The Commoners, a rock band from Toronto, Canada, embrace a rich Southern Rock sound with energetic guitar riffs, soulful vocals and harmonies. A natural evolution from their 2022 album ‘Find A Better Way’, ‘Restless’ offers a peek behind the curtain of success, revealing the gruelling routines and ragged emotions that hide behind the glamorous aesthetic of a rock band on the rise. With introspective, slower-tempo numbers pocketed amongst rip-roaring anthems, the new album, recorded at RHC Music in Toronto, is a portrait of a hardworking group revitalizing a classic genre.

Jojjo and Amedee met in high school as guitarists for the Fontainbleau Jazz Ensemble. After several years away, playing different musical venues, they reconnected at a benefit show featuring Dr. John and Rockin' Doupsie. After playing music together again, they realized that they had something incredible to offer the community. Thus, the Pontchartrain Shakers were born, driven by the deep roots in the blues and the sweet interweaving harmony of traditional jazz.

Robert Kopec on Bas and drummer Roger Voss are now also Scott's his soul mates. Scottt Weis’ vocal cords seem steeped in whiskey, just like the Singel "Tennessee Whiskey" includes some scorching guitar solos in addition to all of this. And that is the common thread throughout this live album. Highly recommended!

Imagine your own Bollywood movie with these empelling songs. About time to respect the Hindi musical movement. 

In the middle of the previous century, rhythm & blues flourished like no other. Artists who later received an honorable mention, as well as those who only proved to be worthy of a footnote, recorded dizzying songs. The fourth volume in the ‘Hi-Strung R & B’ traditionally brings together 28 of those numbers, which once again show what wonderful music was recorded at the time. Grand lady Dinah Washington can start right away with ‘Ring My Phone’, which also bridges the gap between rhythm & blues, rock-‘n-roll and pop. You may know the song earlier in the version by Brenda Lee. What follows is the beautiful harmony singing of the vocal group The Mello-Tones. During ‘Rattle Shake Roll’ they are musically supported by Hank Ivory’s orchestra, after which we remain in the doo-wop genre with The Rocketeers and their ‘Talk It Over Baby’. The Coins, present here with ‘Look At Me Girl’, also operated in that genre. Lots of great harmonies on this compilation. The Adventurers also provide that in ‘Wallflower’. Later on, The Rivingtones also follow with ‘Have Mercy, Mercy Baby’, The Swallows in ‘Itchy Twitchy Feeling’, The Five Keys in ‘It’s A Groove’ and The Charms with ‘Hearts Of Stone’. A great example of the combination of authentic rhythm & blues and doo-wop comes with ‘Guitar Player’ by The Evergreens. And as the title already suggests, the gentlemen also treat you to a great guitar part. Fans of the sound of the sax will get their money’s worth during ‘I’m Telling You Baby’ by saxophonist Bumps Myers. Vocalist is Bobby Nunn, once a member of The Robins and The Coasters. Big Joe Turner is such an artist who always manages to charm the undersigned. He does the same now during ‘Sally Zu-Zaz’, including the dominant sax solo by Albert Ammons. Willie Mae Thornton, better known as Big Mama Thornton, recorded the title track ‘Hey, Baby’ with Johnny Ace. Rhythm & blues as it should be, rousing and scorching. The ‘crème de la crème’ gathers on ‘Betty Jean’ by Chuck Berry. For example, you hear Willie Dixon on upright bass, drummer Fred Below and pianist Johnnie Johnson. Another big name is Ruth Brown. In 1953 she recorded ‘I Would If I Could’, which also winks somewhat at jazz. Clyde McPhatter’s golden voice graced many recordings by The Drifters. Incidentally, the ‘There You Go’ present here also comes from a Drifters’ session from 1954. The resounding names are not yet finished, because there is Little Richard with the well-known ‘Rip It Up’. ‘I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry Over’ was covered by Elvis. Here you get the song impressively performed by Roy Hamilton. The instrumental side of this album is provided by the trio The Egyptians with ‘Inkster Boogie’, as well as Googie Rene with ‘Wiggle Tail (Part 1). Rhythm & blues in its purest form is provided by ‘Tick Tock’ by Phil Flowers. You can see that people often didn’t take credit for a song very seriously with ‘Little School Girl’ by Larry Williams. Williams considers himself the composer of the song, while the song is an original by John Lee Williamson, better known as the original Sonny Boy Williamson. Larry did give the song a rocking touch. The Johnny Otis Show signs up with Marie Adams in ‘Bye Bye Baby’, a song in which quite a few rocking song titles appear.
Would you like some more advice? Well, put this album in your player, turn that volume knob to maximum and…..’go crazy’. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Most of the tunes on "True Believer" are Hummel originals that, in the best blues tradition, offer some pungent commentary on today's world, from the cold impersonality of technology ("Ghosted") to the current state of humanity ("High Time for the Devil") to the lowlife who steals your parking spot ("Mr. Two Thirds"). We also get a feel for Mark's wide-ranging musical influences as he puts his own stamp on tunes by Elvin Bishop, Otis Rush, BB King, Fleetwood Mac, and Little Walter. Hummel's brilliant harp work is featured throughout "True Believer," with his searing amplified playing on "High Time for the Devil," his third-position mastery on "Ghosted," and his beautiful chromatic work on "You're Breaking My Heart" being particularly impressive. Junior Watson demonstrates once again why he is one of the most exciting guitarists anywhere with his playing on "Double Trouble" and "Stop Messin' Around," and Bob Welch's piano makes "Headed for a Heartache" a special cut. No blues band goes anywhere without a first-class rhythm section, and Roy Bermudes and drummer Wes Starr are all that and more. 

