If you love eclectic modern rock-blues, then you need to hear ‘About Time’. Highly recommended! 

With a lifetime of musical experiences, Salgado maintains a fresh approach to his music. Fine By Me (Little Village, release date June 30, 2024) is the latest evidence of Salgado wielding his impressive songwriting and vocal skills to a wide variety of styles. His music has dashes of blues, gospel, R&B, jazz, funk, rock ’n’ roll and soul at any given moment.

The 2024 comeback within the blues and rhythm & blues can be placed behind the name of the Swede Greger Andersson, better known as Knock-Out Greg. After all, with 'Serves Me The Right To Suffer', he presents his first album since 2004. Greg takes care of the vocals, harmonica and guitar. For the other instruments he surrounds himself with top Scandinavian blues musicians, The Blue Flames. On guitar we hear, besides Greg, Tomi Leino, the electric and acoustic bass were entrusted to Jaska Prepula, drummer on duty is Marcus Anderson and on the piano and organ we find Fredrik Humlin. The album has 10 tracks, including 'Suprovox Mood', an original song by Tomi Leino. As opener Greg chose 'Midnite Blues', a song by Charlie Rich. In the hands of Knock-Out Greg it becomes a rhythm & blues while retaining the country slant. Contemporary rhythm & blues of the best kind! It gets even better when Greg takes out the blues harp for the intro of the title track, a song by Jimmy Dawkins. The same harmonica also sets the Texas shuffle ‘More Than Meets The Eye’ on track. With Eric Bibbs ‘Same Well’ the slow blues makes its entrance. A song that can also count on excellent backing vocals and a wonderful organ solo by Fredrik Humlin. A version that is definitely worth it. The next song is the slightly more uptempo ‘Suprovox Mood’, an instrumental where Knock-Out Greg can go all out on the chromatic harmonica. Later, with ‘Whiskey Heaven’, another great sung slow blues follows. With ‘Bad Mouthing’ the band gives an example of how real downhome blues should sound. The addition of the blues harp gives ‘When The Birds Begin To Sing’ a somewhat zydeco atmosphere. Uptempo, Knock-Out Greg and The Blue Flames can pull out all the stops one last time for the closing track ‘Tight Skirts’. We said it more than once that the Scandinavian blues artists are no less than their American colleagues. That is proven once again here. Throughout the album, The Blue Flames manifest themselves as a band that knows the ropes of the blues. Add to that Knock-Out Greg’s beautiful vocals and ditto harp work and you have one of the blues albums of 2024 with ‘Serves Me The Right To Suffer’.

As Robert Jon & The Wreck prepare for their extensive 2024 tour, they continue to captivate audiences worldwide with their evolving sound and dynamic live performances, ranging from intimate venues to major international festivals. With every new song, including the upcoming album ‘Red Moon Rising’, Journeyman Records reaffirms its commitment to supporting exceptional languages. In an electrifying surge of creativity, Southern rock behemoths Robert Jon & The Wreck are poised to unveil their most ambitious project yet, ‘Red Moon Rising’.

