​The next to be featured in Bear Family's ‘Rocks’ series is pianist Memphis Slim. Slim was born Peter Chatman in 1915 in Memphis. He moved from Memphis to Chicago where he emerged as a well-known singer and pianist in the blues. In the 1960s he moved to Paris. His piano style was based on the barrelhouse style, which resulted in energetic parts on the black and white keys.
The 29 tracks on this compilation are recordings by Bluebird, Miracle, VeeJay, Strand, King, Premium, United and Chess from the period 1942 - 1961. The period in which rhythm & blues was at the origin of the rock ' n roll. That can also be clearly heard on the songs brought together here. In addition to rhythm & blues, blues and even gospel can be heard in dribs and drabs. Memphis Slim always knew how to surround himself with the 'creme de la creme' of musicians. His band included Ernest Cotton and Alex Atkins on saxes and Matt ‘Guitar’ Murphy. Matt who, by the way, is also known to the general public through his participation in the movie 'The Blues Brothers'.
In addition to an excellent sound, this album also contains a 36-page color booklet, including liner notes from British rock and roll expert Martin Hawkins.
Memphis Slim died on January 24, 1988 in Paris. He was inducted into The Memphis Music Hall Of Fame and the Blues Foundation.
That Memphis Slim could rock, you get the best proof of that on this collector.
This album simply belongs in the collection of every blues lover and certainly in these of fans of rocking and rolling piano sounds. Recommended!

In the previously published volumes in the 'Rhythm & Western' series, we were already introduced to black artists who found their inspiration in the country & western, which until then belonged more to white artists. That trend also continues in volume 6 'I'm Moving On'. Country & Western, rhythm & blues, blues and gospel in 28 tracks by well-known and lesser-known black artists. The names known to the general public are certainly Little Richard, Lazy Lester, Clyde McPhatter, Lloyd Price, Ivory Joe Hunter, The Platters, Sam Cooke and Blind Willie McTell. But just as well let yourself be surprised by the artists that may not be so well known to you. You won't regret it!
With this compilation, compiler Little Victor aka 'The Mojo Man' has once again delivered a direct hit. Next month, the series will continue with 'Jambalaya', the number seven.

With 'Sure Look Good To Me' we are exactly halfway through the 'More Boss Black Rockers' series. True to tradition, 28 tracks packed with black rhythm & blues and rock 'n' roll. Between opener the rocking and rolling 'Who Ya Gonna Kiss' by Speedo & The Pearls and closing the New Orleans sound by Fats Domino with 'Where Did You Stay Last Night', there is a lot to discover. Rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll and doo-wop of excellent quality.
Volume 5 in the 'More Boss Black Rockers' series proves once again that a lot of formidable rhythm & blues, doo-wop and rock 'n' roll were recorded by black artists in the fifties and early sixties. We are curiously looking forward to volume 6 in the series, 'Everything's Cool'. It has been announced for February.

​With volume 1 of the miniseries 'Sin On Saturday, Pray On Sunday', compiler Mark Armstrong has again found a nice angle. Always on Saturday evening, the 'devils music' reigns supreme and provides loads of entertainment, but on Sunday the pub or at the time the juke joint is exchanged for the church. What can you expect on this album? First of all sublime rhythm & blues and blues for the entertainment on Saturday evening. On Sunday we take a more religious approach with infectious, rousing gospel.
Rhythm & blues, blues and gospel are alternately presented on the album.
Well-known names sure are Little Milton, Sonny Terry, Hound Dog Taylor, Slim Harpo, B.B. King, Memphis Minnie, Junior Wells, The Sensational Nightingales, The Golden Trumpets, Bells of Joy and Golden Gate Quartet.
With 'Sin On Saturday, Pray On Sunday' the KokoMojo label releases yet another high flyer. Volume two, entitled 'Screaming & Crying', will be released in February. Definitely one to look forward to!

​With 'Toodle Loo Tennessee', the title of this volume, we leave Tennessee & Arkansas, regions where we resided for a total of seven compilations. The large number of artists from these regions made it possible to fill no less than seven volumes with their talents. Those talents can once again be enjoyed during 28 tracks. Tracks that traditionally focus on both well-known and lesser-known artists. Fame certainly fell to Louis Jordan. He gets to start this compilation with 'Fire', which is introduced by a roaring sax. What follows is rocking rhythm & blues of an exceptionally high level, as on the previously released volumes.
We wave goodbye to Tennessee and Arkansas with an appropriate 'Toodle Loo Tennessee' by Charlie and Rosie.
Volume 27 in the 'Southern Bred R & B Rockers' closes the visit to the hotbeds of the rhythm & blues Tennessee and Arkansas in a dignified way.

