​Arkansas musician Bill Carter was born in 1929. He started his musical career in the early fifties. Initially he played country and hillbilly, but in the late 1950s, with the rise of rockabilly, he switched to that genre. After military service, Carter joined Jim DeNoone's country band as a singer in 1953. With that band Bill made recordings in the western swing genre for the 4-star label. You will also find those recordings on this compilation, just like the excellent gospel made for the Rural Rhythm label. And if that's not enough, this double album also contains 14 unknown and thus unreleased recordings with excellent sound quality.
In total you get no less than 67 recordings that Bill made between 1953 and 1961 for 4-Star, Republic, Tally, Ozark, Rural Rhythm, Honey B and 'D', including 'I Wanna Feel Good', his biggest hit, as well as the rockabilly song 'Cool Tom Cat'.
This double CD gives a nice overview of Bill Carter's talent. Whether it was country, hillbilly, rockabilly, rock 'n' roll or gospel, Bill always managed to present these genres with enormous empathy and craftsmanship. If you didn't know Bill Carter, then you are doing a good thing with the purchase of this double album, which offers a very complete overview.

Michael Rubin sings relaxed and the confluence between his swirling harp, the irresistible guitar riffs and that tight rhythm section is a musical melting pot of cool tunes. As with all nine songs, Rubin generously and wisely allows his musicians to shine as much as he does, and that plays no small role in making this album a praiseworthy debut. 

This recording captures Soul Queen Ann Peebles only live recording with the Hi Rhythm Section. Recorded at a show in February '92, Ann Pebbles & the Hi Rhythm Section on a bill with Otis Clay called an Evening of Classic Soul. Ann Peebles & The Hi Rhythm Section 'Live in Memphis', includes hits like 'Part Time Love', 'Straight From The Heart', '(You Keep Me) 'Hangin' On', 'I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down ' and her pop crossover hit 'I Can't Stand The Rain'. A heavenly soul throat, a horn section and tight rhythms supplemented with handsome guitar licks, an irresistible organ groove and fiery backing vocals, what more can a soul concert offer. Ann Peebles digs into her rich hit oeuvre.

​Tommy Sands rocking skills came in sight when he teamed up with The Raiders, who later transformed into The Sharks, backed by the outstanding guitarist Scotty Turner. With them he recorded some brilliant rockers, such as ‘Blue Ribbon Baby’, ‘The Worryin' Kind’and ‘Wicked, Wicked Woman!’. Obviously these songs are on this album, so is his mega hit ‘Teen-Age Crush’.
You can experience through this compilation that Tommy Sands was a rocker in the purest sense. With the first track, 'Is It Ever Gonna Happen', recorded in 1959, of which he was co-author, he immediately resolutely grabs you by the scruff of the neck. The tone is set for 36 rocking tracks. Tommy's fine vocal work and the tight, effective musical setting make his songs shine, with Turner's guitar delivering sublime work. The original songs are tailor-made for Sands, but he also knows how to distinguish himself from the covers of his colleagues in the covers. Whether it was 'straight' or rather 'smooth' rocking, he did it.
Tommy Sands had a lot to offer and yet things didn't go as planned. The divorce from Nancy Sinatra, whom he had been married to for 5 years, as well as the fact that Capitol was arrogant enough to take him out of the rock 'n' roll scene, after which Tommy entertained gamblers in Vegas was not what he deserved. Sadly there was no more rocking. Tommy has also starred in a number of films including ‘The Longest Day’ in which he played a U.S. Army Ranger. In the 1970s, both his singing and acting careers ended. You can read more about Tommy Sands in the extensive booklet by Bill Dahl.
Fortunately, the Bear Family label honors Tommy Sands' rocking career. Recommended!

Now Hans Annellson has with  'Detta Året, Ett Liv' a new pitch, which is richly instrumented nineteen original songs. He opens calmly with 'Våren Är Så Skön', to immediately shift up a gear with the slide guitar inspired 'Var Nöjd' and the rumba and blues harp inspired 'Klandra Andra'.         Hans knows how to captivate us, and this, despite the Swedish lyrics, with a lot of fascinating musical arrangements… Handsome release! 

