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!

The album radiates energy and creativity, and the band knows like no other how to combine their musical influences into a contemporary sound. With its mix of exciting energy, some depth and diversity, this album is a must for anyone who loves modern blues rock, funk and some soul. The band King Of The World is not just Nederblues... this is so much more!

The Italian harmonica player Egidio Juke Ingala has been a fixture in the blues world for over 30 years. His love for ‘old school’ Chicago blues and West Coast Blues has filled many albums and international stages. With ‘Keep On Dreamin’’ Egidio has now released a new album on the Rhythm Bomb Records label. Musically he is supported by The Jacknives. They consist of guitarist Marco Gisfredi, bassist Max Pitardi and drummer Enrico Soverini. As a guest musician Egidio managed to get none other than the phenomenal guitarist Alex Schultz. Schultz can be heard on no less than 3 of the 13 songs and he also wrote the liner notes.
What is immediately noticeable is that the way the album is mixed gives you the feeling of being present at a live club concert of the band. The involvement is therefore immediately spot on. Shuffle-wise, Egidio and his mates start with ‘Put It On’, which is followed by Snooky Pryor’s ‘Boogie Twist’ on which Ingala can extensively display his talent on the blues harp. With ‘So Deep’, a wonderful up-tempo blues song, Egidio and The Jacknives show that composing is also flawless. They repeat this in ‘I Don’t Mind’ and the rocking rhythm & blues title track. They slow down a bit with ‘I’m Going Home’ by Prince Conley. For a real slow blues, you can go to ‘I Don’t Want No One (To Take Me Away From You)’. Furthermore, Ingala presents formidable versions of ‘You’re An Old Lady’ by Sonny Boy Williamson I, as well as the slow blues ‘Blues Stay Away’ and the instrumental ‘Juicy Harmonica’, two songs originally by George Harmonica Smith. The album closes with ‘Whirlaway’, an instrumental by Allen Toussaint. ‘Keep On Dreamin’’ is an album that shows that Egidio Juke Ingala belongs to the top of contemporary practitioners of the harmonica, who also knows how to make the authentic blues shine with heart and soul. Highly recommended!

The new album, packed with eleven original songs (one co-written with Ronnie’s friend Big Head Todd Mohr), also includes an emotional recorded message to Ronnie from his father, the world-famous Chicago bluesman, Alligator recording artist Lonnie Brooks. The album was produced by the storied Jim Gaines (who has produced Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Luther Allison, Albert Collins, Lonnie Brooks and many more). Jim and Ronnie have known each other for years, because Jim produced Lonnie’s last Alligator release, Roadhouse Rules, back in 1996, when Ronnie was still playing second guitar in Lonnie’s band. ‘Blues In My DNA’ is the fifth album of Ronnie’s career. After he formed his first band back in the 1990s, he decided to create his own label, Watchdog Records. He released three solo albums over the next eight years. On all three releases, Ronnie worked with the famed Jellybean Johnson (Prince, The Time). In 2018, he released Times Have Changed on the Provogue label, produced by acclaimed drummer/producer Steve Jordan (Rolling Stones, Robert Cray). All these albums were full of excellent performances, but none received all of the distribution, promotion and marketing they deserved.

Gary Nicholson has produced one of his most contrasting LPs. From genuine rockers it goes quickly to blues and samp, sad ballads and some country. Highly recommended.

Vaneese is an incredible talent who has been blossoming for quite some time. As the daughter of Rufus Thomas, she has a heavy legacy to carry. From that Beale Street sound, Vaneese switches smoothly to the Mississippi Delta and the Delta juke joints. 

Do The Rump! was recorded at Simo’s home studio in Nashville, known as  House of Grease. Apart from today’s Charles originator, the LP features other borrowed classics, from RL Burnside’s “Peaches” and JJ Cale’s “Right Down There” to Junior Kimbrough’s “Come and Go With Me.” Also included is an original written by all three musicians, “Come On.” 

Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra is a band that is hard to pigeonhole. The band is influenced by rockabilly, blues, country, swing and soul, but the way they turn these styles into a ‘melting pot’ is quite unique. With ‘Feet First’ the gentlemen are already on their sixth album. This album was recorded in two days at the Lightning Recorders studios in Berlin. Studios that are known for authentic analogue recordings. ‘Feet First’ was recorded without overdubs and is therefore the capturing of a musical moment. In short, authenticity is the key here! In addition to Rob Heron (vocals, rhythm guitar), the band consists of Tom Cronin (baritone guitar, mandolin, harmonica and backing vocals), Ben Powling (tenor sax, clarinet and backing vocals), Adam Richards (upright and electric bass and backing vocals) and Paul Archibald (drums and percussion). Of the 14 tracks, 13 flowed from Heron's pen and one, namely 'Happy Hour' is a song by Arnold Lasseur. The songs meander between rock-'n-roll, blues, country and folk and everything in between. The arrangements are however so unpredictable, which reveals an original and unique sound. A sound that has its origins in the clubs, dance halls and theatres of the middle of the previous century, but which is given a contemporary but above all idiosyncratic look by Heron and his companions, which gives each song a life of its own. For example, 'Six Month Sleeper' evokes a somewhat Vaudeville atmosphere, while 'Three Button Suit' clearly refers to authentic country. Swinging is 'I Blinked And It Was Over', which can boast a nice part of harmonica. A touch of folk later adorns 'Hungry For Your Love'. A song that also contains a nice change of tempo, after which we waltz through 'Another Night In The Doghouse'. ‘Every Day Is Misery’, which comes later, is built on solid rock-‘n-roll foundations.
Rob Heron is not only a talented songwriter who does not shy away from humor in his lyrics, but also a passionate performer. An album to cherish!

The French band Muddy Gurdy visits the south of the US to find the roots of cajun and swamp blues. A very respectable approach to music and people.

Headed by Catalano and Bell, “Set Me Free” also features Tom Vaitsas on piano, Kurt Lubbe on drums, and Aaron Mitter on bass. It is the Great American blues songbook, covering standards like “The Sky is Crying,” “Every Day I Have the Blues,” and Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Help Me.” Each cut is done in a more traditional blues style, with Bell’s vocals sounding silky, but also commanding and heartfelt. Catalano’s solos are soulful and precise, holding back what could have been a volcanic torrent of bebop notes in favor of sharing the spotlight with Bell’s vocals and guitar and Vaitsas’ piano.

Blame It On Eve is Shemekia’s ninth record on Alligator. It’s full of passionate performances and instantly memorable songs. Like her three previous albums—America’s Child, Uncivil War and Done Come Too Far—Blame It On Eve makes bold statements about today’s crucial topics—a woman’s control over her own body in the title track, the horrors of climate change in Broken High Heels, and urban violence in Tough Mother. But Shemekia was determined not to cloak the album entirely in seriousness.

Some critics label our music as blues, others as absolute blues rock, even hinting at pub rock. Madcat’s Roughriders’ sound is framed by their diverse musical background. Yet they have one common admiration for blues legends and rock pioneers. Fortunately, that musical opus does not let itself be drummed into that often one-sided musical corner. Now there is the self-titled release, which is colored with twelve original songs. Whatever it may be, they play it with all here heart and soul! We already settle down on a front porch with Madcat’s Roughriders. Highly recommended! 

Finally, after two decades and dozens of recordings, we got to the place where it was time for my final Stony Plain record.  All this time, I knew we had to get back to the album we had started back in 2005. I knew those tracks were really strong, but until I listened to them again, I didn’t realize just how strong they really were.” On  Roll With Me, Robillard pays blazing tribute to Texas immortal Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown on “You Got Money” and the instrumental “Boogie Uproar;” legendary blues shouter Big Joe Turner on a piano-driven “Boogie Woogie Country Girl” and New Orleans kingpin Fats Domino on the rumba-rocking “Are You Going My Way.” There’s also a trio of Chicago blues classics from the respective songbooks of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Eddie Boyd. Duke’s vocals connect with the same power as his razor-sharp guitar (Chris Cote takes over at the mic for “Look What You’ve Done” and “You Got Money”). Duke invited some heavy hitters to back him up. Pianist Matt McCabe is on all but two tracks (those feature Bruce Bears), while bassist Marty Ballou and drummer Mark Teixeira keep the rhythm section cooking. Doug James and Rich Lataille are among the muscular saxophonists; Sugar Ray Norcia guests on harp for “Look What You’ve Done.” Duke cools the tempo down to lights-out level for an elegant “Give Me Back My Money,” but the title track sums the mood up: this album hurtles forward like a hard-charging midnight express.

Original Blues, Soul, and Rock & Roll band based out of Northern New Jersey. Powers rock music embodies the essence of his life. This is how rock music should always sound. Irresistible, danceable and everything in between. Highly recommended…! 

Album opener ‘Whirlpool’ is a blues strain that is colored with captivating harmonica. In addition to many acoustic Delta blues songs, the country-infused ‘The Wishing Game’, the cozy piano rockers ‘Rock It All Night’ and ‘No Mercy’ and the jazzy ‘Get Her Outa Yo Head’ provide some diversity. Great!