Singer, songwriter, producer and label owner Jim Terr delved into his Blue Canyon recording archive and selected 21 tracks for this album 'Treasures From The Blue Canyon Vaults' released by Bear Family Records. The same Jim Terr also wrote the liner notes for this release, and also provided all information and photos regarding the tracks and the artists. The recordings cover the period 1970-2022 and contain highlights in the singer/songwriter, folk and country genres. These include songs by country legend Steve Young, who wrote hits for The Eagles and Waylon Jennings, among others. Also present is the alternative country star Junior Brown. This compilation contains previously unreleased songs by this duo and a number of original songs by the 'crème de la crème' of the New Mexico music scene. As becomes apparent upon listening, this scene contained a diversity of country genres. It is not surprising that several of the artists presented here won New Mexico Music Awards, because the country music presented here is certainly top-notch. In addition to the beautiful harmonies in the opener ‘She Gave Her Heart To Jethro’ from Terr and Brown, the banjo in ‘Plains Of San Augustine’ by Elliott’s Ramblers provides a light bluegrass feel. Lara Manzanares serves up some wonderful up-tempo country a little later in the ‘Census Song’ written by herself. Chantel Mullen shows that Jim Terr was also a talented songwriter in the lovely ‘Another Sweetie Has My Heart’. The great Steve Young is there with the impressive, emotional ballad ‘Always Loving You’. Wonderfully up-tempo is ‘Dig That Crazy Music’ by Jim Terr and Junior Brown, including excellent guitar work. To get into that typical Mexican atmosphere, there is Carlos Medina with his accordion in ‘Mi Amigo Soldado’, which immediately reminds us of the work of Los Lobos. The vocals of Yara Sisters Madeline and Mia in the song ‘Every Time I See Your Face’, which also came from Terr’s pen, are certainly catchy. Terr can be heard later on in the typical country song ‘Talkin’ To My Wine’ by Bob Aldo, as well as in the song ‘Objects In Mirror’, written by himself.
The album contains several spoken songs, including the beautiful ‘Son Of A Rabbi Man’ by Kate Bennett.
The only two non-original songs are the opener ‘She Gave Her Heart To Jethro’ by Tom T. Hall, performed here by Jim Terr and Junior Brown, and Tom Faile’s spoken trucker classic ‘Phantom 309’ by Junior Brown and The Last Mile Ramblers.
‘Treasures From The Blue Canyon Vaults’ offers a wonderful insight into the rich country scene of New Mexico. The label Blue Canyon Records, as well as the region of New Mexico, are still unexplored by many. Undeservedly so, as this compilation shows. So it was high time that this changed and Bear Family Records has proven this beyond doubt.

Giles Robson is increasingly turning out to be a royal harp virtuoso. Wonderful Delta Blues! This is Giles Robson’s new full length album. The last year has been incredible for Robson, seeing him sell out 10 nights on The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a major 14 date UK/EU tour with Grammy nominated Chicago blues legend John Primer and having Rollin’ Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger rave about his performance at The Mustique Blues Festival of which he was in the audience. ‘Seven Classic Blues’ is Robson’s first full length album since his much praised 2019 release Don’t Give Up on The Blues. It’s an all acoustic live album celebrating some of blues music’s most iconic songs performed in front of an ecstatic sold out audience in the UK’s renowned intimate music venue,Temperance, in the town of Leamington Spa. Highly recommended! 

With ‘Way Up!’ our own Shakedown Tim presents his latest album on the Rhythm Bomb label. ‘Way Up!’ contains 11 songs, 6 of which were written by Tim Ielegems. As The Rhythm Revue Ilias Scotch acts on keys, Kurt Lens plays the upright bass and Koen Van Peteghem is behind the drums. The trio also provides backing vocals. There are also guest contributions from Steven Troch, Tim’s former buddy at Fried Bourbon, Naomi Sijmons, Little Walter (?????? no not that one, but yes……..Tim’s dog), Bart Stone, James Harman and Bird Stevens. Opener ‘Feed My Body To The Fishes’ immediately creates a nostalgic fifties blues atmosphere with a honky tonk piano intro. And by the way, also pay attention to Tim’s excellent work on the six strings. The next track ‘Messin’ With The Blues’ is a beautiful slow blues. Here Tim is vocally supported by Ilias Scotch, while Steven Troch blows a nice piece on the blues harp. Blues artist and guitarist Tiny Legs Tim passed away, too young on May 25, 2022. Tiny Legs Tim, together with Shakedown Tim, provided unforgettable evenings at the Missy Sippy Blues Club in Ghent. That atmosphere is recreated here with gusto, which immediately forms a beautiful tribute to the late blues guitarist. The versatility of Tim Ielegems is once again evident in the rhythm & blues cover of Eddie Boyd's 'Drifting'. The album may have 'Way Up!' as its title, but there is also a 'Way Down'. Beautiful uptempo song with Shakedown on the resonator guitar, supported by Troch's tearing harp. For ‘You’re The Boss’ a Leiber/Stoller composition was used, resulting in a beautiful, somewhat sultry duet, with an excellent vocal contribution from Naomi Sijmons. Amos Milburn was a well-known American rhythm & blues singer and pianist. With a guitarist like Ilias Scotch in the ranks, Milburn’s ‘Real Crazy’ certainly had to be included. Great version!
For ‘Frolic Time’, floating on a wonderfully swinging Charleston rhythm, Tim was inspired by his dog Little Walter, who according to the liner notes is a somewhat quirky animal and who also makes himself heard in the intro. For the recording of ‘A Sinner’s Gospel’ we have to go back to 2018. Tim dedicates this song to Gene Taylor and James Harman. The latter also contributed to the recording, which took place between two concerts in Bird Stevens’ studio. And here too, you can really enjoy Shakedown Tim’s excellent guitar playing. Bluesy but also slightly jazzy, the album closes with the instrumental ‘Please Close The Door’, which puts the instrumental virtuosity of the entire band in the spotlight one last time, after which the door is really slammed shut.
With ‘Way Up!’ Shakedown Tim and The Rhythm Revue have delivered an excellent contemporary blues record. Contemporary but also with respect for the genre and the legendary blues artists. The Rhythm Revue is a well-oiled musical machine, which seamlessly connects with Shakedown Tim’s fantastic guitar playing. ‘Way Up!’??? Of course and …….highly recommended, without a doubt!