Jubu & Charlie Hunter - Two legendary guitarists, both from the East Bay, In addition to his mandatory work, Jubu has also pursued solo endeavors, emerging as a solo artist and fronting his soul-blues bands including Legally Blynd & The Jubu Smith. both Berkeley High alumni have joined forces to create a guitar album like no other. In 2024, under the Little Village, Jubu embarked on a new musical venture, teaming up with GRAMMY-award winner drummer Calvin Napper (notably MAZE with Frankie Beverly, Stephanie Mills, Donnie McClurkin) and three-time GRAMMY nominated guitarist/producer Charlie Hunter to create an authoritative groove guitar album titled "Jubu." This collaborative effort highlights their mastery of the guitar and their innovative approach to groove-based music, further solidifying Jubu's status as a true luminary.

One of the most refined funky afrobeat albums of the year with an engagement

Recently you already received the reviews of the fourth volumes in the series ‘Stroll-A-Rama’ and ‘Jive-A-Rama’ on this site and now it is the turn of ‘Bop-A-Rama’. Here too the Atomicat label serves you 30 boppin’ tracks. 28 of them date from the golden period 1953-1963, supplemented with 2 tracks from the Rhythm Bomb Records archives. Brace yourself for energetic rockabilly, rhythmic country rockers and tight blues. Tony and Jackie Lamie with The Swing Kings may surprisingly give the starting shot with ‘Sunset Blues’, a song that has rockabilly, country and blues in it. The next one to be discussed is a well-known one, namely Moon Mullican. The fiddle breathes both hillbilly and country in ‘Jenny Lee’. Among the accompanists we find guitarists Hank Garland and Grady Martin. Martin returns later for brilliant guitar work on the bopping ‘Be Bop Baby’ by Autry Inman. Grady was a much sought-after studio musician, because he also provides a sublime sound on the six strings on Johnny Bond’s country-like ‘All I Can Do’. Clever guitar work also adorns ‘You Can Have My Love’ by Judy Capps and Pat Kingary. A cool rock-‘n-roll song comes with ‘It Ain’t Right’ by Gordon Terry, who brings in wonderful backing vocals with The Jordanaires. Mojo Buford became known as a harmonica player in Muddy Waters’ band. Here you can hear him at work on the blues harp in the instrumental ‘Can’t Sit Down’ by the Voodoo Men. Buford also has a link with the next number, the well-known ‘Hold Me In Your Arms’ by that other blues harper James Cotton. When Cotton left Muddy Waters’ band in 1967, Buford returned to replace him. Cotton leaves the harmonica in the box here and concentrates on the vocals. Also note the beautiful guitar of Pat Hare. Henry Wilson with The Bluenotes present a top rockabilly number in ‘Are You Ready’. Curley Jim was originally a country singer. That rock-‘n-roll is also in his genes, he proves with The Billey Rocks on ‘Rock And Roll Itch’. Sonny Hall also provides more rousing rock with ‘My Big Fat Baby’, as does Ricky and The Stompers with ‘The Wild One’. Rock-‘n-roll in its purest form comes later with Billy Smith and ‘Tell Me Baby’. Guitarist Joe Maphis was Larry Collins mentor and Joe can also be heard here. Larry formed The Collins Kids together with his sister Lorrie. Youthful rock of the highest order is the result here and can be heard on ‘Hoy Hoy’. ‘Great old school country’ is next with ‘Wishin’ I Was Kissin’ You’ by Leon Merritt. Vocalist and drummer Willie Nix worked with blues legends like Earl Hooker, Walter Horton and Joe Hill Louis. Of course his ‘Just Can’t Stay’ can also be classified as blues. More blues follows immediately afterwards with grandmaster Lightnin’ Slim in ‘Have Your Way’. On the harmonica you hear super face slider Lazy Lester. You certainly know the country blues ‘Step It Up And Go’ from Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee. In a completely different arrangement, with beautiful backing vocals by The Jack Halloran Singers, Mac Wiseman presents the song here. The Netherlands also made itself heard through Peter Koelewijn in the golden years of rock-‘n-roll, and….. in Dutch. No ‘Kom Van Dat Dak Af’ here, but the equal ‘De Hele Stad Is Gek En Dol’. A beautiful steel guitar characterizes the mix of hillbilly and country in ‘Baby I’ll Soon Be Gone’ by Lattie Moore. Unfortunately unknown to many!
Tracks 29 and 30 are reserved for the songs from the archives of Rhythm Bomb Records. First up, the British Rhythm River Trio may perform with the seventh take of ‘I Can’t Go’. A song that can be heard here for the first time. The Australian Chrome Daddies may close with ‘It Must Be Something’. The released version can be found on their album ‘Gear Up Daddy’.
Frontman of the Daddies is Doug Wilshire. On the previously reviewed fourth volume of ‘Jive-A-Rama’ you can hear him under his own name in ‘Five Star Boogie’.
It is clear that the Atomicat team does not ‘take any chances’ when compiling albums. These series never disappoint, but……….. they do leave you wanting more!

