​The recording of John Primer & The Teardrops Tribute to Magic Slim is a labor of love. We want to bring Magic Slim back into focus and illuminate what they accomplished together. John wants the younger generation to hear Magic Slim & The Teardrops and realize where the music came from. Magic Slim was a giant in the world of blues! John Primer was given the opportunity to stand on his shoulders and carry the blues forward. This tribute is a gift to Magic Slim for all he did for John and the Teardrops! We hope everyone will research Magic Slim & The Teardrops, give them the respect they deserve, and enjoy the music they made together!

​With 'Oh Lonesome Me' we have arrived at the eighth volume in the 'Rhythm & Western' series. The series that focuses on the recordings made by artists from the black community. Recordings that could be linked to country & western.
We immediately start with a swinging rhythm & blues version of 'Cherokee Boogie' by Bullmoose Jackson. Song that was also recorded by Hank Williams and Johnny Horton, among others. Another brilliant example comes from Dinah Washington with her version of ‘I Don't Hurt Anymore’, which gave Hank Snow a hit in 1954. Dinah turned it into a beautiful slow rhythm & blues with a somewhat jazzy slant.
The Olympics perform nice harmony vocals in the rousing 'Dooley', which even has some gospel in it. Gospel is undeniably also an ingredient of the classic ‘I'm A Pilgrim’ by the vocal group The Swanee Quintet. The song was also recorded by country artists, such as Merle Travis, Bill Monroe, Willie Nelson and Doc Watson, among others.
A moment Bo Diddley came closest to country & western in his entire career was during the recording of 'Put The Shoes On Willy'. Most of the time you hear Little Walter on the blues harp but in Eddie Wares blues 'Lima Beans', Walter is the guitarplayer. Another legend is Buddy Holly. He serves as guitarist on the cajun country classic 'Jole Blon', performed here by the young Waylon Jennings, w.o. is fantastically backed by saxophonist King Curtis. Grandmaster Fats Domino provides the necessary portion of New Orleans rhythm & blues with 'Lil' Liza Jane'. Closing is done with a wonderful instrumental guitar number by Sylvester Weaver on slide guitar in 'Guitar Rag'.
‘Oh Lonesome Me’ is a wonderful continuation of the path Little Victor took with the Rhythm & Western series. A recommended series!

​Peter Storm & The Blues Society are ready to conquer the International Blues scene! Het debuutalbulm ‘First’ was gereleaset in 2020. Peter Storm &The Blues Society are the hottest blues band in Portugal, with its own sound signature, strong stage presence, voice and style, dresses with elegance and blends the more conservative side of the Blues with 21st century accents in its original songs by recreating the right timeless atmosphere, taking the audience into an unforgettable journey!

​The Firebirds are a five-piece band from Leipzig, Germany, who showcase their very personal interpretation of rock 'n' roll from the fifties and sixties on this album. That own interpretation is immediately apparent on opener 'You Don't Like To R 'n' R', including a fat sax solo. Sax who also put successor 'Blinding Lights' on the tracks. Even pop influences do not avoid The Firebirds. Traces of this can be found in 'Sweet Kisses'. Handsome harmony vocals also fit the band like a glove, as the gentlemen show in 'Mama Should Know'. An outlier is certainly the somewhat jazzy and a 'theatre feel' creating 'Boyfriend'. What a song!
Lyrically, The Firebirds also score in a special way. They avoid beaten paths like the plague. They prefer to continue in a narrative way. A wonderful example of this is certainly the quietly swinging 'The Way Love Goes', which is followed by the slow 'Moviestar', to which the gentlemen also add a bit of doo-wop. ‘Mr. Sunshine' goes even further back in time. Here you get more of a 'roaring twenties' feeling, mixed with vocal delights. What a structure that number has. With 'My Guitar' it is a bit of a shock when the band firmly prefers the fifties rock 'n' roll tour. Familiar in pure Firebirds style, 'Area 51' sounds a little later. A wonderful rhythm & blues, which ends with an emotional steel guitar and transitions almost seamlessly into the dreamy 'Down By The Sea'. They end with 'Let The Good Times Roll'. The umpteenth version of the Louis Jordan classic, I hear you say. NO, this quintet composed their own 'Let The Good Times Roll'.
In short we can conclude that The Firebirds are more than just another contemporary rock and roll band. Comparing them to other contemporary bands that keep the rock 'n' roll fire burning is pointless. After all, this group does not stick to the fifties sound that other bands try to approach as much as possible. Is this a disadvantage? Certainly not, although it takes some time to adjust when your ears are used to the rawer sound of fifties rock and roll. However, if you need a special contemporary and certainly innovative sound, then 'Stripes' by The Firebirds is definitely your thing. I'm already won over!