With the latest release in the ‘Destination’ series we dock in the harbour of Hong Kong, which was once a British Crown Colony. ‘Destination Hong Kong’ naturally bathes in an oriental atmosphere. And to stay in the oriental lifestyle and myths, the tracks bundled here make use of mysterious titles such as ‘Oriental Hop’, ‘Chinese Boogie’, ‘Shangied’, ‘Hot Sake’, Ching Ching Wong’ and ‘Hong Kong Blues’. Exotic titles that already boost the curiosity. The 26 tracks were all recorded in the fifties and early sixties when travelling to the Far East was not yet accessible to everyone. Often it remained a dream about the land of the rising sun, its culture, lifestyle, dishes, drinks and so on. Well, you can also dream with this compilation from Bear Family Records. Partly due to the millions of Chinese immigrants who built a new life in America, Chinese influences also crept into the songs of American artists. Not only in the titles, but also the Chinese gong and zither provided an oriental atmosphere. You can immediately taste that atmosphere in the instrumental ‘Bop Suey’ by Jack Hale’s orchestra. You will undoubtedly get completely in that atmosphere with the instrumental ‘Oo-Clazy!’ by The Dazzlers, which sounds ‘through and through’ oriental. More instrumental work comes with Danny Steel and Hank Farrell and his Rhythm Boys in ‘Chinese Twist’, which also has a lot of surf in it. ‘Hot Sake’ by Ken Nordine & His Kinsmen also sounds instrumental and very oriental, including a cool organ. Nice, and pay special attention to the background choir, is also the instrumental ‘Ah, So’ by The Highlights. A little later, Melvin Smith provides an oriental rocker with ‘Zaki Sue’. It is not surprising that there are several instrumental tracks on this compilation. After all, creating an oriental atmosphere via an instrumental number is much more drastic. The Calendars must have thought the same when they recorded ‘Hong Kong’, just like Jackie Lee with ‘Hong Kong’ and The Instrumentals in ‘Chop Suey Rock’. Incidentally, you can also rock to ‘Hong Kong Jelly Wong’ by The Royaltones, including a catchy sax. Doo-wop with a Chinese touch is served by The Glad Rags in ‘My China Doll’. More doo-wop comes with ‘Ling, Ting, Tong’ by The Five Keys, as well as with The Hy-Tones and their ‘Chinese Boogie’. In the sixties, the dance craze in the US was enormous. New dances were created almost on an assembly line. Bernie Turner and The Armorettes could not stay behind and created ‘Ching Ching Wong’. You may have noticed how often the word ‘Wong’ is used. The reason is simple….in the Far East, Wong is one of the most common family names. A bit bluesy sounds ‘My Chinatown Girl’ by Leroy Washington. Prefer a pinch of country? Then Webb Pierce is ready for you with ‘Shangied’. Jimmy Bryant was a master on his Telecaster. He shows that again with conviction on ‘Ha-So’. ‘Hong Kong’ by The Quinns is a super nice mix of rhythm & blues and doo-wop. You undoubtedly know ‘Fujiyama Mama’ from Wanda Jackson. Here you get a more rhythm & blues version by Annisteen Allen, who recorded the song a few years before Jackson. Jerry Lee Lewis, the killer, may close the list with the appropriate ‘Hong Kong Blues’.
In the 18-page booklet, Roland Heinrich tells you everything about the American fascination with the Far East. In addition, you get all the information about the artists and the tracks.
As a thematic album, this ‘Destination Hong Kong’ can count. 26 tracks that let you taste the Eastern atmosphere without exception. Beautiful edition!

