With ‘The Twirl’, we arrive at the penultimate release in the ‘Black Phantom Rockers’ series. This series needs no further introduction, so we can immediately focus on the 26 tracks.
Johnny Chef kicks things off with the pure and rocking rhythm & blues ‘Can’t Stop Moving’. Behind Chef is Johnny Acey, who recorded only this single as Johnny Chef.
Mack Simmons recorded under multiple names. Here, as Mac Sims, you get him with the rocking ‘Drivin’ Wheel’, which hints at Chuck Berry. As Little Mac, he also returns later with ‘I Need Love’.
Driftin’ Slim often performed as a ‘one-man band’. Here, as Elmon Mickle—his real name—you hear him with ‘Jackson Blues’.
For a pumping harmonica and an energetic, raw voice, Harmonica Fats is the right choice. His ‘Tore Up’ is a composition by twister Hank Ballard. The title track of this compilation is the dance ‘Twirl’. You get the instructions for a perfect performance from Little Luther, pseudonym for the blues singer Luther Johnson. ‘Twirl’ was the flip side of ‘Eenie Meenie Minie Moe’.
Jesse Thomas also recorded as Jesse ‘Babyface’ Thomas. As Mule Thomas, you get him here with ‘Blow My Baby Back Home’, a track that also features rockabilly influences and a fun harmonica. You can listen to authentic rockabilly in ‘Rock And Roll In The Groove’ by Leon & The Hi Tones. A knock on the door, which then opens with a squeak, are the first sounds of ‘Hello Miss Sims’ by Garland The Great, alias for rhythm & blues artist Willie Garland. The song unfolds as a rhythm & blues instrumental with the blues harp in ‘pole position’.
For a swinging number, you should skip to ‘I’ll Be On So Good’ by Velma Cross & Her High Steppers. The song was recorded for the Fine Art label, a label founded by Jack Lauderdale, no stranger to the music business.
The Dusters present a fine portion of doo-wop in ‘Teen Age Jamboree’. The link to a phantom rocker here is Tommy Tucker, a member of The Dusters. Under his own name, he would immortalize himself with the hit ‘Hi-Heel Sneakers’. Rufus Gordon delivers an extremely rare cover of Little Richard’s hit ‘Long Tall Sally’, complete with a fine sax solo. Another rocker of considerable stature is Eddie Clay and his ‘Lorain, Lorain’. Soulful rhythm & blues is the trademark of Charolette Cole and ‘Ain’t That Worth Something Baby’.
Backed by a doo-wop group, Bea Booker delivers an excellent rhythm & blues with ‘Comfort In My Heart’.
An early recording by Billy Boy Arnold, then still listed as Billy Boy, can be heard in ‘Prisoner’s Plea’. The guitarist on duty was Jody Williams.
Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson was 19 years old when, as Young John Watson, he recorded the guitar instrumental ‘Space Guitar’ for Federal. He demonstrated extensively that he was already proficient on the instrument at that time.
Confusion arises with ‘Shotgun Rider’ by Bo Dudley. You would immediately associate both the artist's name and the song title with Bo Diddley. Not so!
The fourth volume in the ‘Black Phantom Rockers’ series is once again packed with musical gems and pay attention to the formidable illustrations that bring the fold-out digipack to life. They once again sprang from the drawing board of Dayvk Martins.
With the upcoming fifth volume, ‘Everybody Dance’, this outstanding series will come to its end.

British blues with a personal road-worn wisdom. 

An album not to be missed: so diverse you are obliged to use the repeat button and to discover the amazing details.  Very recommended!

Sometimes unique or peculiar but always very enjoyable listening.

Lovely theatrical folksongs from Eastern Europe,  with really extraordinary vocals!