Strange but intriguing songs in the collaboration of the Japanese singer Ueda and the French Avantgarde band Poil.  Groundbreaking!

Formed in 1964 and disbanded in 1978, Wolverhampton group The Montanas played for packed venues time and again, but none of their eight singles on Pye records troubled the charts, except for a minor hit with ‘You’ve Got to be Loved’ … in America. ‘You’ve Got to be Loved’ was just one of many Jackie Trent & Tony Hatch songs they recorded, clearly pointing out their musical direction. Hatch himself was convinced they would eventually make it with the sound he provided them, but that never happened. The Trent & Hatch sound was polished, fully orchestrated, with a soft beat and gentle harmonies – in other words: out of joint with the times. A switch to MAM and new line-ups didn’t alter the situation. 
But that exactly is their legacy: soft pop, in the vein of some early Mersey groups like The Fourmost of The Four Pennies, of the highest standard and fully professional.
Still, you will find quite a few upbeat tunes on the b-sides, fuzzy guitars and all, usually written by band members who weren’t taken seriously as song-writers.
At any rate, this double cd gathers everything ever recorded in the studio, including demos, different takes and a batch of songs that were left in the drawers.
The booklet also explains the relation between The Montanas, The Move, prog rockers Trapeze and Glen Hughes, then of Finders Keepers fame. 
Radio 68 has a special in store for you on Sunday 26 and Tuesday 28 March, from 12 noon onwards (CET). 

New Orleans has produced a decent number of extremely talented pianists. Just think of Jelly Roll Morton, Allen Toussaint, Fats Domino, Mac Rebennack aka Dr. John and Professor Longhair, as the most famous keyboard players. And yet there is one important person missing from the list, namely James Booker who was perhaps the best. When he died from drug-related health problems in 1983, Booker had only four albums to his name. In his own country he did not enjoy a huge reputation, but fans in Germany adored him. Between 1976 and 1978, James played about a hundred concerts there. Concerts that were shrouded in a mysterious haze until yesterday. But that is now changing. After all, Richard Weize Archives tells the story of Booker's European adventures on this edition. This is done on the basis of 5 CDs packaged in a luxurious 10 inch, 60 page book containing beautiful, often never before seen photos and illustrations, extensive liner notes and new information about Booker's European tours. The 5 CDs contain three complete concerts. These took place in East Berlin in December 1976, in Lausanne in January 1977 and in Leipzig in October 1977. You can read how and why James Booker gave his best concerts behind the Iron Curtain in an article by Johannes Waechter in the book.
After listening to the 5 CDs, it is so true that James Booker was a piano genius in New Orleans rhythm & blues. Sometimes vocally, accompanying himself on piano, sometimes also completely instrumentally, but James Booker fascinates across the board. In addition, his voice was unique. Blues or soul, it didn't matter, he always managed to get out of the corner vocally and emotionally. In addition to his own songs, he also knew how to give a completely different twist to other people's work and this in the most diverse music styles. In addition to original songs, you will find work by, among others, Earl King, Percy Mayfield, Hank Williams, Leadbelly, Ray Charles, Allen Toussaint, Curtis Mayfield, The Beatles, Fats Domino, Huey 'Piano' Smith, Joe Tex, T-Bone Walker and Charles Brown. But he also gives music by classical composers such as Beethoven and Chopin a very personal touch. In addition, no one knew how to link songs and turn them into a medley, as James Booker did.
His voice and his piano, that's all James Booker needed to impress.
This formidable release is an unprecedented tribute to a legendary artist. If you don't know James Booker, well then this is the dream release to get rid of this problem once and for all. A must have for fans of piano New Orleans rhythm & blues. You won't find better than this!