​The Atomicat label recently started a new series with 'Jungle-A-Rama' and a new series will soon see the light of day, but that will have to wait a while. The existing series are also very popular and it is therefore logical that new volumes are coming onto the market. You could already read the reviews of the third volumes of 'Bop-A-Rama' and 'Stroll-A-Rama' here. Now it's the turn to 'Jive-A-Rama'. True to tradition, this compilation again contains 30 songs released between 1953 and 1962. With 'Just To Hold My Hand' a beautiful rhythm & blues from 1955 by Paul Perryman we are ready for more than an hour of steamy music. Vocal delights, rocking rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll and rockabilly follow in a lightning fast way.
It needs no further explanation. You can also summarize this volume in four words, namely NOT TO BE MISSED!

​In the fifties to about the mid-60s, a lot of solid rhythm & blues, blues, rock 'n' roll and rockabilly were recorded in America. Recordings that could not always count on a wide success, but which often deserved it. It is therefore a pity that many of those recordings would never make it to our living room, if the Atomicat label did not exist. A first possibility could have been to randomly put those recordings together on albums, but unfortunately they would not always do justice to them. To avoid this problem and to release these songs in a proper and orderly way, creativity is needed. Creativity to always find new and appropriate perspectives for this. And that is precisely where the Atomicat team succeeds. This is also the case with this new series 'Duet-A-Rama', an album that bundles 28 known and less known and perhaps even forgotten duets. Duets can be one-off, although there are also duos that have a long life.
Whether the genre is rock 'n' roll, rhythm & blues, rockabilly or something a little more country, superior harmony vocals are the glue between them all.
Many of the artists recorded here operated under various names. You can learn all about this in the extensive liner notes from Mark Armstrong.
'Duet-A-Rama' shows surprising duets and since it concerns 'volume 1', there will certainly be a sequel soon. To discover!

​The previously released 10-part series 'Boss Black Rockers' was such a success that the KokoMojo label fortunately added a sequel with 'More Boss Black Rockers'. A sequel that certainly does not compromise on the quality of the associated tracks. After all, the treasury in which compiler Little Victor is grabbing still contains a lot of danceable, formidable and not always known gems.
Powerful vocals, rousing rhythms, vicious guitar sounds and heated saxes, you will find it all on this fourth volume. With 'Sure Look Good To Me' to be released in January, we are already half way through the 'More Boss Black Rockers' series. In any case, we are already looking forward to it!

​In 2020, the Atomicat label started this series and a year later the second volume appeared and now volume three is being released. Like the previous releases, this volume again contains not to be underestimated rockabilly, rock 'n' roll, energetic rhythm & blues in all its forms and doo-wop, as well as some not to be underestimated instrumental tracks. All tracks were recorded between 1956 and 1963.
If you like wonderful vocals, razor-sharp guitar work and scorching saxes, then this album is for you. All this in a superior sound quality and since the eye also wants something, Henrique San was again able to guarantee a suitable cover.
'Are you ready to stroll?' The 30 tracks on this album are happy to keep you company.

That Tennessee and Arkansas were hotbeds of rocking rhythm & blues can be heard again at volume 26 in the 'Southern Bred R & B Rockers' series. After all, we are stopping in these regions for the sixth time. We kick off with a lady who recorded the song 'Rock And Roll Blues' for the De Luxe label in 1949. Her name is Erline 'Rock & Roll' Harris. She more than lives up to her nickname!
What follows next are pearls of rocking rhythm & blues dominated by piano, harmonica, saxes and guitars.
As mentioned earlier, Tennessee and Arkansas are home to rhythm & blues gems. This will also be apparent from the forthcoming volume 27, in which compiler Mark Armstrong will bundle even more rhythm & blues diamonds from the aforementioned regions for the last time.

