchestra and Dinah Washington
The second volume about Chuck Norris will feature even more solo recordings by him, as well as formidable numbers that he recorded between 1946 and 1962 with Pearl Traylor, Percy Mayfield, Johnny Guitar Watson, Linda Hopkins and Larry Williams. Keep an eye on this site!

Siegal and Mastro came together for a fantastic throwback rough and tumble session recorded live in New Orle-ans. Ian Siegal's whiskey soaked voice and guitar meshes perfectly with one of the rawest approaches on the scene. Johnny's harmonica drives his band like no one else and combined with Mr. Siegal the sound is refreshingly intoxicating. EASY TIGER!

Last year Ben Levin released the brilliant LP ‘Back To Baton Rouge’ with Lil’ Jimmy Reed. Now there’s ‘A Holiday Blues Revue’, a ten track album with a lot of help from a bunch of guest artists. The release was produced by Ben Levin and Matt Hueneman, and was recorded in Newport, Kentucky, not far from Levin’s home in Cincinnati. Ben co-wrote most of the songs with his father Aron. Pa Aron added great guitar to Ben’s overwhelming piano playing.
Cincinnati-based blues pianist/singer Ben Levin releases his sixth VizzTone album, Ben Levin Presents: A Holiday Blues Revue. This album features many quest artists, and spans many different styles of blues. Highly recommended!

​These five passionate and experienced musicians need only a subtle look to each other to bring out a rich range of musical styles. Live, they convey this feeling effortlessly. Their album Live On Tour isn’t a carefully orchestrated live gig or balanced studio recording; it’s the authentic sound of the band on tour. It captures the band’s original sound and dynamics, as if you’re experiencing them live. The raw energy on stage is there, without overdubs or edits. The album features several tracks from their highly-praised latest studio release, Unchained, as well as some band favorites.

Now Chad Rupp & band are promoting the album 'Gate C23' together with a whole list of guest artists. Eight original songs that Chad wrote in just two weeks, and three covers with ‘14 Dollars In The Bank’ by Paul Delay, ‘Blind Crippled & Crazy’ (OV Wright) and Roland Stone’s soul blues ballad ‘She Is The One’ color the album. Chad Rupp’s approach to the blues is very modern, it is soul-infused, funky, personal and extremely danceable. 

In The Real World is the latest album from blues troubadour Eric Bibb, following his Grammy-nominated 2023 studio release, Ridin’ and Live at The Scala Theatre album, released earlier this year. Recorded at Peter Gabriel’s iconic Real World Studios and produced, arranged and mixed by Glen Scott, the new disc is a vivid representation of Bibb's musical and personal evolution, offering a glimpse into the world he's experienced and the hope he continues to foster through his music. It is a continuation of the vision that informs his artistry as a modern-day Blues troubadour. Grounded in the folk and blues tradition with contemporary sensibilities, Bibb’s music continues to reflect his thoughts on current world events and his own lived experiences, whilst remaining entertaining, uplifting, inspirational and relevant.

A veteran of the DC music scene, J.P. has evolved from his early days as lead guitar for the psychedelic blues band The Next Step, to half of the acoustic blues/roots duo The Reali Brothers in the 90's, to his current solo career. The release ‘Blues Since Birth’ is one of the most contemporary contrasting blues albums.