Post-war blues from the American South was characterized by a raw sound. When blues artists left the South and moved to Chicago, the genre already underwent its first evolution. The rise of electric guitars made its entry into the blues, giving it an urban edge. But other genres also sought to approach the blues. New artists and guitarists in the sixties listened with an ‘open mind’, allowing genres such as soul, gospel, and sometimes even jazz to enrich the blues. Not only did the sound of the electric guitar evolve, but horn sections were also increasingly found in these songs.
The 28 tracks on this compilation all share something with the aforementioned genres, Although the blues invariably remains the foundation. Nowadays, many of these songs can be categorized as ‘popcorn’, or in other words, they are hugely danceable tracks that, due to the fusion of genres, are difficult to classify as blues, soul, gospel, or jazz.
On this album, you will find both vocal and instrumental tracks. Songs by well-known artists as well as songs by lesser-known and often unknown artists.
We start with Jimmy Toliver and ‘Who Do You Love’, an uptempo rhythm & blues with a very prominent horn section. One of the new and younger generation was B.B. King. He would influence many artists through his distinctive way of combining vocal and guitar. King demonstrates that he was already incredibly adept with the six strings in 1962 on the instrumental ‘Mashing The Popeye’, which also features some great saxophone work. The Poor Boys also serve up more instrumental work with a guitar in the spotlight, complemented by horns, in ‘Washboard Take 1’; the washboard is indeed present, and the guitar part can be credited to Lowman Pauling. Lowman was Steve Cropper’s favorite guitarist, and not everyone can say that. You get another instrumental highlight with ‘Rufus’ by Merced Blue Notes.
The versions of ‘Summertime’ have long since become too numerous to count on one hand. A cool and previously unheard instrumental version is on this album. It comes from Joey King as ‘Come Back Summertime’, but it is definitely ‘Summertime’. A pumping bass sets the instrumental ‘Moanin’ For Molasses’ by Jody Williams on track. A track in which the saxophone also plays a prominent role. As a guitarist, Jody was one of the most influential string players from Chicago in the 1950s. Jody collaborated with the greatest, including Bo Diddley, Howlin’ Wolf, and pianist Charles Brown.
New Orleans, on the other hand, resonates in the instrumental ‘Mudd’ by Roy Montrell. It comes as no surprise, as Montrell also collaborated with Fats Domino and Allen Toussaint, among others. You also get more New Orleans in the final track, ‘I Got A Feeling For You Baby’ by Hookie Boy. Who is responsible for the guitar work remains unclear. It could be either Walter ‘Papoose’ Nelson or Roy Montrell.
Because of his sharp, ice-cold guitar sound, Albert Collins was given the name ‘The Ice Man’, and because he always played a Fender Telecaster, he is also often called ‘Master Of The Telecaster’. You can see that the sharp, cold guitar sound surfaced as early as 1963 in the instrumental ‘Alberts Alley’. And a dynamic Little Joe Washington, blessed with a somewhat falsetto voice, moves through ‘I Feel Alright’, which evokes a James Brown feel. With ‘The Same Thing’ by Arthur Adams, we take a step back. A song that clearly has both blues and soul in its genes. Soul can certainly be found in Garlon Davis’s ‘Oh My Soul’, just as it is, incidentally, in Jimmy Dotson’s ‘Search No More’. Another ‘crossover’ between rhythm & blues and soul can be heard in Bobby Benneth’s ‘Never Gonna Let You Go’. Another artist who skillfully managed to inject soul into his blues was Jimmy Lewis. Listen to ‘Let Them Believe’ or, for example, Eddie Kirk’s ‘I Found A Brand New Love’ for this.
You also get phenomenal guitar work during ‘I’ve Got The Blues So Bad’ by Henry Artis & The Nitehawks. The guitar here is played by Bobby Parker. You also hear him under his own name on ‘Get Right’.
Besides B.B. King, there are those other Kings, namely Freddie King and Albert King. In 1983, Albert was responsible for one of the most remarkable recordings. That was when he recorded the magnificent album ‘In Session’ with Stevie Ray Vaughan. Here, Albert provides ‘Got To Be Some Changes Made’, a 1962 track and also the title track of this album, a magnificent slow blues.
Besides being a jazz guitarist, Reggie Boyd was also active as a teacher. He came into contact with, among others, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Johnson, Fenton Robinson, Otis Rush, and Syl Johnson. Here you can hear Boyd in the instrumental and particularly impressive ‘Nothing But Good’.
After listening to this formidable album, it is clear that the emerging new generation of blues artists in the 60s did not renounce the blues. On the contrary, they looked to the future and fused the genre with soul, making it not only immortal but also a source of inspiration for future artists and guitarists.
‘Got To Be Some Changes Made – Soul Blues Guitar Aces’ has become an outstanding and inspiring album.

One of the best indie albums of the year!

An amazing journey from the rivers to the deserts of Mali, crossing the ocean to the Americas.  Recommended for the great female vocals and the virtuoso guitar playing.

Original mix of Latin music and rock without losing tradition. Strong!