This Czech singer will be absolutely not alone on her concerts.  She is very inventive in her compositions and fascinates from start to finish.

Now, with Good Intentions Gone Bad, Chris takes another giant step forward, delivering 13 fresh, new songs filled with lyrical, passionate guitar playing, lyrics ranging from slyly humorous (Too Little, Too Late, Good Intentions and TGIF) to deadly serious (Fear Is My New Roommate and Waiting for the Sun To Rise) to deeply emotional (Blues For My Dad), all delivered in his soulful storyteller’s voice. For this album, Chris returned to the famed Greaseland USA studio in San Jose, California, recording with his skin-tight touring band, augmented by producer-engineer extraordinaire and multi-instrumentalist Christoffer “Kid” Andersen, plus a swinging three-piece horn section and some of the West Coast’s top blues talent. As you can hear in every song, Chris was inspired deeply by his compatriots. He says simply, “I know I’ve never sung or played better.”

Recently you could read the review of the fourth volume in the ‘Stroll-A-Rama’ series on this site, but the series ‘Jive-A-Rama’ and ‘Bop-A-Rama’ also got a fourth volume. The review of the new ‘Bop-A-Rama’ release will be available soon, but first let’s treat our ears to the 30 tracks on ‘Jive-A-Rama’. It immediately becomes a big jive party with Eddie Cochran and the incredibly handsome ‘Sweetie Pie’. If Eddie hadn’t passed away so early, he would undoubtedly have provided many more musical surprises. Listen carefully to his guitar playing on this recording and you will know. You will also get more formidable guitar work on the next track, namely ‘I Must Be In Love’ by Johnny Parker. Bob Gallion was originally a country artist. He also took those influences with him for ‘My Square Dancin’ Mama (She’s Done Learned To Rock And Roll)’ with excellent fiddle and steel guitar. Eddie Cochran also returns on Johnny Burnette’s ‘Me And The Bear’. Together with the other legend Joe Maphis he provides sublime work on the six strings. A duet always radiates a certain atmosphere. Especially when the voices match super. That is the case with Chuck and Betty on ‘Come Back Little Girl’. The 10 inch album ‘Follow The Leader’ by Lillian Briggs was a superior release. The rocking title track can also be found on this compilation. Some artists make one single and then disappear from the musical scene. Bobby Baron was one of those who only recorded ‘Silly Milly’. Incomprehensible, because the song had everything to score. In addition to being co-owner of the MCI label, Connie Conway was also a producer. You hear him under his own name, supported by doo-wop backing vocals on ‘Baby’s Comin’ Home’ and Connie returns as a producer on Jimmy Dell’s ‘The Message’. The accompaniment features studio guitarist Al Casey, who worked with Duane Eddy, among others. Pure doo-wop comes later with the vocal group Otis Williams and His Charms in the uptempo ‘Little Turtle Dove’, in It’s Good To Me (You Don’t Know And I Don’t Know) by The Ospreys and during ‘Friction’ by The Five Stars. A cracker is certainly ‘Little Ole You’ by country artist Wayne Walker, who subtly lets country shine through. The music business sometimes acts strangely. For example, the DOT label was not interested in the gem ‘Here I Come’ by Jimmy Dee and The Offbeats. You can hear from the first notes that they were wrong. For an authentic song drenched in echo, you can go to ‘I’m Gone’ by Vic Gallon. The guitarist on duty was Dennis Coffey, who later joined The Royaltones. ‘Ooby Dooby’ and ‘Four Winds’ are classics. The first one comes in a New Zealand version by The Schneider Sisters and ‘Four Winds’ comes with Bobby Charles. ‘What’s The Word Thunderbird’ can also be counted among the classics. The popular cheap wine is sung by the duo Bobby and Buddy. An instrumental guitar song could not be missed. That is filled in by Johnny and The Cyclones with ‘Twisted Fender’. Exciting and tearing sax rather define ‘Rock A Little Bit’ by Vi-Kings with Nils King. ‘I’m A Fool That’s Why’ by Charlie Gracie contains many ingredients of Presley’s songs. It’s up to you to discover them!
After the 28 tracks recorded between 1956 and 1963, you get 2 more songs from the rich Rhythm Bomb archive. The first track comes from Jason Lee Wilson with ‘Henry The Hammer’. It is the previously unreleased ‘take 7’, of which the released version can be found on the album ‘High Country’. The second song is ‘take 6’ of ‘Five Star Boogie’ by Australian Doug Wilshire. On the album ‘Cuz Of You!’ you will find the released version.
‘Killers And No Fillers’ is still the motto of the Atomicat label. Do we need to add anything to that? I don’t think so!

