Outtakes is a retrospective album featuring nine previously unreleased tracks from Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip. This unique collection contains songs, recorded over the years but for various reasons, were left off past albums, capture the band’s evolving sound and dedication to blues-rock excellence.

Andrew Duncanson, that's what we want to see and hear at our festivals. Passionate singers of soulful blues have been disappearing into the musical mists of time for at least the past half-century. Their voices are fast becoming as scarce as sunshine on a cloudy day. But then there is Andrew Duncanson, who for more than twenty years has been reaching deep into that primeval source and adding his own deeply soulful voice to the music. Highly recommended! 

John Primer wants to pay a real tribute to his hometown of Camden, Mississippi with his new album, his twentieth album by the way. He also wants to remind everyone that this is where he came from. Mississippi is very dear to Primer and it still inspires him every day! Three-time Grammy nominee and Blues Hall of Famer John Primer looks back to where it all began and concludes with this beautiful new album a tribute to his simple beginnings on a tenant farm in Camden, Mississippi. He digs deep and shares his earliest memories of blues and gospel growing up. The raw energy and passion are palpable in this new release. John recorded this new album in Clarksdale, Mississippi, to really enhance the authentic, traditional blues feeling. Highly recommended! John Primer is ‘the real deal’! 

That there were quite a few great instrumental numbers released in the rhythm & blues and blues genres, we were able to convince ourselves of that in volumes 1 and 2 of the ‘Boss Black Instrumentals’ series. These volumes were titled ‘Rinky Dink’ and ‘Zeen Beat’ respectively and you can certainly reread the reviews of these on this site. However, there is still quite a lot of beautiful instrumental work up for grabs, of which volume 3 ‘Shaggy Dog’ convinces us again with 26 tracks. Clifford King is the first to claim our attention with ‘Chicken Shack Boogie’, with the harmonica in the spotlight. King is followed by another mouth-shoveler, namely Buster Brown. He was influenced by the playing of Sonny Terry and you can also hear that in ‘The Madison Shuffle’. By the way, if you listen carefully, you will certainly hear snippets of well-known numbers in it. Another great player on the harmonica was Sonny Boy Williamson II. Here you get his hit ‘The Goat’. By the way, the harmonica is also the main instrument on ‘Candled Yams’ by B. Brown and His Rockin McVouts. Bill Doggett provides a portion of swinging rhythm & blues in ‘Hully Gully Twist’. Doggett returns later on ‘Buttered Popcorn’. A wonderful big band instrumental is provided by Curley Hamner and ‘Air Raid’. Curley was a drummer in Lionel Hampton’s band for a number of years, with whom he wrote the much-covered song ‘Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop’. For many guitarists, T-Bone Walker was, and still is, an inspiring guitarist. Walker undoubtedly ensured a real evolution of the guitar in rhythm & blues and blues. He recorded both vocal and instrumental numbers. The groundbreaking ‘Two Bones And A Pick’ also belongs to the latter genre. New Orleans saxophonist Robert Parker is best known for his hit ‘Barefootin’ and for his collaboration with Professor Longhair. On the two-part ‘All Nite Long’, which is part of New Orleans rhythm & blues, he presents a fine example of his talent on the sax. He shows this again later on ‘Walkin’. The blues ‘The Blue Eagle’ by James Rivers Combo also consists of two parts. A number that contains brilliant performances on piano, guitar and sax. Jerry McCain is one of the very best on the blues harp and has made many impressive recordings. ‘Steady’ is one of them and you can hear that number here. Googie Rene shows fantastic Hammond work on ‘Ez-zee’. Pianist Lloyd Glenn was a pioneer of the West Coast blues style and also played on T-Bone Walker’s ‘Call It Stormy Monday’. You can enjoy his beautiful piano playing during ‘The Shakedown’.
Elmore James was the master of the slide guitar. He also puts the slide on his finger in ‘Bobbys Rock’. Earl Hooker was also a regular user of the slide. However, he leaves it in the guitar case on the distorted ‘Dynamite’. Guitarist Roy Montrell recorded for Specialty, among others, as a studio musician. In that capacity, he can also be heard on various Little Richard recordings. Roy presents the shuffle ‘Mudd’ here. Excello Records delivered quite a few impressive artists and recordings. Skippy Brooks recorded ‘Doin’ The Horse’ there at the time. Here you get the B-side ‘Dim Lights’. Brooks was also part of Kid King’s Combo. You get them with the title track ‘Shaggy Dog’. Lloyd Price’s younger brother, Leo Price, was previously active as a songwriter. He recorded ‘Quick Draw’ under his own name. The well-known rhythm & blues duo Don & Dewey may close the ranks with ‘Jump Awhile’.
Just like its predecessors, the third volume in the ‘Boss Black Instrumentals’ series is also one to savor. A collection of instrumental gems that cleverly put harmonica, piano, sax and guitar in the spotlight. Great album!