​Simply covering old blues and rhythm & blues songs is a sin many contemporary bands are guilty of. Fortunately they don't all do that, because sometimes, very occasionally a band makes such a debut album that you think to yourself, how is it possible that we had to wait so long for this. Well, let's pour clear wine right away. The Backyard Casanova's unleash a stunner of a debut with 'Backyard Stomp'. This quartet, consisting of Tommy J. Croole (voc., lead gtr.), Sidney Ramone (rhythm gtr., percussion), Lucky Luciano (double bass) and René Lieutenant (drums), is based in Bonn and also supports as The Cocks that other Germans promise, namely Cat Lee King. But now as The Backyard Casanovas, they clearly go their own way. In the 12 songs, which are a mix of their own songs and covers, the foursome immediately shows that they have craftsmanship. They immediately score with opener, the instrumental 'Chicken Stuff', a song by Hop Wilson & His Chickens. Because of the enormously solid rhythm section, the powerful raw sound and the frayed raw edges of the lead guitar you are immediately in the 'Backyard Stomp' story. Making covers to their liking and giving them a special twist is no problem for these gentlemen. They also prove that in Freddie Coaster's 'Be My Love', which here has been transformed into a straightforward rock 'n' roll song. Shufflewise, the Backyard Casanovas train rumbles on with the original ‘You Don't Give A Damn’, which showcases Tommy J. Croole's powerful voice. In addition, Tommy is also a talented lead guitarist. You will discover a nice example of this in the solo on 'I Ain't Botherin' Nobody'. Are boogies your thing? Then you will certainly get your money's worth on  'Hey Sweet Lady', propelled like a TGV, where Tommy shows his vocal stamina. The rock 'n' roll card draws the band into Jerry McCain's 'Geronimo Rock 'n' Roll'. But songwriter talent is also present in this foursome. 'Buzz Back Home' by drummer René Lieutenant testifies to this, a boogie floating on a wonderful riff. Another hip-activating boogie of their own comes with 'Scratchin'. On 'Big Fat Mama' by Hasil Adkins they present a contemporary interpretation of a classic rockabilly song.
The Backyard Casanovas find their inspiration in the fifties rhythm & blues and delta blues. Their raw sound, the powerful vocals and that wonderfully distorted lead and slide guitar also betray the influences of Hound Dog Taylor. They honor him in the last track, the rousing 'Take Five'.
'Backyard Stomp' is an incredibly good debut by The Backyard Casanovas. The pressing of the 'repeat' button needs no further explanation. Recommended!

​With 'Burlesque A Rama' the label Atomicat starts a new series. The word 'Burlesque' comes from the Spanish 'burla' which means joke, fun and ridicule. For the roots of burlesque, we have to go back to the music halls and vaudeville theaters of 19th century America. The stage act performed there may have seemed ridiculous, but it was carefully staged by the dancers to seduce. During their act, they targeted a man in the audience. This man was set up and laughed at as the dancers frolicked around him and humorously teased him.
Naturally, the 28 tracks also have connections to love and seduction. By the way, the temperature immediately rises a few degrees with 'Fever', here in the version of singer and saxophonist Sam Butera. What follows are songs that can be classified as rhythm & blues, blues, rock 'n' roll and catchy instrumentals from 1948 till 1962, but above all they express the seductive musical characteristic of burlesque.
The recently launched 'Burlesque A Rama' once again puts a lot of great well-known and lesser-known artists in the spotlight. Volume 1 already makes us long for more!

​With 'All Shook Up' we are already at the third volume in the ten-part series 'More Boss Black Rockers'. Again, compiler Little Victor sought 28 rocking tracks from black artists. Tracks of which a large number you will certainly hear for the very first time. Naturally, a number of well-known names also populate this album.
If you listen to the previous series of 'Boss Black Rockers' and this 'More Boss Black Rockers', it is striking how much beautiful rhythm & blues and rock 'n' roll was recorded in America during the half of the last century. Songs we didn't even know they existed. It is therefore gratifying that these songs are now reaching our ears through these series.

​On volume 25 in the series, composer Mark Armstrong dives for the fifth time into the rich repertoire of the artists from Tennessee and Arkansas. The 28 tracks of this album show that these regions have not yet given up all their musical secrets.
The album's subtitle is ‘No Blow, No Show’. You can apply that to the trains of that time, as Bobby 'Blue' Bland does in this song. But you can just as easily apply it to the horn sections and in this case you can take it literally, because there is a lot of creative and groundbreaking honking to be heard.
The 28 carefully selected tracks are from the releases of Excelsior, King, Excello, Chief, Duke, Capitol, Okeh, Decca, MGM, Vee Jay, Modern and Savoy, among others. So not the least!
Be entertained by formidable rocking blues, rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll and doo-wop in the most diverse performances.
We can't help but give this album the maximum score again. A lower rating would violate our integrity. Enjoy!