The new album is chock-full of Albert Castiglia’s signature sounds: blistering guitar licks flavored with righteously-soulful vocals that send a powerful blues message. Along with a number of original songs,  Righteous Souls includes Castiglia’s takes on a batch of cover songs from Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton/Rick Danko and two written by his former boss and mentor, the late, great Junior Wells (“Come On In This House” and “What My Mama Told Me.”) “I think Righteous Souls is a big step forward artistically for my friend Albert Castiglia,” says Gulf Coast president Mike Zito. “His singing, the songs, and his guitar playing are highly elevated on this new album. It’s fantastic to watch Albert grow as an artist; he is one of a kind. 

The series 'Stroll-A-Rama', which started in 2020, is now being enriched with a fourth volume. Compiler Mark Armstrong has once again collected 30 tracks that form the ideal soundtrack for the 'slow rocking stroll dance' from the fifties. Not that it is strictly necessary to push all the furniture aside and overload the perhaps stiff muscles. After all, the 30 tracks are also extremely enjoyable without the accompanying 'moves'. However, if you believe that exercise would have a positive effect, then you will immediately get your money's worth with 'Baby Workout' by Leroy Jones. Jones is followed by Don Dowing, the brother of the well-known pianist and singer Big Al Downing. Don delivers a magnificent rocking rhythm & blues with 'Have You Seen My Baby'. Before he achieved success as Delbert McClinton, he recorded 'The Cat' as Mac Clinton, accompanied by The Straitjackets in 1962. Number that is set to rocking tracks with a great intro on the blues harp. You get more harmonica on the bluesy ‘Steppin’ High’ by Little Luther, as well as on ‘I’m Tired Waitin’ Baby’ by Lightnin’ Slim, where the Mississippi saxophone is played by none other than blues legend Lazy Lester. You undoubtedly know ‘Sick And Tired’ in the version by Fats Domino. Here you get the song by Elton Anderson and it can easily compete with the one by Domino. You also know ‘Kansas City’ by the same Fats. The song appears here in the New Zealand version by Eddie Howell together with The Bob Paris Combo. Be sure to pay attention to the creative guitar work. Also great is ‘I Just Can’t Wait’ by Skip Robinson and His Imperials. Song where the keyboard part is clearly modeled on that of Booker T & The M.G.’s. Fans of instrumental stroll will enjoy the sublime horn section of ‘The Big Bad Train’ by Lee Castle and Jimmy Dorsey’s Orchestra and the guitar-dominated ‘Driftin’’ by Terry Lee and The Poor Boys. A very special instrumental comes from Georgie Young and The Rockin’ Bocs with ‘The Sneak’. Classy Lloyd Price needs no further introduction. High-quality songs were synonymous with him. Such as ‘Who Coulda’ Told You (They Lied)’, which will appeal to both fans of rhythm & blues and rock-‘n-roll. You can expect nice doo-wop on ‘Roadhouse Rock’ by Arbis Hanyel, just like on the formidable ‘Happy Go Lucky Baby’ by the vocal group The Ravens featuring Jimmy Ricks, as well as on ‘Crazy, Crazy, Crazy’ by The Flamingos. Very occasionally, a recording on a small label would attract the attention of a major. This honor fell to Frankie Loren who recorded ‘Hey Little Girl’ for the Porter label at the age of 18. The somewhat poppy rock-‘n-roll number was picked up by Mercury Records and could therefore count on better distribution. A nice fusion of rhythm & blues with a dash of jazz characterizes ‘Hey, Mr. Warden’ by Danny Cobb. Although ‘C’Mon Baby (What’s Your Name)’ is a wonderful rockabilly track, Jimmy Williams remained relatively unknown as a singer. As a composer he scored with Clyde McPhatter’s hit ‘A Lover’s Question’. With ‘I’m Checkin’ Up’ Tender Slim, also known as Fender Guitar Slim, serves up a great blues number.
28 tracks date from the fifties and early sixties. The other two are previously unreleased tracks. The first, Glen Glenn’s ‘Kitty Cat’, comes from The Shadowmen. The released version can be found on their album ‘True Love Highway’. The second previously unreleased track is the ‘dubbed alternate take’ of ‘Your Mamas Here’ by Portuguese Ruby Ann. The released version is on her album ‘Mama’s Back’. Whether you like rocking rhythm & blues, rock-‘n-roll, rockabilly or doo-wop, volume 4 in the ‘Stroll-A-Rama’ will not leave you out in the cold. Enjoy!