The Dawning', the fourth album from the Steven Troch Band, presents a variety of influences including blues, country, swing and R&B, all woven into their own signature style. The album shows the evolution of the band while staying true to their sound. Highly recommended! 

This spring, the intriguing self-titled debut album by the Belgian- Dutch blues band Big Dave & The Dutchmen will be released on the Donor/Naked label on vinyl and CD. It was recorded at the Rabbit Field Studio with Stef Kamil Carlens (Moondog Jr., Zita Swoon) in Antwerp-Hoboken. Together with the rhythm section of Roel Spanjers (piano and vocals), guitarist Mischa den Haring and the two Dordrecht brothers Darryl on drums and Dusty Ciggaar on bass, Big Dave conditionally takes you on a nostalgic blues journey. They catapult you back to the heyday of the blues in the fifties and sixties. 

The release ‘Missy Sippy All Stars Vol.II’ is more than an anniversary album, it is a disparate roots record, with a lot of blues, jazz and world music. It is representative of the house values of the Ghent Bluesclub! The Ghent blues scene is growing more luxuriantly than ever. The Missy Sippy Blues & Roots Club, in Klein Turkije, in the heart of Ghent, will of course be no stranger to this. And they just celebrated their tenth anniversary there. So, is there a better way to do that than with a fat party and an even more corpulent album ?!

With ‘Morph’, the Ellis Mano Band presents a multi-faceted, coherent opus. “It is more than just an album for us - it's our next big step, our musical diploma,“ says the band. With songs like the epic ‘Countdown To Nothing’ and the powerful anthem ‘For All I Care,’ the multinational blues-rock institution invites their listeners to join in on an intense journey through the evolution of our sound. ‘Morph’ represents change and growth – a transformation reflected in every track. Energized riffs meet unexpected, quiet moments, creating a listening experience full of tension and depth. The artwork by Canadian album design legend Hugh Syme (Rush, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi…) perfectly captures this essence and symbolizes the spirit of ‘Morph’. The band is excited to share there new sonic worlds with our fans, both on record and live!”

The Lucky Strikes blend rock, blues, and funk with infectious grooves that’ll have you shimmying whether you're in a dive bar, a smoky juke joint, or cruising down a dusty backroad. It’s a sound that’s equal parts raw power and musical mastery, with enough swagger to keep your feet tapping long after the show is over. Highly recommended! 

A memory ghost is a memory so strong that it’s left an invisible mark so it can never be forgotten. Some memory ghosts are so strong they cause an eruption of emotions. In celebration of his 62nd year as a musician, Australian Blues Griot STEVE TALLIS delivers his latest release, Memory Ghost – an audacious 3CD set comprising a monumental 66 songs and nearly 4 hours of music, recorded live first take. A limited edition of 1,000 copies and all in glorious mono, coproduced by the internationally acclaimed Rob Grant, Poons Head Studio – Fremantle. His style is unique in an Australian context with names such as Howlin’ Wolf, Dr. John, Captain Beefheart, Bob Dylan, Leadbelly and Tom Waits mentioned by way of reference points. Tallis dig deep into his spirit, incorporating Country Blues, Rock, Spirituals and Field Hollers. Complex layers that plunder the depths of the human experience: Songs of love, desire, death, politics, romance, skeletons, elephants, redemption, hobos, ghosts – challenging, intense, raw, enriching, unpredictable, fearless, restless, tender, reflective, sensitive, instinctive, radical – by a musical outlaw, a renegade observing, contemplating, reflecting and commenting on the world around him.

