​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). 

​​PD Martin, aka Piet Vercauteren, is emerging as a musician somewhere in the fall of 2019, together with drummer Rien Gees and bassist Joris Holderbeke, which led to a real trio. It started as a blues power trio, which quickly grew into a funky blues quartet. Keyboard virtuoso Hein Mandos completes the rhythm section. Four years later they present their debut album 'Soulbeat Incarante', on the label Naked Records. The eleven original tracks are a wide variety of musical styles. Check it out! 

​Experimental and jazzy album with great educational value.  But also very interesting due to the rousing sounds and rhythms.  Listen and watch the video, and make your own judgement.

​After 'All Arms On Deck!' and 'Luna Umi!' is 'DbREAM' the third single from 'Etudes For Piano'. Short fragments fluctuate with fascinating and longer pieces, jazz and classical mix in a virtuoso way.

The next release that will be discussed in the 'Destination' series, has as its subject a destination where you do not want to end up, namely the prison or 'jail'. In American roots music, such as country, hillbilly and rock 'n' roll, there are many songs that can be placed in this context. In addition to life behind bars, these songs can also deal with gruesome crimes, escapes or remorseful confessions. Examples of this can be found galore on this compilation.
A mix of well-known and lesser-known artists provide formidable thematic country, rock 'n' roll and rockabilly. It's best to stay out of prison, but this album is definitely a winner.

George ‘Harmonica’ Smith (1924 – 1983) had more than paid his dues as a harmonicist – and singer - when he entered the studio to record his first long-player. As irony would have it, his hero Little Walter passed away around that time and ‘Blues with a Feeling’ became a tribute from one harmonicist to another rather than a plain solo album exhibiting Smith as such. No worries though: having played with Muddy Waters, George ‘Harmonica’ Smith succeeded in recruiting Muddy’s band for the studio sessions (S.P. Leary, Otis Spann, Lawrence ‘Little Sonny’ Wimberley, Luther Johnson and the young, but brilliant Marshall Hooks). Hence, ‘The Chicago Blues Band’ should, in fact, be read as Muddy’s Band! The tribute doesn’t just feature Little Walter compositions, but also songs associated with the Master, such as Willie Dixon’s ‘Too Late’, ‘Mellow Down Easy’ and ‘My Babe’.  Recorded in 1968 with the personnel mentioned, ‘Blues with a Feeling’ is as Chicago as Chicago can possibly get!
See also our review of that other Smith re-release on BGO Here

​At 23, Venable is a fiery presence well-known in the roots music world. Her name has grown in stature with each new album and high-energy gig. She’s a ripping guitar player with style and tone for days, a commanding singer, and a songwriter with the power to make blues music that speaks to contemporary fans. The new record, produced by Grammy winner Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi), features guest appearances by Joe Bonamassa and living legend Buddy Guy.