Every song on ‘Rugged Elegance’, the majority of which are Rose/ Tolchin co-writes, is a distinct portrait of someone or someplace beloved, but they all emanate from a singular place of honesty, reflection and a desire to embrace one another in times of difficulty. Its sound channels the icons who have defined her old-time roots – Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Bonnie Raitt to name three. The release ‘Rugged Elegance’ is a an anointing for your soul ! 

Christopher Wyze is anything but "Stuck in the Mud" on this captivating debut album. He proves himself to be a master of words; a keen storyteller of unique tales imbued with both the pain and pleasure of the blues. And in that 'big game,' he has already secured his place.

What series, such as this ‘Black Pearls’, bring to light, is that in the middle of the previous century a lot of really good rhythm & blues, blues and rock-‘n-roll was released. It’s just a shame that not all recordings were done via major labels. Often the songs were recorded via small local labels, so that if those songs were not picked up by the majors, they would also stick around locally. On the positive side, the Atomicat and KokoMojo labels bring together those lesser-known and often obscure songs in wonderful series.
This is now also the case on the tenth volume in the ‘Black Pearls’ series, which was given the title ‘Wiggle It!’. During 28 tracks you are once again immersed in the best rocking rhythm & blues and blues of the fifties of the previous century. Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup, who as we know was not unimportant for the start of Presley’s career, is allowed to kick off with ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’, a song that has been covered many times and that immediately explains why Crudup was allowed to be at the cradle of rock-‘n-roll. By the way, also pay attention to that cool bass line. For the next track ‘Good Road Blues’, a top-notch early blues song by Wright Holmes, we even return to 1948. For a beautiful example of country blues with a beautiful blues harp, you can go to Ralph Willis during ‘Gonna Hop On Down The Line’. Lightning Slim is a legend within the blues. Rightly so if you listen to ‘New Orleans Bound’, with impressive work on the harmonica here too. You can also experience more penetrating blues harp on ‘Country Boy Blues’ by Pee Wee Hughes and The Delta Duo. ‘Just An Army Boy’ by Boyd Gilmore certainly sounds nice and bluesy. Number that needed a second start and where Ike Turner was at the piano.
More uptempo we go with ‘Goin’ Back Home’ by Cousin Leroy. Joe Hill Louis was known as a ‘one man band’, which made his blues sound quite raw. He is present here with the somewhat milder ‘Keep Your Hands Around Me’. Another blues pearl is served by Little Arthur Matthews with ‘Someday Baby’, a composition by Johnny Otis. Lonesome Sundown is also well-known, here with the excellent ‘My Home Ain’t Here’. Frank Frost and drummer Sam Carr worked together with Sonny Boy Williamson II. Here Frost is present with The Nighthawks with ‘Everything’s Alright’, on which Carr plays the drum kit and the guitarist of the day is the top-notch Big Jack Johnson. Another master on the six strings, namely Eddie Taylor, can be heard at work on Bobo Jenkins’ ‘Nothing But Love’. And there is no end to the sublime string pluckers. Mighty Joe Young is also present here. He played with many greats in the blues. You can hear him on ‘To Prove My Love’ by TV Slim. A magnificent shuffle comes from King Charles and His Orchestra in ‘You Thrill Me’, a recording from 1954. ‘Straightforward’ blues was the trademark of J.B. Hutto. Just listen to ‘Things Are So Slow’ for that. When Hound Dog Taylor died, J.B. Hutto took over his band The House Rockers. Slide virtuoso Hound Dog Taylor can of course be found here with ‘Baby’s Coming Home’. Guitarist and harmonica player Woodrow Adams worked with Howlin’ Wolf and Robert Nighthawk, among others. Adams shows his talents on ‘Wine Headed Woman’. You can hear Howlin’ Wolf just after Adams in ‘Crying At Daybreak’. Other big names such as harmonica player Little Walter, guitarist Robert Lockwood Jr., bassist Willie Dixon and drummer Fred Below make the weather on John Brim's 'You Got Me Where You Want Me'. A pearl of a blues! The title track 'Wiggle It' of this volume comes from Crook Junior and is a great blues song reduced to its essence. Another great one on the blues harp Walter Horton, also known as Big Walter or Shakey Horton, may close with 'Jumpin' Blues' under the name Mumbles. The tenth volume in the 'Black Pearls' series once again lives up to the name of the series for more than 100%, just like the nine previously published volumes.