Anyone listening to Alabama Mike has a simple choice:  Brace yourself for some raw and sometimes uncomfortable truth, or run the other way. His new album, Stuff I’ve Been Through, is loaded with 11 original songs that pit Alabama Mike face-to-face with what he sees in today’s society. The album features Alabama Mike (Michael Benjamin) at his most outspoken. It weaves from old-school Southern soul to straight-ahead blues to the earthy street-funk and R&B gleaned from his blue-collar neighborhood of Richmond, Calif., where he has lived for the past 25 years. And, there’s a gospel power to this music that increases its intensity. This is evidence that Alabama Mike is one of the few blues artists today who writes strong, memorable songs that are simultaneously unique, but steeped in blues tradition. Highly recommended! 

​Leroy Kirkland is the next to complete the 'Koko Mojo Songwriter Series'. Depending on the source you consult, he was born in 1904 or 1906. His first occupation, starting as a butcher, did not suggest that he would become a renowned songwriter and arranger. He started his musical career in 1932 as a banjo player. In the early 1940s, Leroy moved to New York. After World War II he returned to music and worked as an arranger and songwriter for Erskine Ramsay Hawkins' swing band. Then Kirkland joined the Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey band. From 1951 he was the arranger for the Savoy label and worked for labels such as Carol, Groove, Mercury, Okeh, RCA Victor, Vik, Wing and several independent labels. In addition, he was also a driving force behind the rock and roll shows of the legendary d.j. Alan Freed and organized sessions for The King's Henchmen. The really productive years for Leroy were the 1960s, when his cross-over rhythm & blues compositions could count on worldwide interest. When he passed away on April 6, 1988, Leroy Kirkland left a legacy of more than 700 songs. From that rich oeuvre, 28 songs found their way to 'Thrill-A-Dill'. Songs that contain rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll, soul and a dash of jazz by solo artists and vocal groups. Famous names include Sonny Terry, Dinah Washington, Alan Freed and His Rock 'n' Roll Band, Clyde McPhatter and The Five Keys.
Perhaps the name Leroy Kirkland meant little or nothing to you. However, when you listen to this compilation, you witness some of his remarkable compositions. Another very successful release in the 'Koko Mojo Songwriter Series'.

​Johnny Wheels is a singer-songwriter/harmonica player inspired by the soul of the Pacific Northwest. His band The Swamp Donkeys are inspired by Johnny's 'live a song edge'. So they like to add a bit of spice to their musical exploration during the live shows. His sound now diverges from Southern soul over a few ballads and peppered blue tunes! 

'The Big Bottle Of Joy' is now Matt Andersen's tenth album. The road that the Canadian singer / songwriter has traveled is enormous. While he initially played in cafes for a dozen people, he now fills entire music theatres. The many tours and the associated being far and long from home, inspired Matt for the 12 songs on this album, which is an ode to life. The long journeys, the loss of your loved one, the nights in hotels and motels leave traces. Being good to each other and taking care of each other not only makes you feel good, but it also makes it easier than doing everything on your own. That is the message Andersen wants to convey. And that also happens on this new release. A release that gets an extra boost from the vocal contributions of The Smiths, consisting of Reeny, Haliey and Micah. They give the album a unique soul touch.
With 'The Big Bottle Of Joy' Matt Andersen delivers a masterpiece. An album that also gives you a good feeling. Something that is quite a rarity these days. To cherish!

​‘Hoohahs and Cat Calls’ is a joint record from Odin and Bjørn Berge and is the result of two self taught artists that doesnt have a technique exploring their own musicality and masculinity, focusing on the toxic and most animated parts of it.