Black Cat Bones is a high-energy Blues/Rock band that has been entertaining crowds in and around Tucson, Arizona for nearly 20 years. Featuring multi-octave vocals, dueling lead guitars, and a powerhouse rhythm section, this 5-piece band offers an eclectic mix of original music and cover tunes that you won’t hear anywhere else!

Jay Gordon and Blues Venom rocking the blues and boogie at this Woodystoch Blues Festival in 2022. The band is on fire, from the depths of hel land beyond. Never interested in merely modifying the past, Jay has brought the blues into the 21st century, infusing his music with the fire and power of those heavy rock tunes. With all this he has now conquered his own place in the music world. Jay Gordon guarantees catchy blues rock guitar riffs and passionate vocals. It is the essence of his blues sound. 

James Cotton was born in 1935 and died in 2017 at the age of 81. Cotton was certainly one of the most talented and groundbreaking harmonica players. James grew up with the blues giants of his time. They were singers, guitarists, pianists and saxophonists. Sonny Boy Williamson taught him the basic techniques on the blues harp, but the sax players would definitively shape his playing. Cotton modeled his way of playing after the sax parts in rhythm & blues and jazz. Moreover, these were the years that preceded the birth of rock 'n' roll. Naturally, in addition to the blues, he embraced the emerging new music genre, as is evident on this compilation. The album contains 27 tracks, all recorded between 1953 and 1968, including 4 from his very first recording session, 9 songs with the Muddy Waters Band, of which he was a member for a time, 2 tracks from rare British EPs with Chris Barber and Alexis Korner and 12 recordings with Cotton as bandleader, of which 1 Verve recording for the first time here on CD. In addition, you hear creative and innovative musicians such as Pat Hare, Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, Paul Butterfield, Fred Below and Otis Clay. So you can say that James Cotton belonged to the top of the Chicago blues musicians. In addition to his membership of the Muddy Waters Bluesband, James founded his own band in the mid-sixties, with which he also performed at many European blues festivals and continued to record.
James Cotton scores almost immediately with the Jackie Brenston-originated ‘Rocket 88’, here in a superior rhythm & blues version. No wonder, because besides Cotton on vocals and harp, you hear Otis Spann on the piano, James ‘Pee Wee’ Madison on the guitar and the drum skins are played by S.P. Leary. The next number is immediately a Cotton composition, namely the well-known ‘Hold Me In Your Arms’, which he recorded for Sun in 1954. Incidentally, there are classics in abundance on this compilation. For example, you will find ‘Don’t Start Me Talkin’’ from his first solo LP here, as well as the often covered ‘Feelin’ Good’. A first slow blues comes with ‘Cotton Crop Blues’, a number that also closes this album in a remake, after which Muddy Waters is featured for the first time in ‘She’s Got It’, immediately followed by ‘Rock Me (All Night Long)’. Later, Muddy is also present in ‘You Don’t Have To Go’, which Muddy and James wrote together, ‘Short Dress Woman’, ‘I Won’t Go On’, probably with Fred Below on drums, ‘Meanest Woman’, ‘Elevate Me Mama’, ‘I Feel So Good’ and ‘My Dog Can’t Bark’.
A beautiful example of James’ craftsmanship on the Mississippi saxophone is heard on the instrumental ‘Off The Wall’, a composition by Little Walter Jacobs. James also recorded the cool instrumental ‘Jimmy’s Jump’ in England in 1961 with pianist Keith Scott, Alexis Korner on guitar and bassist Chris Barber. The ‘harmonica blowout’ on ‘Three Harp Boogie’ is certainly formidable, where the harpists are on duty alongside Cotton, Billy Boy Arnold and Paul Butterfield. Note that the guitarist is the equally well-known Elvin Bishop.
With ‘Lovin’ Cup’, James honours a composition by Paul Butterfield. Number in which guitarist Luther Tucker is also at his best.
Whether you hear Cotton as an accompanist in the Muddy Waters Band or on his solo projects, you always hear a harper at the top level, who also convinces vocally under his own name.
‘James Cotton Rocks’ is a formidable compilation with recordings of a rightful Grammy Award winner.