After the release of volume 5 'Fatty Patty' in 2021, it became quiet around the 'Rock And Roll Floozy' series for a while. That silence is now broken because with 'Pauline' the series continues on the successful path it has taken. That still means rockabilly and rock-'n-roll that are not always well-known, but more than worth listening to. Let yourself be carried away by the jive, stroll and bop rhythms. Getting into the right mood right away is easy. Pat Kelly and The Shamrocks ensure that with 'Hey Doll Baby', a song from 1958. Lonnie Mullins was an American country artist. You can clearly hear that country was the breeding ground for the rockabilly song 'It Was You'. In addition to country, Phil Sullivan also had some folk in his genes. He shows that both genres match perfectly in 'You Get A Thrill'. Beautiful harmonies, somewhat like The Everly Brothers, are served by Marcus Brothers with 'Little Girl In Pigtails'. Later, Bob and Denny, The Dennis Brothers, also appear in that genre with ‘Hush Hush Little Baby’. A big name is certainly Johnny Rivers, whose album ‘Johnny Rivers At The Whiskey A-Go-Go’ has become a classic. Here he signs present with the rocking ‘Baby, Come Back’ recorded in 1958. At Sam Phillips’ Sun label, Ernie Barton could be deployed in many areas, including as a producer, songwriter and artist. However, he did not become successful with it, although his ‘Stairway To Nowhere’ is a song that is certainly worth mentioning. Fans of instrumental rockers will get their money’s worth with ‘Big Wheel’ by The Royaltones. Nice alternation between sax and guitar, by the way. The title track ‘Pauline’ comes with Bobby Doyle. It is his most famous song, but Bobby became even more famous through his collaboration with the young Kenny Rogers and later briefly with Blood, Sweat and Tears. The nice clean sounding ‘If You Don’t Like It, Don’t Knock It’ by Kimo Lee is also great. ‘Shirley Lee’ was Bobby Lee Trammell’s most and best rocking song. It goes without saying that it belongs on this compilation. Rockabilly in its purest form, you get with ‘Little Forty Ford’ by the Oregon rockabilly artist Leon Smith. Despite the cool songs, Ronnie Self’s solo career did not reap the deserved success. You can hear that he recorded good songs during ‘Big Town’. Guitarist Al Casey worked as a studio musician with a number of big names. He proves that he could also score under his own name with ‘If I Told You’. The Nashville rocker Jimmy Isle recorded his best rocker in 1958 for Roulette with ‘Goin’ Wild’. The song flowed from the pen of Jimmy’s brother Ronnie. The spoken narrative ‘Cruisin’ Central’ by Faron Warner is also great. ‘Apron Strings’ was covered by Cliff Richard as a flipside of his single with ‘Living Doll’ as A side. Here you get the original version of Billy The Kid, after which Sonny Lowery waves goodbye to the album with ‘Goodbye Baby Goodbye’.
Having to wait three years for a sequel in the ‘Rock and Roll Floozy’ series was rewarded 100%. After all, you rarely come across such formidable rockabilly and rock-‘n-roll served on a platter. Magnificent volume!

Bettie's songs are usually written in Dutch, but she sometimes also writes in French, and for this album also a song in the juicy Brussels dialect. BETTIE performs her own songs, inspired by her Brussels single life, with a laugh, some heartache and a wink.

“Half & Half was a way for me to honor the San Francisco Bay Area music family, because without them I wouldn’t be able to keep up in this Austin music scene,” said Lara Price. “The other ‘half’ is a representation of what I have learned so far, as I have soaked up eight years- worth of Austin music. I feel like I am JUST scratching the service as to what the Austin music scene is about and I look forward to putting that experience on my next album. Technically, the album was recorded 60% in Texas 40% in California with 22 musicians and three studios in two states,” she added about the recording sessions.