Three is a magic number, also in music. That’s why the Harley Kimbro Lewis trio performs their feel-good music with outstanding vocals and harmonies

​Tomi Leino is more than just a sensational harmonica talent. This Trio have released a contemporary and traditional electric blues record with the release 'Play That Thing!'. Singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonica virtuoso Tomi Leino, bassist/guitarist Jaska Prepula and drummer Mikko Peltola are one of the most successful blues bands from Helsinki, Finland. Since they founded the band in 2011, they have played almost continuously at countless festivals and blues clubs. Tomi Leino Trio is known for its fat, hypnotic blues groove. The band creates their own sound that easily embraces swamp, blues and rock 'n' roll. Highly recommended release! 

​Can you convincingly bring rock 'n' roll and rockabilly in the French language? Is it possible to stylishly fill the void left by Johnny Hallyday's passing? You may doubt this, but I don't. After listening to 'Rock Rebel' I don't doubt it at all. Céré, or in full Didier Céré, the old rocker from the south of France, blows everyone's socks off with this album and leaves many young musicians far behind, without mercy. Among the list of guest musicians, several well-known names immediately catch the eye. For example, we hear Buddy Whittington on guitar on 5 songs, Nico Wayne Toussaint puts the harmonica to his lips on 4 tracks, Redd Volkaert is guitarist on no less than 7 songs, Floyd Domino crawls behind the piano on 1 track and Red Young is also on 1 song behind the Hammond B. Add to that a horn section and you know that you will be presented with high-quality work here. Céré himself takes care of the vocals and he also plays the acoustic guitar. He starts with the title track, in the language of Molière, in which he immediately pushes the rock-'n-roll accelerator down considerably, including an inspiring sax solo. Successor 'VTwin Boogie' is bursting with originality. A wonderful rockabilly song, given a country touch by the pedal steel, and a blues feel by the harmonica of Nico Wayne Toussaint. For the first time, Céré exchanges the French language for the English language in the rock 'n' roll boogie 'Reeferbilly Boogie'. ‘You Keep On Knocking But You Can't Come In’ is a Little Richard classic. However, it pales in comparison to Céré's version 'Tu Peux Frapper'. What a number! Excellent vocals, heavenly soloing horns and sublime guitar work. One hell of an instrumental boogie is 'Lalla's Boogie', a song written by Cére in collaboration with Whittington, Volkaert, Domino and trumpeter Pascal Drapeau. The song is characterized by a balanced collaboration between piano, horns and guitar. For 'Salut Charly' he goes back to Hallyday and Céré releases the accelerator and measures the song in a country jacket. Céré knows his classics. He knows how to integrate that into his own songs. The 'Daytona Beach', written together with guitarist Jean-Pierre Medou, including harmonica and slide work that appeals to the imagination, floats on the well-known Diddley beat.
Johnny Hallyday has already proven that rocking in French is possible. It is true that there is still room for more, Céré shows how to do this perfectly on 'Rock Rebel', with a nice mix of own songs and covers. Recommended!

​Now there is the EP 'Born To Love You'. Greig Taylor also introduces his new band members here. Drummer Dave Cantwell, guitarist Brian McFie, bassist Nelson McFarlane and keyboard virtuoso David Cowan form the foundation of the formation. The rock and soul song 'Born To Love You' is a penetrating duet with Earl Thomas. The smoldering, passionate but penetrating vocals of frontman Greig Taylor flow straight into Thomas' soul vocals. The funky and rumba-enthusiastic 'I Should've Know' is a hit in the making. Just like the blues rocker 'Crucifixion Blues', which is colored with smoldering drums and wonderful guitar riffs. And the rollin' blues ballad 'Tears In My Beer' is also a modern and heavenly caput. In the near future Greif Taylor will also present his new full length release 'The Light'. We will do it for now with the handsome EP 'Born To Love You'! And that’s sound great! 