This album 'XII' has all the hallmarks of why we came to love Burrells sound; catchy melodies, meaningful lyrics, great acoustic guitar riffs and sincere vocals. Folk, Americana and blues as a benchmark. As a successful artist, Burrell has become a fixture in the live music scene

Janiva Magness’s 17th album Back For Me is a treasure chest of lesser-known gems by well-known artists (Bill Withers, Ray LaMontagne, Allen Toussaint, Doyle Bramhall II, Tracy Nelson) produced by her longtime collaborator Dave Darling. The album features ace guitarists Joe Bonamassa, Sue Foley, and Jesse Dayton as they each put their stamps on their respective special guest appearances. Back For Me is a powerhouse set moving from the Chicago-via-Texas churn of “Masterpiece” to the aching gospel-soul-funk of Bill Withers’ “The Same Love That Made Me Laugh”. There’s heartache and heartbreak, but at the same time self-awareness and accountability and the strength and power that comes from that. In other words, it’s the blues.

After the Best Dutch Blues Album award winning album 'Change Myself' from 2023, Robbert Duijf has a new album to promote with 'Silver Spoon'. Twelve tracks, full of blues, folk and Americana songs. Just as we have known Robbert for years. It is a differentiated album, a journey through the deep south of America, a transposition to the Delta. Where the blues originated, on the plantations during the hard labor in the cotton fields. Delta blues, a dash of gospel and American folk. Robbert quickly deceives us in glorifications. Robbert Duijf, as a musical healer he embraces his ‘Silver Spoon’. 

​​At the end of last year you could read the review of the first volume about Chuck Norris in the series ‘Right Hand Man’ on this site. That volume dealt with the recordings that Chuck made under his own name, as well as the recordings of colleagues in which he was involved as a guitarist, during the period 1946-1955. The second volume also starts in 1946 but extends further to 1962. Now you also get 28 beautiful tracks on which many well-known names can be found.
The album starts with ‘You Gotta Give It Up’ by Frank Haywood And Monroe Tuckers Band. Chuck’s first recordings tended more towards jazz. This wonderfully swinging and slightly jazzy number is therefore right up Norris’ street, resulting in sublime guitar work. Chuck effortlessly adapted to the repertoire of his employer. He shows this on the soulful slow blues ‘When I Had My Money’ by Jimmy Witherspoon, as well as in Percy Mayfield’s ‘Two Years Of Torture’, which is situated in the same genre. Later, you get Percy again with the swinging and well-known ‘Louisiana’. An equally beautiful slow blues comes with ‘I’ll Be Lonely’ by the Floyd Dixon Trio, with a wonderful piano part by Floyd. Chuck lets us hear a smooth-sounding guitar a little later on ‘Just A Poor Boy’ by Roy Hawkins. On the instrumental ‘Rockin After Hours’, which Norris recorded under his own name, we hear him fantastically duel with the sax of Maxwell Davis. Under his own name, you hear Norris later on with the bluesy ‘Messin Up’ and ‘Let Me Know’.
On the Leiber & Stoller composition ‘Riot In Cell Block #9’ by The Robins, you hear Chuck as well as co-composer Mike Stoller on the piano. The blues solo that Chuck plays on Little Willie Littlefield’s ‘Lump In My Throat’ is a rare beauty. Although Helen Humes made formidable recordings, she did not always get the recognition she deserved. Convince yourself during ‘You Played On My Piano’, a song from 1952. Norris also delivers cool work on the six strings on the instrumental ‘Cool Caravan’ by Rhythm Cats.
Although session musicians like Norris played on many well-known tracks, they were not always clearly audible in the final mix. This shows how little these competent musicians were often appreciated. This is the case on ‘The Wallflower (Roll With Me Mr. Henry)’ by Etta James, where you have to prick up your ears to discover Norris’ beautiful rhythm work. Where this did not happen is certainly on Linda Hopkins’ ‘Three Time Loser’, Dinah Washington’s ‘Don’t Hold It Against Me’ and ‘People Are Talking (Pt2)’ by Rollee McGill.
The group around Johnny Otis was a breeding ground for talent. Johnny Guitar Watson was also part of it for a while. Watson can be heard together with Norris in the closing song ‘Sweet Loving Mama’ from 1962.
This second volume also makes it clear what contribution Chuck Norris had to recordings by fellow artists. His guitar playing undoubtedly ensured that many songs by now well-known artists were sent to a higher level through his input. Great album!