American quartet The Young Rascals aka The Rascals started out with R&B covers – well, who didn’t? – like ‘Just A Little Bit’, showing an early appreciation for soul – ‘Mustang Sally’ and ‘Land of a 1,000 Dances’ for instance. Felix Cavaliere, Eddie Brigati, Gene Cornish and Dino Danelli soon developed their own style, with Brigati and Cavaliere writing great songs, such as ‘Groovin’ and ‘People Gotta Be Free’, showcasing their European influences on ‘How Can I Be Sure’. The hits were only the tip of the iceberg, as their albums also incorporated jazz, psychedelic and Eastern tones. To top it all, The Rascals advocated love, peace and freedom with relevant hits [‘Beautiful Morning’] and a concept album, ‘Freedom Suite’.
Cherry Red Records brought together all seven albums on Atlantic [1965-1971], singles, foreign language versions and 14 unreleased tracks, totalling 155 songs spread over seven discs – all re-mastered of course and accompanied by a 60-page booklet. What a musical treat!
Radio 68 broadcasts choice tracks in ‘Long-playtime’  on 9 July and ‘Rock On!’ on 17 July,  from 11 a.m. till 11 p.m.

With ‘Do It’ the third volume in the ‘Hi-Strung R & B’ series is announced. Traditionally, we once again dive into the rich treasure chest of rocking rhythm & blues that was recorded between 1951 and 1963. Once again, there are a number of well-known names among them, but just as interesting and captivating are the songs of lesser-known and even obscure artists.
This album starts off immediately with the title track, performed by The Adventurers, who gave the steaming rhythm & blues a touch of doo-wop. More doo-wop follows later with the rocking ‘Please Love Me Baby’ by The Five Jets, ‘Look At Me’ by The Sharps, as well as in ‘Little Turtle Dove’ by Otis Williams and His Charms.
‘Get On The Right Track Baby’ is certainly familiar to you in the version by Ray Charles. Here you get the original version by Titus Turner, who also wrote the song. Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew are inextricably linked to New Orleans. Fats is present with ‘Don’t You Know’, which the two gentlemen wrote together. Bartholomew also worked on the recording as a trumpet player. Dave Bartholomew was also co-writer of the cheerful ‘Give It Up’ by The Hawks. He also acted as bandleader during that recording. More New Orleans sound can be found in ‘Oooh-Wow’ by Roy Montrell, as well as in ‘I’m Wise’ by Eddie Bo. You undoubtedly know the song, because Little Richard recorded it as ‘Slippin’ And Slidin’’. The launch of the ‘twist’ was stolen from Hank Ballard & The Midnighters by Chubby Checker. The Midnighters present the catchy ‘Rock, Granny, Roll’ with Hank behind the microphone. Rawer and winking at Little Richard, things get rougher during ‘Switchin’ In The Kitchen’ by Pretty Boy and the orchestra of Lee Simms. Incidentally, Pretty Boy also recorded as Don Covay. Jay McNeely was one of the very best saxophonists. Here you can hear him, together with his orchestra, at work on Jesse Belvin’s ‘Don’t Cry Baby’. Dinah Washington always guaranteed brilliant interpretations. She also does this on ‘Such A Night’, which was previously known in Presley’s version. More famous people pass by with Clyde McPhatter and the soulful ‘High School Social’, just like The Drifters, including Ben E. King with ‘Hey Senorita’. Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry also needs no introduction. Here he delivers another beautiful piece of New Orleans rhythm & blues with ‘It Won’t Be Long’. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was responsible for the original ‘Susie Q’. An instrumental version is provided by saxophonist Billy Carson and The King Bees. Formidable version! Linda Hayes also sounds formidable in ‘Hubba Hubba’. Apparently the singing talent ran in the family, because Linda was the sister of Platters’ lead singer Tony Williams. With the closing track ‘The Party’s Over’ by the vocal group The Fiestas the party really is over, although nothing prevents you, just like yours truly, from immediately pressing that ‘repeat’ button. What a hit is ‘Do It’, the third volume in the ‘Hi-Strung R & B’ series, which was once again provided with beautiful artwork by Gito Lima.

In the mid-sixties, twins Paul and Barry Ryan hit the charts with a run of nice and innocent pop songs, then fell silent until Paul heard Richard Harris’ ‘McArthur Park’ and realized he had found the key to his song-writing aspirations. He came up with ‘Eloise’ – a worldwide hit – setting the template for dozens more songs for his brother’s solo career. Barry Ryan repeated their success with ‘Love Is Love’, but the duo soon found out that only on the Continent a faithful following was to be found for their next singles and the four albums.
The template was astonishingly clear: Barry’s multifaceted voice stretching from balladry to rock, a gimmick [the shout ‘Ha!’], abrupt tempo changes, vocal drama, full orchestration and bombastic production.
If you’re into ‘Eloise’ and its derivatives, like I am, Cherry Red has good news for you: five discs with all four albums, a bunch of rare singles, tracks from an LP that was never put out, Paul’s solo comeback, etcetera, with roughly half of the tracks never released on cd before!
Starting with Barry’s third album, the songs show more variation. ‘Red Man’ features a typical Russian rhythm, ‘LA Woman’ finds Barry in rock mood, ‘Rhode Island Red’ goes country, and so forth. Much of all this wasn’t readily available at the time [the later singles, for instance] and was hardly broadcast, hence there’s an awful lot to discover here.
All in all, Paul Ryan left us an idiosyncratic body of work, while Barry’s voice and rendition has no real equal. I find his phrasing most compelling, like when he openly sings his faith - a topic I wouldn’t otherwise listen to too closely.