An album aptly called 'Apollo III', and it is a release filled with a mix of classic blues songs, some psychedelic renditions of covers and original Rusty Apollo songs. Highly recommended! 

The release ‘Blue Eyed Soul’ is nominated for ‘Album Of The Year’ – R&B/Soul/Blues from the Josie Awards. This is one of the coolest soul/blues albums of 2024... Check it out!, you won't come home disappointed!

Sam travels between Chicago, New Orleans and the Mississippi. And that is precisely where his sound is situated. His original music is a combination of Chicago Urban Blues and New Orleans style. Now the musical journey continues with the release 'Come What May' (I'll Always Love You). Highly recommnded! 

The people with whom we live and work are often our greatest blessings. On his latest record, Comforts of Home, singer/songwriter/guitarist Chris Bergson celebrates family, both biological and chosen.  The 12 songs on the record were written by Bergson and his partner Kate Ross, with assistance on a few tracks from soul singer Ellis Hooks and multi-instrumentalist Craig Dreyer. It’s an intensely personal suite of songs that also trace some of the challenges family can pose. This long player is perhaps the best thing Chris Bergson has achieved. It's a blessing for his fans and a great statement for those who aren't as familiar with his music. 

Modern composed Nordic Folk by a young trio of folk musicians. The album gives peace and a nostalgic feeling. But is also a light in the darkness.

The album ‘Brick By Brick’ is very reflective of how I have built my music career, one brick at a time. The new album by the Boca Raton, Fla. musician is his first for Little Village and shines a light on the multi-dimensional musical talents of Soars. In addition to his base of blues-rock, Soars displays his affection for the influences of gypsy jazz, country, Latin, rock and heavy metal. Highly reecommended!!

The Fugitives wanted to write No Help Coming about the climate emergency. And took their learnings from the months of research they had done for their last album, Trench Songs (JUNO and CFMA nominated), that centered on WW1 soldier songs. These songs were as humorous as they were harrowing. 

Shut Up And Play! is packed with twelve new Toronzo original songs. Sparked by his searing guitar playing, they range from fun-filled, danceable tunes like Something To Do Man to Toronzo’s memorable tongue-in-cheek anthems including the first radio single, I Hate Love, to serious social statements like Had To Go Through It To Get To It and the title track. The song Shut Up And Play! was inspired by the response to Toronzo’s online posts about racism that he had encountered, and in support of Black Lives Matter. He was repeatedly told that his job was to be an entertainer, not to express himself passionately on social issues. As you can hear, Toronzo Cannon is not a man who will bite his tongue (nor would we want him to).

Wellknown for her beautiful children books, Syna Awel composes songs like a real French ‘chansonnière’ with a jazzy and traditional touch.

The songs are highly personal, reflecting on the world we live in. With the help of good friend and acclaimed musician Richard Van Bergen and the “tube magic” at Bird Stevens’ Tub Thumper Records vintage recording studio, Dede Priest & Johnny Clark’s Outlaws added yet another layer to these tracks on their new album. Sultry blues songs, several ballads and packed rockers, colored with spicy guitar riffs, are the band's trademark. An ultimate that further develops and, above all, unfolds their style. Highly recommended release…! 