This album is the first album in a series on which the KokoMojo label puts artists in the spotlight who, as accompanists, made famous artists shine. These accompanists undoubtedly played a crucial role in music history. Unfortunately, their contributions were often overshadowed by the artists in the spotlight and they have been forgotten over the years. The name of Lafayette Thomas, born on June 16, 1928 and died on May 20, 1977, will not immediately ring a bell. However, there is a good chance that you have already heard him, even if not under his own name, on recordings of other artists. For example, he worked with Jimmy McCracklin, Jimmie Wilson, Sammy Price, Memphis Slim, Little Brother Montgomery, L.C. ‘Good Rockin’’ Robinson and Sugar Pie DeSanto. Lafayette probably first came into contact with the blues through his uncle Jesse ‘Baby Face’ Thomas. Together with T-Bone Walker, he would have a great influence on Lafayette's musical development.
An article in the renowned magazine Living Blues labeled him as the best guitarist from the San Francisco-Oakland blues scene, as well as a guitarist to whom many artists are indebted. Thomas' creativity on the six strings often led to sometimes strange, not obvious, but always sublime licks. It often seemed as if the ideas for his playing simply flowed from his hands. This will also have contributed to the fact that Lafayette could effortlessly switch from a down-home blues to a blues ballad. Moreover, he knew how to find suitable guitar parts for every song he played on. Sometimes dynamic and subdued, and other times solid and distorted.
In 1948, Lafayette Thomas was heard for the first time on a wax recording. That was on the B side of a recording by the Shermans Trio, namely the instrumental and swinging ‘Jumpin’ For Julia’, which this compilation also starts with. It is important to mention that this record was released by Bob Geddins. He was the owner of several record labels and Bob would play a major role in Lafayette’s further career. Lafayette remained closely connected to Bob Geddins and played on his releases from the debut in 1948 until the mid-sixties. Thomas’ first solo record was the single ‘Sam’s Drag / Baby Take A Chance On Me’. It was released under the name L.J. Thomas and his Louisiana Playboys. This record was recorded at Sam Phillips’ Sun Studios. In 1952, this single moved via Sam Phillips to Chess Records. As you can hear on this album, the rocking rhythm & blues instrumental ‘Sam’s Drag’ carries that typical Sun Studios sound. The flipside, the slower bluesy ‘Baby Take A Chance On Me’, betrays the aforementioned influence of T-Bone Walker.
Lafayette Thomas was a busy bee. In the fifties and sixties, he could be heard on more than a hundred records. He was most present on the recordings of Jimmy McCracklin & his Blues Blasters. Early 1951, Thomas even joined McCracklin’s Blues Blasters, where he replaced guitarist Robert Kelton. Both Lafayette and Robert can be heard on McCracklin’s ‘Rockin’ All Day’. Incidentally, you get a few more recordings of Jimmy McCracklin. Thomas would continue to record and perform with McCracklin. In addition, Lafayette was also present on great recordings of Jimmy Wilson, Roy Hawkins, Willie B. Huff and James Reed. This compilation contains versions of both James Reed and Jimmy Wilson of the classic ‘Tin Pan Alley’. The ‘Instrumental Jump (aka Whats Up!) that ended up on this album was released twice. First in 1953 on the Big Town label by Jimmie Wilson (alternately listed as Jimmie and Jimmy) & his All Stars. A second time the song was featured as a b-side on a Modern single by Johnny Todd. As Jerry Thomas, Lafayette solo released sublime songs such as ‘Lost Mind (aka Standing In The Back Door Crying)’ and ‘Don’t Have To Worry (aka Jumpin’ In The Heart Of Town)’.
This album also contains the monumental and original version of ‘Strangest Blues’ by Jimmy Wilson and His Band. In addition to Lafayette on guitar, you can hear Wild Willie Moore on tenor sax, bassist Johnny Heartsman and an unknown drummer. Class acts of the purest kind!
When listening to this compilation, the drive and craftsmanship of Lafayette Thomas immediately stand out. He had the talent and the gift to lift every recording to a higher level. No wonder he was heard on more than a hundred records during the fifties and sixties. Thomas was a guitarist who gave the records of his masters an extra shine with his playing. He even succeeds on Bob Geddins Cavaliers’ version of ‘Ghost Riders In The Sky’ and certainly on the well-known ‘Nobody’s Business’ and on the slow blues, including gospel choir ‘I’m A Stranger Here’. Lafayette performs creatively and modestly on ‘Operator 209’ by Willie B. Huff. Creativity was always held in high regard by Thomas. All tracks on this album bear witness to this. Listen carefully to the guitar solo on ‘Lemon Squeezer’ by Jimmy Wilson and his All Stars and the slow blues ‘Things Ain’t What They Used To Be’ by James Reed.
We conclude with Johnny Parker & His Orchestra in ‘What You Did To Me’. As mentioned before, Lafayette Thomas could be heard on countless recordings. The 28 tracks on this album make you long for more. It is therefore good news that volume 2 about Thomas will be released in November. That album highlights the period 1955-1962. Undoubtedly something to look forward to. But first and foremost, enjoy volume 1. Enjoy this great guitar player!