lthough he’s often closely associated with the Lone Star State since originally taking up residence in Dallas, Texas in the early ’90s, vocalist/guitarist Shawn Pittman is actually an Oklahoma native. For decades Pittman has played with and for musicians like Sam Myers, The Texas Blues Guitar Summit (with Anson Funderburgh and Mike Morgan), Double Trouble, Susan Tedeschi, The Moeller Brothers and many others, but also set some serious landmarks with his own, much lauded albums. 

His great band the Jumping Matt & His Combo entered the studio with a renewed line-up in the fall of 2024: Viktor Hamvas joined Combo, playing keyboard and piano. Drummer Dániel Molnár and bassist László Csizmadia are responsible for the usual top-charting rhythm section. After thirty years and sixteen albums songwriter, vocalist and harmonica player Mátyás Pribojszki AKA Jumping Matt continues to find new and interesting ways in which to engage listeners! 

After years of burning up the Blues Highway with a trunk full of original tunes, Max Hightower mellowed down at the vintage-style BigTone Studio in NOLA.  There he captured a raw, unfiltered blend of New Orleans funk and greasy Southern blues that ain’t “Nothin’ but the Truth.”

Prepare to be blown away by ‘Blues Is Still Alive’ the electrifying new album from blues harmonica virtuoso and singer Will Wilde This is no ordinary blues record—it's a full-throttle exploration of the genre, with a powerful intensity that’s unmatched. Will Wilde plays the harmonica in a way that echoes the raw power of guitar icons like Gary Moore or Jeff Healey, bringing his own dynamic and commanding style to every note. The result is a blues harmonica album like you’ve never heard before. The songs remain true to the core of the genre, but Will’s unique approach imbues each song with a fiery energy and passion that makes this album impossible to ignore. ‘Blues Is Still Alive’ is more than just a tribute to the genre, it’s a statement that proves the blues is still alive and kicking. Hell Yeah! 

In 2020, this band started as Travellin' Blue Kings with members who had already earned their spurs in various Belgian bands. Their album 'Bending The Rules', released in 2022, brought the band recognition in both Europe and the States. In the fall of 2023, the band carried out an important update. Travellin' Blue Kings became Travellin' Blue for short and with a changed line-up and a renewed repertoire, they now present their third album 'Take The Edge Off'. The band currently consists of JB Biesmans (vocals, sax and harmonica), Luke Alexander (guitar), Winnie Penninckx (bass), Patrick Cuyvers (Hammond, piano, Wurlitzer and backing vocals) and Steve Wouters (drums). Ten original songs by Biesmans, Alexander and Cuyvers show the direction Travellin’ Blue wants to take. A direction that values diversity.
In opener ‘Better Left Unsaid’, which unfolds as a blues rocker, newcomer guitarist Luke Alexander immediately takes a firm position in the foreground. The previously released single ‘Come Hell Or High Water’ is also situated in that genre. The band proves that it can also be subdued on the ballad ‘The Closer Is King’, while swing forms the basis for ‘Down The Rabbit Hole’.
The highlight of the album comes with ‘After All’, a composition by keyboard wizard Patrick Cuyvers. A magnificent soulful blues ballad, winking at the past but with a contemporary twist, after which Biesmans shows his talent on the sax in the swinging jazzy instrumental ‘Hellhole Shuffle’. ‘Take The Edge Off’ is an album that serves the most diverse blues fan to his or her liking.