After Family and Streetwalkers, vocal chord extraordinaire Roger Chapman embarked on a solo career with the help of his backing-band The Shortlist. This collection gathers the three albums released between 1979 and 1981: ’Chappo’, ‘Live in Hamburg 1979’ and ‘Mail Order Magic’, duly re-mastered.  Cherry Red’s 5CD box also contains two dozen quality bonuses, such as a second live set (Hamburg 1981), a very nice BBC Radio concert and a great deal of outtakes from the ‘Chappo’ sessions. A nicely illustrated booklet tells you everything.
This is rather heavy, brutal stuff based on R&B and with no sign of compromise in sight! The Shortlist too should get their credit: Chapman’s voice is monotonous at times and the band provide a varied musical background with an organ (Tim Hinkley), a saxophone, vibes & synths (Poli Palmer), and Geoff Whitehorn’s sneering guitar. Truly authentic Chapman.
Radio 68  plays  choice tracks on Wednesday 27 April 2022 from 11 a.m. onwards. 

​Tony Sheridan is the sixth British artist to be featured in 'The Brits Are Rocking' series by the German Bear Family. Sheridan's relationship with The Beatles is widely known. For example, Paul McCartney named Tony Sheridan as their teacher, with George Harrison especially learning a lot in the field of guitar playing. After all, Sheridan had much more experience in that area. His contact with the Fab Four during their stay in the band's early years in Hamburg made Sheridan, along with Bill Haley, one of the most important artists in German rock 'n' roll and was therefore responsible for developing the 'Hamburg Sound'. In addition to his contacts with The Beatles, Tony also recorded under his own name. These recordings, also known as the 'Polydor rockers', he recorded from 1961 to 1965, are now brought together on 'Skinny Minny'. Tony's credit is certainly that he managed to provide the covers of the American rock 'n' roll hits with his own twist.
That Tony Sheridan was not only a hugely talented guitarist but also vocally strong, is evident from the 29 tracks on this album. Unfortunately, the great success was not awarded to him. Despite his influence for The Beatles and the clever recordings under his own name, he was only given a footnote in the history of British rock 'n' roll.

​Dana Fuchs is one of the most admired blues-rock stars in the world today. Her latest effort ‘Borrowed Time’, finds her revisiting her southern rock roots with a deliciously dangerous collection of her incredible songs and lyrics. The record 'Borrowed Time', which is again released on the Ruf Records label, is the successor to the successful 'Love Lives On' from 2018. Dana's producer Bobby Harlow (Detroit Cobras, Samantha Fish) managed to capture the intensity, necessity, power, reticence and passion of Dana's live show on this studio album in its rawest form. That is also Fuch's most rocking and musical offering in her career. Great! 

​Successor of the splendid album Truce, but maybe too experimental for the prog or jazzrock fan.

'Ecstasy' is the code word for the fourth entry to Sadie's Gentlemen's Club, where DJ Mark Armstrong will get you in the right mood with 30 appropriate tracks. As soon as you enter, a true artist will be resounding through the immense speakers. None other than Ray Charles welcomes you with the classic 'Hit The Road Jack'. And so it goes on at high level for more than 1 hour. Rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll and soul of the best kind fill 'Visit 04, Ecstasy' in the more than fantastic series 'Sadie's Gentlemen's Club'. Highly recommended!

​The release 'Cow Country', a quirky mixture of blues, country, bluegrass and Americana. Jack is supported by guitarist Herman “Bluesman” Frank and seasoned musicians Johannes Blanksma on drums and Rob Taekema on bass. Opening with a song like 'Ain't Waitin' is like kicking in an open door for Jack. His rough voice nails itself like an ideality to his intended sound. Jack Bottleneck has achieved his next highlight with the album 'Cow Country'. Great!

​Lew Jetton wrote and produced all songs on Deja Hoodoo. The songs were recorded at Paradise Studio and Coffee Street Studio in Paducah, Kentucky, and then remastered at Highland House Productions in Jackson, Tennessee by Wes Henley, Carl Perkins’ longtime band leader. ‘Deja Hoodoo’ also includes guest shots by the likes of Bob Lohr, Chuck Berry’s longtime piano player, harmonica ace JD Wilkes of The Legendary Shack Shakers, who is actually an original member of 61 South. The release ‘Deja Hoodoo’ includes many of the bands most requested songs, from the hilarious “Waffle House Woman” to the hard hitting blues of “I Been Cheated” to the contemporary themes of “Mexico,” Lew Jetton proves himself a clever and diverse song creater. Highly recommended and for yet another very contrasting release!

