Little Village Foundation is very excited about the stunning and revelatory brand new Marcel Smith soul and blues release, "From My Soul" from the good folks at Little Village!! This is a real classic SOUL album, done the right way- old school feeling, natural organic instrumentation, some modern flourishes, and fronted by a soul singer supreme who comes straight from the gospel church! Some killer originals from Marcel and Anthony Paule (be sure to check out "I'm Comin Home To You" and "Nothing Left To Burn") and some choice covers, including 2 duets with Marcel's bud, soul & blues singer star, Johnny Rawls - their versions of O.V. Wright's " There Goes My Used To Be" and Tyrone Davis' "Turn Back the Hands of Time" are so freakin' good!! Producer/guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Kid Andersen and Greaseland Studios and pianist/organist Jim Pugh and Little Village have done it again! Special guests include harp ace Rick Estrin and backing vocals from Lisa Leuschner Andersen and the famed The Sons of the Soul Revivers of San Francisco, CA . Be sure to check out Marcel's show-stopping live bonus cut with special guest legendary bassist Jerry Jemmott, an amazing heart wrenching version of The Bee Gees via Al Green classic, "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" a heavy tribute/dedication from Marcel, dealing with the loss of his recently departed mother. Highly recommended…! 

Mighty Mo Rodgers' first solo album 'Blues Is My Wailin' Wall' from 1999 was immediately awarded with a W.C. Handy Award nomination. It was characterized by its philosophical views on humanity. Since then, Mighty Mo has continued to be committed to this matter. Mighty Mo is a striking and original singer-songwriter/keyboard virtuoso, who produces daring combinations between soulful and driven blues rhythms. Now there is 'Memphis Callin', Soul Music & The American Dream. A catchy release with the excellent rhythm section of Luca Giordano on guitar, Walter Monini on bass, Abramo Riti (organ) and drummer Alessandro Svampa. Special guests included Eric Cisbani (percussion), Darryl Dunmore (harmonica), Sax 'Gordon' Beadle saxophone), Alessandro Di Bonaventura (trumpet) and Maurice Gainen on tenor saxophone. Rodgers' gritty vocals and driving rhythms once again provide that personal panorama. This is Might Mo's best album in years!  Highly recommended! 

It is a fact that Halloween is the time for record labels to release music adapted for this purpose. You could recently read the review of the album 'Hallowscream!3' released by the Atomicat label for this occasion on this site. The Koko Mojo label also makes a point of serving up a Halloween soundtrack with 'Horror Show'. Compiler Little Victor, aka The 'Mojo' Man, has put together 28 tracks that will make you shudder and tremble. Instrumentally we start straight away with The Ernie Freeman Combo and the 'Theme From Igor'. What follows is a super soulful rhythm & blues song by Betty Lavett and 'Witchcraft In The Air'. You can also expect exciting rocking rhythm & blues from 'Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde', by The Emersons. You might not immediately expect it from Louis Armstrong, but he also enjoys Halloween with 'Spooks'. Who fitted 'horror' like a well-fitting suit is John Zacherle. As a TV presenter of horror films, he enjoyed success in America in the fifties and sixties. Here he does it singing in 'Dinner With Drac Pt.1'. A penetrating blues harp sets off Bobby Garrett's rhythm & blues 'Vampire'. Harmonica is also the main instrument in the instrumental 'Terror' by The Bees. You can count 'I Know What Happened To Baby Jane' by Bent Forcep & The Patients as more of a popcorn item. Faye Adams had a mega hit in the fifties with 'Shake A Hand', but 'The Hammer (Keeps A Knockin')’ is also a great rhythm & blues song. A blues artist through and through was Lightnin' Hopkins. He remains faithful to the blues genre, and also note the fantastic guitar work, in the tormented 'Cemetery Blues'. Another blues legend is John Lee Hooker. In his well-known personal style, only accompanying himself on guitar, he also performs 'Graveyard Blues'. Luke Jones will later close the album with a song that has the same title, but is a completely different one. Johnny Thunder goes on a more rock 'n' roll tour in 'Horror Show'. Subdued bluesy with a somewhat jazzy touch, Georgia White continues in 'Dean Man's Blues'. That style is also contained in 'Graveyard Disposition' by Gatemouth Moore. Billy Ward and His Dominoes later provide a major slow soul in 'The Bells', including sublime work on the saxophone. Special and also humorous is the spoken 'The Mummy' by Bob McFadden and Dor.
For beautiful harmony singing you can go to The DelVikings and The Moroccos, with 'Voodoo Man' and 'The Hex' respectively. And The Elites also deliver beautiful vocal performances in 'Jack The Ripper', just like Edwin And Alvin in 'Shiverin' & Shakin''.
As you can see, 'Horror Show' again offers wonderful rhythm & blues, blues, soul and rock 'n' roll to spice up your Halloween period. Enjoy!

Soulful Femme presents a one-of-a-kind show, playing a mixture of blues, soul and rock like you have never heard before! These womens of a certain age and aren't quite ready to hang up our instruments…We still have a lot to say and we’re determined to say it in the here and now! That’s especially evident with their new album, the aptly titled ATTITUDE. Recorded at Fat Rabbit Studies in New Jersey, it was produced by blues great Albert Castiglia and engineered by Grammy nominated Dave Gross. It also features an impressive array of special guests, with Castiglia contributing guitar, the great Tommy Castro guesting on “Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing,” and multiple award-winning singer and guitarist Kevin Burt dueting on “Insane Asylum.” The other musicians include Michael Bram (formally of Jason Mraz’s band on drums), Matt Raymond on bass, Doug Woolverton on trumpet, Mark Earley on tenor saxophone, and Dave Gross on Hammond organ and percussion.