Jerry Leiber (°25.04.1933 - + 22.082011) and Mike Stoller (°13.03.1933) together became known as an influential songwriter and producer duo. They met in 1950 and soon discovered their shared interest in blues and rhythm & blues, composing for Jimmy Witherspoon and Charles Brown. With Brown’s 'Hard Times' the duo achieved their first success in 1952. Later, both would also deliver hits to, among others, Elvis, The Coasters and The Drifters. In 1953 Jerry and Mike, together with their mentor Lester Still (°13.01.1918 - + 31.10.1994) founded their own label Spark Records. Later Spark Records would be taken over by Atlantic Records, the label of Ahmet Ertegun. This allowed the duo to work as independent producers.
Of the 30 tracks on this album, 25 originated in their minds, 4 tracks are Spark recordings and 1 track is from an album produced by Jerry Leiber. Both also wrote under the pseudonyms Elmo Glick, Chuck Kaye and Joel Kaye. The mutual love of the two gentlemen for rhythm & blues is beautifully expressed on this compilation.
It is beyond dispute that Leiber and Stoller created beautiful songs, but they also left their mark on rhythm & blues. There is plenty to enjoy on this more than formidable compilation.

​For the fourth time, the Koko-Mojo label treats us to 28 tracks by artists from the black community who took inspiration from white country & western and made these songs their own in a special way.
Some songs became real rhythm & blues and blues songs, while other tracks still have more the country & western feel.
Just like the previously published three volumes in the 'Rhythm & Western' series, this 'I Hang My Head And Cry' is once again a direct hit. Unbelievable how Koko-Mojo always manages to release compilations with only top songs. Recommended!

​All in all, the album is a perfect combination of styles and genres, old and new, hi-fi and lo-fi, but the sound is still unique Chicken Grass. The more you listen to the album, the more it grows on you. You can hear the depth of the songs and the experience of the band with each playthrough. The band gets inspiration from different styles of Afro-American rhythm music: funk, soul, hip hop and jazz. ‘Chicken Grass’ out on CD / Digital on July 1st 2022 via Cattrack Records.

​Unfortunately, Lily Locksmith was unable to experience the release of her debut album. First, the release was delayed due to the pandemic, and on December 27, 2021, the sad news came that she had died of a severe brain haemorrhage. At the funeral, Patrik Staffansson, head of Sweden's Enviken Records, for whom Lily recorded, talked to her mother, who expressed her wish as follows: 'I want the whole world to hear her voice, release the album'. With her blessing, it was obvious. Lily Locksmith's debut album was to be released and has turned out to be one of the biggest surprises. From the first track, Lily convinces like no other. Her powerful, voluminous voice, her extremely tight and constructive playing band, the clever mix of own songs and covers immediately captivate you. Add to that Lily's enormous versatility and you get one hell of a debut album. In addition to being an excellent performer, Locksmith shows also her songwriter side. She does that in the bluesy written 'Praying' together with Staffansson. Finishing the songwriter's job alone, she immediately showcases in successor, the swinging 'Bad'. Guitarist Chris Bergström, who is responsible for several tracks, gave her the soulful 'Last Night', the swinging 'You Gotta Try' and the rockabilly leaning 'I Don't Need'.
Of the covers she puts down an enormously strong version of Nick Curran's 'Player'. That the blues also suits her, she proves with verve in 'Further Up On The Road'. Lily also knows how to bend a heck of a slow to her will. Listen to the Lloyd Price penned and sung into eternity by Little Richard 'Can't Believe You Wanna Leave'. Locksmith concludes with Bo Diddley's well-known 'What Do You Know About Love'. Although this album doesn't end completely, because Lily still treats you to an unmentioned track, where she shows the beautiful emotional side of her voice with only piano accompaniment.
With this debut album, Lily Locksmith had a golden ticket to a successful musical career. Too bad fate decided otherwise.

​Fortunately, music does not take skin color into account. While the black population in America still suffered greatly from the prevailing discrimination and struggled for equal rights, black artists were already mixing their rhythm & blues with the white country & western. Like volume 1, the second volume again features 28 black artists who pushed musical boundaries and merged genres.
It is clear that the 'Rhythm & Western' series is the umpteenth series that attaches great importance to quality and is a must have for the true music lover. True to tradition, these, like all other Atomicat editions, also bathe in a beautiful contemporary sound quality.