​Blues has long been regarded as the 'devil's music' and the perfect genre to provide entertainment on a Saturday night. In other words, on ‘Shake That Thing’, the third volume in the ‘Sin On Saturday, Pray On Sunday’ serie, the genre is well represented. Would you like some examples?
Tender Slim, also known as Fender Guitar Slim, gets the Saturday night off to a glorious start with the rousing 'Don't Cut On Me'. With a nice example on the blues harp, Big Jack Reynolds keeps the tempo high in 'I Had A Little Dog'. For one of bassist Willie Dixon's most remarkable compositions, we have to turn to Bob Gaddy's 'Could I'. Partly due to the background choir, this song also has something gospel-like. By the way, we hear Dixon as bass player in 'Too Late' by harmonica player Little Walter. The other accompanists were also not the least, namely guitarists Robert Lockwood Jr. and Luther Tucker and drummer Fred Below.
We can certainly count on the great Mahalia Jackson for a pious Sunday. She shows her vocal qualities again in the 1953 released 'Said He Would'. Gospel and blues had something in common after all. Listen to 'Didn't It Rain' by Reverend Charles White, accompanied by bluesman James Butler. The Sensational Nightingales provide gospel in its purest form with 'To The End'. That also applies to 'This May Be The Last Time' by The Colemanaires. What a rousing harmony! In 1952, The Radio Four made their record debut with "Blood Done Signed My Name," a beautiful gospel song with minimal instrumental accompaniment.
Furthermore, impressive work by Little Richard, Jerry McCain, The Mello-Tones, Snooky Pryor, Howlin 'Wolf, Billy Boy Arnold, The Fairfield Four, J.B. Lenoir and Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup can close this again magnificent volume with 'Dirt Road Blues', which bears a resemblance to 'That's All Right Mama'.

​Put five Ausies in a studio and you'll get unconditional musical enthusiasm. Like an exorcism they break through the daily concerns. 'Taken By Force' is the second full-length release by the band from Melbourne.

Tribute to the late Tidiani Koné, founder of the traditional Mali afro beat.  Solomane composed beautiful layered songs which confirms the musical connection between Mali and Nigeria.​

​Rockin' Rollin' USA, Visit 01, Canada, Shhhhhhh Blast Off' is the first release in the new series from Pan American Recordings. The 28 tracks on this album include songs released on major and local labels between 1955 and 1963. Local labels such as Aragon, Apex Français, Barry, Quality and Rodeo may be less known or perhaps not known at all, but they certainly recorded songs that are more than worth listening to. Every state had a local hero. Some stayed that way, but others left their hometowns and moved on. In this series, compiler Mark Armstrong also pays attention to their musical journey. But before we start our journey through the American states, we first focus on Canada. This first volume features records that were produced in Canada as well as those that were imported there.
What can you expect? That's pretty simple. Vocal and instrumental rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and country at the highest level.
Give that volume knob a good turn to the right, because this new series is the umpteenth direct hit. Unbelievable that there are still so many really great songs, of which we didn't even suspect the existence. Thanks to compiler Mark Armstrong for drawing our attention to this and just as much thanks goes to Henrique San who makes the editions visually attractive with his matching artwork.

​The Stadlander project is the band around Ghent jazz pianist Stijn Engels. A project in which he shows his most personal side. His own musical creations take shape here and find their way to the outside world, under the impetus of his fantastic fellow musicians

​With 'Bim Bam Boom', the seventh volume in the 'More Boss Black Rockers' series, compiler Little Victor once again treats us to 28 fantastic songs. Songs that you can classify under both rhythm & blues and 'early' rock 'n' roll. True to tradition, this volume also contains a mix of well-known and lesser-known artists. We take a successful start with Willie King's 'Peg Leg Woman', released in 1956. He may not enjoy the fame that the other 3 Kings received, but that does not alter the fact that it is a beautiful guitar-driven rocking rhythm & blues. And then we're off for over an hour of rocking rhythm & blues and rock 'n' roll. Solo singing or sublime harmony vocals or instrumental, it's all covered on this album.
It goes without saying that volume 7 'Bim Bam Boom' is more than an absolute must.
Volume 8 entitled 'Rock & Roll Baby' is scheduled for April. Volumes 9 and 10, listening to the titles “Hey Doll Baby” and “Lonely Lonely Train” respectively, will be released in May and June. Enjoy it!

​The Nighthawks, it’s the 50th year for this legendary Blues and Roots band, and they’re finally back on tour! They recorded a fine 50th Anniversary album, established 1972 in the dark days of isolation, and once things got rolling again, new songs brought them back into the studio – not originals but great compositions from classic Blues sources like Muddy Waters, Little Milton and Johnny “Guitar” Watson, plus a very cool tune by old friend Al Anderson. Slant Six features six new recordings that deliver the heart and soul of this great live band.