On his first album in five years, Strange Things Happening, internationally renowned guitarist and producer Kid Ramos shares a musical message of faith, joined by featured vocalists Brian Templeton (The Radio Kings) and his son, Johnny Ramos. Produced by Chris Lizotte (singer/songwriter and worship leader), the session includes Dave Limina on Hammond organ (Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters), international touring bassist Mike Tuturro, and Stephen Hodges (James Harman, John Hammond, Tom Waits) on drums. A gospel blues fusion accompanies songs made famous by icons including Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Mahalia Jackson, The Soul Stirrers, and Bob Dylan as well as original compositions by Brian Templeton, in this spiritual salve for modern times.

‘Doin The Shout!’ comprises twelve tracks, freshly recorded during 2023 and 2024. Featured singers include Thornetta Davis, Oscar Wilson, Nora Jean, Francine Reed, Bobby Rush, Tia Carroll, John Primer, Jimi Primetime Smith and Bob Stroger, and the amazing list of musicians includes Bob Margolin, Duke Robillard, Kid Ramos, Dexter Allen, Steve Ferrone, Ben Levin, Chester Thompson, Mark Early, Johnny Burgin and many more. Bob Corritore’s sly harmonic licks and this groovy band deliver a true blues masterpiece!

Mark Muleman Massey recorded his debut album 2014’s ‘One Step Ahead Of The Blues’ on Icehouse Records. This new album ‘Been A Long, Long Time’ was recorded and produced by Billy Lawson at Wishbone recording studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The eleven songs include eight originals. Mark's characteristic and distinctive soul voice is full of inspiration. All songs have that blues touch, and this with a musical cross between tight R&B and soul.

The new album from Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Honeysuckle, is scheduled for independent release on February 21, 2025, via Family Owned Record/Amplified Distribution. Often called “the greatest front-porch blues band in the world,” the Big Damn Band is led by Reverend Peyton, who is considered to be the premier finger picker playing today. Rev has earned a reputation as both a singularly compelling performer and a persuasive evangelist for the rootsy, country blues styles that captured his imagination early in life and inspired him and his band to make pilgrimages to Clarksdale, Mississippi, to study under such blues masters as T-Model Ford, Robert Belfour, and David “Honeyboy” Edwards. Reverend Peyton is accompanied by his wife, the washboard virtuoso, Washboard Breezy Peyton, and kept on time by the deep rhythms of Jacob “The Snakob” Powell.

The band, Sunny Bleau and The Moons, is led by the powerhouse alto-vocals of Sunny Bleau and guitarist/composer/producer Nicholas Cocco. Based in Oxford, Michigan USA, the duo penned and released four full length studio albums and multiple singles between 2021 and 2025 receiving much positive press and ackolades for both their studio endeavors as well as their dynamic live performances. Working as both a Duo group and with their full band, Sunny Bleau and The Moons perform over 60 shows per year, in multiple states from Michigan to Florida and from Tennesee to New York! On August 10, 2024, Sunny Bleau and THe Moons joined the Endless Blues Records family and immediately began work on their 4th feature album 'Passion and Regrets.'  Recorded in Memphis, TN in October, 2024 and Produced by legendary bluesman Mick Kolassa, the 10-track album combines beautifully crafted and purposeful lyrics with soaring melodies and instrumentation.

‘Song For The Sinners’ boasts 12 compelling tracks all written, arranged and produced by Zucchero himself. This blues-inspired euphony is elevated by a luminary cast of guest vocalists and instrumentalists including the legendary Bobby Rush, Mike Zito, Victor Wainwright, Albert Castiglia, John Németh, Jimmy Vivino, Little Freddie King, John Boutté, Glen David Andrews, Sean Riley and more. On the musical front, the record delivers enticing grooves and melodies from various genres of the 60s and 70s—Zucchero’s symphonic sanctuary. The lyrics of the songs traverse a varied poetic landscape, with destinations including the slide out of co-habitation, patricidal nightmares, Saturday night hookups, bereavement, centerfold romance, Taoist revelations, horny alcoholic wives, suicide and more.