'Branded', the title of the album that accompanies us on our fifth visit to Sadie's Gentlemen's Club, is open to several interpretations. On the one hand you can see the hot club atmosphere in it and on the other it just as well indicates the 'being branded' of the visitors. Richie Robin shares his experience. He recorded ‘Branded’ for Gone in 1959. Well, it really doesn't matter much. What is important, however, are the 30 tracks with hot rhythm & blues and smooth soul that this compilation contains and they are once again more than worth it.
Besides some lesser known but no less appreciated songs, this compilation features some legendary artists. Nina Simone is there with the beautiful 'Chilly Winds Don't Blow'. Another great lady arrives with Marilyn Monroe and her well-known plea 'I Wanna Be Loved By You'. King of Twist Chubby Checker traditionally puts on his dancing shoes for 'Dancin' Party', while Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm indulge themselves in the instrumental, somewhat Eastern-looking 'Katanga'. Ray Charles makes his wish known in his well-known way in 'Kissa Me Baby', while The Drifters go a step further in 'I'll Take You Home', with beautiful harmony vocals as always.
Needless to say that 'Sadie's Gentlemen's Club, Visit 05, Branded' once again contains qualitative toppers? I didn't think so, but it's still better to discover it for yourself. Enjoy!

​It has become a tradition that the releases of the Atomicat label are full of danceable tracks. To reinforce this, the label is now releasing the 'Dance-Craze-A-Rama' series, the first volume of which has now been released. Under the heading '28 Craze Hits From The Vault Of Atomicat!', the series bundles the pinnacle of danceable music, recorded from 1957 to 1963.
Dance fads sprang up like 'The Wobble', 'The Hoss', 'The Horse', 'The Slop Beat', 'The Scotch', 'The Whiz Wosh', 'The Slop Beat' and ‘The Drag’ in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Dances of which you get the songs here in vocal or instrumental versions and especially in the very best sound quality. Besides the lesser known artists, a number of greats also grace this compilation.
Since this is only volume 1, we are already curious what the next volumes will surprise us with. And also note the awesome illustrations with which Henrique San, as always, also brightened up this compilation.

​With their abundant shiny chrome, the immensely sized 'dream cars' repeatedly appeared in the rock 'n' roll in the fifties. Brands abounded. Just think of Chevrolet, Plymouth, Pontiac, Edsel, Buick, Mercury and Chrysler. But if you really made it, you showed off a Cadillac. Not surprisingly, many artists dreamed of owning a four-wheeler like this. Sun boss Sam Phillips even promised a brand new Cadillac to his artist who was the first to sell a million singles. Carl Perkins won it with his hit 'Blue Suede Shoes'. Sometimes that dream became reality, but often it remained a dream. A dream that was then expressed in music. The Cadillac brand was founded on August 22, 1902, thus celebrating its 120th anniversary this year. Given the brand's relationship with the music, it's clear that Mark Armstrong bundled 30 tracks, which spotlight the brand in various ways. For example, the album contains 9 tracks, in which artists in the rhythm & blues and blues sang their love for the vehicle. The rockers and hillbillies did the same in 10 songs. Four groups chose the car brand as their band name, after which seven interpreters incorporated Cadillac into their lyrics. In short, diversity is not lacking on this compilation. This is also reflected in the musical genres. You will find rhythm & blues, blues, doo-wop, rock 'n' roll and hillbilly.
You have to admire the staff at the Atomicat label. How they do it, it’s a mystery to me, but time after time they amaze you with the angles with which they compile their albums. We can only conclude that this compilation around the 120th anniversary of the Cadillac brand is another high flyer. Your car may not be a Cadillac, but with this album on the road you sure get the feeling of drivin' in a Cadillac.

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

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

He certainly had one of the most beautiful voices in soul, gospel and rhythm & blues and became known to the general public for the song 'Wonderful World'. Sam Cooke was born on January 22, 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He was barely 15 when he became a member of the gospel group The Soul Stirrers. He stayed with until 1957 when he recorded his first album named after him for Keen Records. Cooke left the label two years later due to royalties. In 1960 he signed with RCA Victor. From then on, Sam composed blues and gospel-inspired songs.
This compilation contains 20 solo recordings by Cooke, 5 recordings from two different formations of The Soul Stirrers, of which one formation with Cooke as lead singer. These are supplemented with 1 track by The Falcons, 1 by The Simms Twins and 1 by Johnnie Taylor, each with a Cooke composition.
'Movin' and Groovin' with Sam Cooke' is without a doubt a formidable release in 'Koko Mojo's Spotlight Series'. An album that beautifully reflects Cooke's musical evolution in an excellent sound. You may already have a 'best of' by Sam Cooke on your shelf, but this compilation with songs that may not sound so familiar to you, should be next to it without apologies. An absolute winner!