For the fifth time, Bear Family Records brings together the German artists who shaped rock 'n' roll in their home country in the late 1950s and 1960s. It is clear that there is a demand for this series, because the first volumes were sold out in no time, so that reissues became necessary. That actually makes sense, because for many music lovers this series is pure nostalgia. The album contains recordings that can certainly be classified as garage rock. Other recordings sound a bit more sophisticated. The German Elvis, Ted Herold, can start with his version of Presley's 'A Big Hunk Of Love', after which The Gisha Brothers present their version of Ray Charles' 'What'd I Say'. Herold returns later with 'Ich Bin Ein Mann' and 'Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop'. Things are more garage rocking in Chuck Berry's 'Beautiful Delilah' by The Phantom Brothers, as well as in 'Louie Louie', here in the The Rollicks version. The Pralins also sought inspiration from Berry with 'Talkin' Bout You'. The Rattles, also quite well known here, operated in that genre with 'Mashed Potatoes'. They are featured a second time with 'Tell Me What Can I Do'. Variety rock 'n' roll comes with Suzi Miller and the Starlets with '3 Minuten Rock'. Michael Holm would make a career as a schlager singer. Here he rocks somewhat restrainedly on 'Kein Alibi'. Thanks to the German TV channels, Bernd Spier also gained some fame among us. Here he ventures to Memphis Tennessee'. Who also returns on this volume is Ralf Bendix, now with 'Buona Sera'. Bendix also delivers the closing track of this compilation with '99 Jahr' (Geht Meine Post Jetzt Nach Sing-Sing)'. 'Chantilly Lace' as ‘Ich Liebe You’ goes a bit humorous due to the intro by Rudi Büttner. Another well-known German rocker was certainly Peter Kraus, present here with the somewhat sultry 'Die Strasse der Vergessenen'.
The beautifully designed 34-page booklet contains detailed liner notes as well as all information regarding the artists and the songs and in the German language. The whole thing is visually attractive due to the large number of nostalgic photos, both in black and white and in color.
Fans of German artists who poured the English-language rock 'n' roll hits into a German version will also enjoy this volume immensely, just like the previous four volumes. Although others are more likely to stick to the original versions. Everyone has their own choice, as long as you enjoy the music.

The release '13 Hole Nights' is the successor to his eighth album 'Gaman'. In addition to all kinds of rituals and meditative actions, this spiritual connection manifests itself through our dreams. Two years ago, Breuer made songs from the dreams he had during these 13 holy nights. The first song 'Wild Boars' is based on a dream Breuer had about a football coach, probably Ronald Koeman. 

The now 72-year-old blues guitarist Johnny Laporte proves that age is just a number and is certainly no reason to sit still. After being part of the Dutch blues band par excellence, namely Barrelhouse, for roughly 5 decades, Johnny released his solo debut album 'That's Me' at the end of last year, the review of which you can re-read on this site.
And as if that weren't enough, Johnny recently published his debut novel. You will soon be able to read the review on this site. As busy as Johnny is, and because blues blood runs through his veins, he also formed the group Johnny Feel Good around him, which released their debut album with 'Age Is Just A Number'. Johnny Laporte is indeed feeling good, because all ten songs originated from the collective minds of the band members. They consist of Johnny Laporte and Armando Jansen, both on guitars, Art Bausch sits behind the drum kit, Mark Harmsma plays the bass, Pim Spetter plays the black and white keys and Jan Blaauw takes care of the vocals. The gentlemen have tons of experience. They performed at Barrelhouse, Southside Blues Revue, Livin' Blues, Jura, Blue Planet and The Oscar Benton Blues Band. There is no doubt that you can expect top-level blues. That wonderfully straightforward blues immediately captivates you with opener 'You've Gotta Rumble, with excellent guitar work from Laporte. But otherwise we already expected this. Congratulations also go to the rhythm section and certainly to Jan Blaauw, whose voice is made from good blues cloth. Then 'I Want To Show You' brings you into an attractive, somewhat swampy atmosphere. Soul blues is the support for 'The Gates Are Open'. The album has several tracks that exceed the playing time of 6 minutes, with the 7-minute 'You Don't Know Nothing' as the longest song. The song starts with a sublime guitar intro, after which a gem of a slow blues reveals itself, including the impressive piano part by Pim Spetter and Jan who pulls out all the vocal stops. The accelerator pedal is later pressed a little deeper with the uptempo 'Get Me Some Juice', to continue with the funky 'Steel Trap Mind'. Versatile, Johnny Feel Good continues its journey slower and with masterful guitar work in 'Meet You In LA'. The band then playfully closes with the rocking 'All You've Got'.
If you like super guitar work, a strong rhythm section, bluesy piano sounds and a scorching blues voice, then Johnny Feel Good is the right place for you.
'Age Is Just A Number' is one of those blues albums that I had been hoping for for a long time, but wouldn’t come. This is now a thing of the past, because with 'Age Is Just A Number' Johnny Feel Good has met this shortage 100%. Even more, Johnny Feel Good is 'the next great blues band' from the Netherlands. Highly recommended!

Gerry has now gathered a whole cast around him, Teresa James comes to sing along in a few songs, just as we are happy to embrace, in addition to the usual instruments, mandolin, violin, dobro and pedal steel. This album is packed with no fewer than twenty wonderful country songs. Great..!