​Beautiful hommage to Somalia’s funky music scene. Recommended!

​On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. Immediately the race for the conquest of space by America and Russia became a fact. This was such a radical event that it also prompted artists in the most diverse musical genres to dedicate songs to it. The German Bear Family collected 29 tracks around this theme.
Vocal or instrumental rhythm & blues, rockabilly, country or hillbilly, all genres had something to do with 'the race to conquer space'.
'Sputnik!' is therefore a fantastic compilation that musically beautifully translates the influence of the conquest of space, by artists in various genres in the middle of the last century.
And also pay attention to the 38-page colorful booklet where, in addition to information about the artists and the tracks, you can also enjoy photos related to the first steps of the ‘space age’.

​After two albums that delved into the darker corners of America with bleak stories ominously colored by synthesizers and studio effects, the Memphis band Lucero decided it wanted to get back to rock ’n’ roll basics on their new album, Should’ve Learned by Now. It was written in bits and pieces over the last few years. It’s a collection of (mostly) upbeat rock and roll songs that didn’t fit the thematically darker two previous albums, Among the Ghosts (2018) and When You Found Me (2021). On those records there was no room for anything that wasn’t super serious. If it wasn’t intense and brooding it had to be set aside. But finally, all that fun stuff has a home! It’s time to get these songs out into the world! That’s how we got to the appropriately-for-us-titled album Should’ve Learned by Now. The album is basically about how we know we are fuckups and I guess we are ok with that. 

​Tim Grimm has already had a 25-year musical career, in which he profiled himself as a storyteller in the style of John Prine, Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. He mainly sought his inspiration in his own circle, such as family and the local community to which he belonged. He partly does that also on 'The Little In-Between'.
Tim wrote the nine songs during three months in the fall / winter of 2021. He then went to the studio and recorded them with only his acoustic guitar as accompaniment. Then he gradually added atmospheric accents by means of cello, electric guitar, steel guitar, drums and bass. Alice Allen, Sergio Webb, Mark Clark and Justin Bransford respectively took care of this, but mainly it remained Tim’s voice and Tim's acoustic guitar. On 'The Little-In Between' singer / songwriter Tim Grimm takes you on an emotional rollercoaster through peace, loss, sadness and love in a folk way.

​'Audrey', named after the Billy Lehman song of the same name, is already the fifth volume in 'The Rockin' Spot' series. A series that conjures up expertly selected rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and rhythm & blues on your plate. Volume 5 again contains 28 songs, which probably won't tell you much or even nothing at first sight. Until you listen…..and then you know. Buddy Covelle immediately blows your socks off with 'Lorraine' doused in a nice vintage clean sounding guitar. Rocking 'Little Richard style' we continue the chosen path with 'Uncle John' by Wild Child Gipson. And so it goes on......! With ‘Mercy, Mr. Percy 'rhythm & blues singer Varetta Dillard scored a hit. Her 'Promise Mr. Thomas' is also a blast of a rhythm & blues. Vocal group The Valiants, on the other hand, is wildly enthusiastic about 'Frieda, Frieda' and musically express it that way. Saxophonist Preston Love could be heard with his orchestra on many well-known Motown recordings from the 1960s. Here his orchestra backs Beverly Wright on the rhythm & blues 'Kissin' Boogie' while Preston plays a beautiful sax solo. You can enjoy great rockabilly via Jack Scott's 'Geraldine'. An instrumental that also lays down a hypnotic groove is 'Fling' by The Phaetons. Rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and beautiful vocal work follow each other in rapid succession.
A fun fact is that Mark Robinson, the performer of 'Pretty Jane' is none other than Lee Hazlewood. On that song you can also hear another legend, namely Duane Eddy on the guitar.
In short, with 'Audrey' the Atomicat label continues the successful series 'The Rockin' Spot'.

Multiple Blues Music Award winner Nick Schnebelen is back with a high-octane rock-blues album, What Key Is Trouble In?. The new, all-original 13-track album sees him hitting his stride with incendiary fretwork, right up there with Stevie Ray Vaughan, matched by his formidable singing style and songwriting skills. It features his core band of Adam Hagerman and Cliff Moore, with special guests Red Young (keyboards), Buddy Leach (saxophone), and Aaron Mayfield (organ).