Radio 68 broadcasts choice tracks in ‘Long-playtime’ on 9 July and ‘Rock On!’ on 17 July,  from 11 a.m. till 11 p.m.

This 3-part CD box is a very special release. After all, in the 50 years that Rockstar Records exists, this edition is unique. For the label, it is also a dream come true. Rockstar Records came into possession of more than 300 previously unreleased 'acetates' by Californian artists. Acetate recordings are a type of record that were made from the thirties to the end of the fifties for radio broadcasts, to record live broadcasts and even as demos. With acetates, an audio signal-modulated groove is cut into the surface, so that they were also the basis for making the masters of the vinyl records that were later released. The acetates that Rockstar Records was able to seize are now being released as 'The California Acetates' series. Not only is this an insane and great project for the label, but as a music lover, you also get beautiful, valuable and previously unreleased recordings in your collection via CD boxes such as this one by Jimmie Dolan. On ‘Stingy’ you immediately get 30 of these ‘acetates’. They are always at the end of each CD. On the first CD you get 8, 9 are on the second CD and CD number three closes with 13 acetates.
Finding music experts for this ‘California Hillbilly Project’ was almost impossible. The Rockstar team had to do this immense job themselves. That team consisted of coordinator Mark Armstrong, Urban Zotel was responsible for the artwork, the transfer of the ‘acetates’ was entrusted to Christian Zwarg, the mastering was in the hands of Heiko Schulz for Black Shack, after which The Studio That Time Forget took care of the end result. It is certainly true that this team delivered impressive work. That certainly also applies to the previously unreleased ‘acetates’, which were mastered in such a way that they produce the best possible sound, without detracting from the original recordings. Unbelievable but true! Little is known about the acetates used here. They were purchased by Tony Barrett and the main source is most likely a publishing house in Palm Springs. In the late forties to early fifties, songwriters made demos of their own songs there, as well as instrumental songs for radio stations or as a delivery for record companies. These were the golden years of the 'Hollywood Cowboy movies', which immediately explains the focus of the publishing house on the country and hillbilly genre. In 2006 Tony Barrett released 1 CD on the Stampede label under the title 'Billy Barton & Johnny Horton: Country Treasures Series, Vol. 1'. These were the only recordings ever released from the more than 300 acetates. Shortly after Richard Weize bought Rockstar Records from Tony Barrett, he was also offered to buy the 'acetates' from him. In the past year they were converted and the project gained momentum with the result that 'Stingy' by Jimmie Dolan now is released. In total, you get no less than 94 formidable tracks recorded between 1947 and 1955 by this country artist, 30 of which have never been released before. What immediately stands out is Dolan's unique and spicy-sounding, sometimes yodeling voice with which he creates an energetic, resonant sound. Fans of western music will love this, as well as his often verse-formed narrative lyrics. In the studio, Dolan was assisted by Merle Travis, Charlie Aldridge, Jimmy Bryant, Billy Strange, Speedy West and Red Murrel, among others. From the very first track 'Baby Did You Lie To Me' you are gripped and sucked into Dolan's country and hillbilly. He could also count on excellent musicians. Fiddle and steel guitar are inextricably linked to the aforementioned genres and were therefore recorded here with verve. In addition, Jimmie could also come across as extremely emotional in some songs, without it becoming mealy. In addition, you get instrumental songs that further highlight the craftsmanship of Jimmie and the musicians, as well as songs where Jimmie accompanies himself only on the acoustic guitar.
It is impossible to highlight certain songs from the 94 tracks. After all, they are all of such a high level that this would do injustice to the songs that are not mentioned.
Mark Armstrong wrote an 11-page booklet, in which, in addition to Dolan's biography, as far as they were known, you get information about the recordings and the musicians.
In short, further explanation regarding this release is completely unnecessary. 'Stingy' by Jimmie Dolan is so unique, impressive and valuable that not having it in your possession is almost unforgivable. You simply cannot miss this 3-part CD box. More than an absolute must!