Delta Generators are primarily a brilliant live band, but with full-length albums like ‘On & On’ they confirm their status as a top band. Unlike the previous record, which was more of a collection of great songs, this new release ‘On & On’ stands on its own as a completely cohesive work. Highly recommended!

With the third volume of the five-part ‘Black Phantom Rockers’ series, we dive once again into 26 tracks, in which well-known artists can be discovered within a hazy and often mysterious setting.
‘Hallelujah Rock And Roll’ kicks off immediately with a massive cracker: the delightful rocking blues à la Chuck Berry, ‘Hill Billy Blues’ by Clear Waters. This refers to Eddy ‘The Chief’ Clearwater. He was given the name Clear Waters, a reference to Muddy Waters, by drummer Jump Jackson in the 1950s. Another fun phantom rocker announces itself as Big Red McHouston and ‘I’m Tired’. McHouston is actually guitarist Mickey Baker, also known from the duo Mickey & Sylvia.
For a large part of his career, he used the name Smilin’ Joe, which you hear here in ‘Sleepwalkin Woman’. Later, he became Cousin Joe.
You can certainly rock out to ‘Big Jimmy, Little Jack And Nellie’ by Bobby Flare. As far as is known, it would be his only single. You can also rock out to ‘Nursery Rhyme Rock’ by Percy Welch and His House Rockers.
Both the song and the artist Guitar Junior are well-known, as is the widely known dance ‘The Crawl’. Moreover, this song was covered by quite a few artists, including The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Guitar Junior would later achieve worldwide fame as Lonnie Brooks.
As Eddie Kirkland, he recorded with John Lee Hooker and toured with Otis Redding. Here, as Eddie Kirk, you find him with the largely instrumental ‘The Hawg’. He is reportedly accompanied here by Booker T & The MG’s.
David Walker was active in the gospel genre but wanted to record raw and rousing rock ‘n’ roll. To avoid shocking the fans of his group The Mighty Clouds Of Joy, he did this as Bunker Hill in ‘The Girl Can’t Dance’. You can hear Link Wray on guitar. A song that, incidentally, in terms of style, is reminiscent of ‘the wild’ Little Richard.
The phantom rocker on Bobby Long’s ‘Jersey City’ is guitarist ‘Wild’ Jimmy Spruill. He is responsible for the masterful blazing guitar solo in the song. It is generally assumed that Jimmy Spruill is also the guitarist on ‘They Just Rockin’ And Rollin’’ by V. and B.B., although he was not listed on the musicians' roster.
Delmer Wilburn released the rocking ‘Kissin’ Cousin’ with The Mandals in the mid-20th century. Later, he made recordings as Del Delmon. Recordings that, however, did not achieve the hoped-for success.
As Little Mac Simmons, he had his own record label and, through his club, he gave young musicians a platform. You get the man here in ‘I’m Your Fool’ simply as Little Mac.
It often happened that artists who already enjoyed a certain level of fame were under contract with a specific label. As a result, they were often forced to record under a pseudonym. This also happened to Jesse Stone, who also recorded as Chuck Calhoun or Charles Calhoun. Under the latter name, you can hear him together with The Four Students on the swinging ‘My Pigeon’s Gone’.
He made several recordings as Driftin’ Slim. You can hear this harmonica player, guitarist, and singer as Model ‘T’ Slim during ‘Shake Your Boogie’.
The vocal group The Ecuadors, among others, serve up impressive harmonies with ‘Let Me Sleep Woman’. The same applies to the slow, bluesy ‘It’s Hot’ by Gene & Billy. Both were also part of various vocal groups.
The title track of this volume is credited to the dynamic singer Sandra Grimms.
For a bit of verbal bickering, you can turn to the spoken ‘Topless’ by Rolls Royce & The Wheelers, swaying along to a nice groove.
Series like these always provide a lot of listening pleasure. In addition, they also contain discoveries and fun facts about the artists responsible for these impressive recordings. Moreover, pay attention to the stunning illustrations by Dayvk Martins.
Fortunately, we are not at the end yet with this third volume. The upcoming release is titled ‘The Twirl’. To be read on this site soon.

What an exciting happy sound!  With a few contemporary elements Kuljit Bhamra brings Punjabi music into the 21ste century.

The Vanishing Dutchman knows how to compose.  But after so many years the surprise is gone and that’s a shame.