​Now David Lumsden (vocals, guitar) entered the studio with drummer Jim Engel, Gary Davis (bass/keyboard), Rich Leigh (bass) and Tim Bahn (keyboards). The record 'Rooted In The Blues' is an excellent and very varied album.

​This isn’t the first ‘private pressing’ released by Cherry Red / Grapefruit, but Complex are in a different league as they put out two private pressings and left us an five-song acetate that should have their third album. All this plus a series of acetates and alternative versions have now been gathered on three compact discs.
Their songs, mostly self-penned, vary from very catchy light psychedelic tunes to heavier, up-tempo songs - but surely the best tunes are in the first category. The light melodic psych of ‘Funny Felling’ could have been a contender for the Top 40, like the civilized heavy ‘Green-Eyed Lucy’. The organ-driven ‘Live For the Minute’ combines heavy and craftsmanship. The second album is heavier but also less coherent and too non-distinct (those cloned guitar solos!). The third disc is a hotch-potch of  mostly later efforts that will only interest completists. 
All in all, this is a very nice re-mastered re-issue of a batch of qualitative songs that reflect an era.  An illustrated booklet tells the entire story. 

​The thirteen original tracks assimilate the sounds of North Mississippi Hill Country over New Orleans to Delta blues inspired grooves. A sound that also proved to be a success formula on Miss Bix’ acclaimed release 'We Don't Own The Blues'. Miss Bix is a satisfying discovery. The release 'Bring It' is therefore a refreshing relief in this all too often dark blues scene. 

Over the years Hyde has grown into a more expressive vocalist. He alternates his vocal moods with a melodic soundscape. It is a relaxed record, with a lot of funky and blues influences tracks. Josh Hyde continues to evolve, sounds authentic. Great…

Pink Felt Trip from the London cult band The Chemistry Set is definitely one of the best neo-psychedelic albums of the last decade.  Stunning guitars, compelling melodies in swirling songs.
Imagine yourself back into the ‘60/’70’s.

​The coincidence necessitated an entirely Belgian occupation. The band members JB Biesmans (vocals, saxophone, harp), guitarist Jimmy Hontelé, bassist Winne Penninckx, drummer Marc Gijbels and Hammond organ virtuoso Patrick Cuyvers have of course already earned their stripes in various and successful formations. The release 'Bending The Rules' contains eleven original songs, and is the successor to the successful album 'Wired Up' from 2018. We already got a foretaste last year with the singles 'Gotta Get Away' & 'Too Many People', and also 'A Stiffer Drink' was an apparent success story at the beginning of 2022. Now there is the album 'Bending The Rules'. And as the title indicates, a nice coloring outside the lines. Swinging West Coast, and jazzy structured title track, some Chicago blues and a rare ballad! Highly recommended release! 

​In the series 'Rockin' Soul Party', the KokoMojo label is looking for pearls within the rhythm & blues that showed the first signs of soul. These songs would later also form the inspiration for the releases of well-known labels such as Tamla Motown and Stax. Just like on the previously released three volumes, this release also contains 30 tracks by legends and lesser-known artists who were the first to import soul into rhythm & blues and thus laid the seeds for the soul genre. Both solo artists and vocal groups did this.
If you want to discover the origin of soul in its purest form, then this volume is an absolute must, just like the three previously released albums in this series. An absolute must!

​Now Ruth LaMaster has 'Live at 3rd and Lindsley' is the stores, the successor to her fifth album 'Good Life'. Together with drummer Tom Hambridge, guitarists Scott Holt and Nick Nguyen, bassist Calvin Johnson and keyboard virtuoso Lewis Stephens, Ruth presents fourteen unbridled rock songs.

​"The Call", on Tiny Legs Tim's label "Sing My Title", is the third studio album for Steven Troch and his band. It is the successor to the successful digital gadget 'Leftover', which appeared during the full corona pandemic. We once wrote that the Mechelse clay in itself had nothing to do with the hard-worked soils in and around the Mississippi Delta. Unless the musical factotum is called Steven Troch. Well, we are very happy that this facto is still preserved. The musical chemistry is clearly noticeable in the set list. Troch's cutting harpeminence is of course the common thread through the songs. Opening with songs like 'Bad Times' is like kicking in an open door for Steven. Steven Troch Band has produced their most versatile and divergent record with 'The Call'. Highly recommended!