​'Soul Steps' is the second album by Berlin and San Diego based band The Everettes, who have been an insider tip in the soul landscape for a few years now. On the one hand, the title alludes to the musical footprints they follow, as their danceable music is rooted in Northern Soul, Stax and Motown and with their three female singers they carry the magic of the 60s girl groups into the present.

​The Rock House Sessions is a dynamic debut from this burgeoning soul songstress. The album was produced, recorded and mixed by McKendree at his studio. She is a unique musical force in the Nashville scene, and frankly a breath of fresh air. Highly recommended! 

'The Big Bottle Of Joy' is now Matt Andersen's tenth album. The road that the Canadian singer / songwriter has traveled is enormous. While he initially played in cafes for a dozen people, he now fills entire music theatres. The many tours and the associated being far and long from home, inspired Matt for the 12 songs on this album, which is an ode to life. The long journeys, the loss of your loved one, the nights in hotels and motels leave traces. Being good to each other and taking care of each other not only makes you feel good, but it also makes it easier than doing everything on your own. That is the message Andersen wants to convey. And that also happens on this new release. A release that gets an extra boost from the vocal contributions of The Smiths, consisting of Reeny, Haliey and Micah. They give the album a unique soul touch.
With 'The Big Bottle Of Joy' Matt Andersen delivers a masterpiece. An album that also gives you a good feeling. Something that is quite a rarity these days. To cherish!

​As with the previous releases in the Rhythm & Western series, this seventh volume once again focuses on black artists who gave their own interpretation to songs labeled as country & western. However, some of these songs were categorized as rhythm & blues because they were not record by a white artist, but still carried the genes of the country & western.
When we go over the tracklist, we see that this volume is almost a succession of big names. Examples? Please join us.....Nat King Cole, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Amos Milburn, Bobby 'Blue' Bland, Rosco Gordon, Washboard Sam, Solomon Burke, Lou Rawls, Joe Tex, The Coasters, The Platters, etc .... Rhythm & blues, soul and country, you can find it all on this album.
Volume 7 in the 'Rhythm & Western' series contains a lot of big names and songs that you didn't dare suspect that they actually belonged to the country & western. Wonderful series!

​Almost a year ago, the fourth volume appeared in the 'Rockin' Soul Party' series, which is now being followed up with volume 5. The 30 tracks that make up this compilation date from the period 1957-1963 and are actually the forerunners of the genre that was later defined as 'soul' and that inspired a label like Tamla Motown.
Expect uptempo soul, compelling soul, soulful doo-wop and rhythm & blues.
We can't help it either, but honesty compels us to warmly recommend the fifth volume in the 'Rockin' Soul Party' as well. Enjoy it!

​Internationally acclaimed artists, American soul-blues singer Annika Chambers and Canadian Blues-rocker Paul DesLauriers have unified their personal and artistic destiny. After a brief introduction in Memphis at the 2018 International Blues Challenge, they met again at a 2019 recording session and got married in August of that year. Now they have come together to create a powerful, soulfully rocking album that’s an inspiration and a balm for life in today’s world. GOOD TROUBLE started as Pandemic therapy, as newlyweds Annika and Paul got together with guitarist JP Soars and drummer Chris Peet in Peet’s Florida home studio. The collaboration grew and blossomed.

Multi-award winning blues and soul diva Shemekia Copeland is promoting her powerful and groundbreaking new album 'Done Come Too Far' this summer, on the renowned Chicago blues label Alligator Records. It is the sequel to 2019's groundbreaking 'America's Child' and to 2020's Grammy-nominated 'Uncivil War'. It is a reflection of her vision of America's past, present and future. In her songs she translates the hard musical, and often personal, truths. That of a young American black woman, who is also a mother and wife. But Shemekia also likes to have a good time, which is reflected in her musicianship.  Shemekia Copeland has probably realized one of her most differentiated albums. And that characterizes her musical progress. Highly 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.

'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!

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!

​Although he is often only known for his hit ‘Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Ever Want To Meet)’, Jackie Wilson had a lot more arrows on his musical bow. This compilation will certainly convince you of that. Jackie Leroy Wilson, born on June 9, 1934, already had a decent musical career before his big hit. In 1953, he replaced that other great artist, Clyde McPhatter, as lead singer on Billy Ward's Dominoes. Jackie had just turned 19 at the time of joining. He stayed with Ward until 1957, after which he resolutely opted for a solo career. That choice was immediately sealed with 'Reet Petite', which brought him instant world fame. The title ‘Mr. Excitement' he acquired through his live performances, but the fact that he effortlessly switched from rhythm & blues to rock 'n' roll and later to soul, makes that title even more important. Musically he was one of the greatest, but privately it did not always run smoothly. Like his father, Jackie was also a heavy drinker. His second wife fired twice at him and three of his children died at a young age. He had to pay for his stressful lifestyle on September 29, 1975, when he had a heart attack on stage and ended up with his head on stage equipment. Severe brain damage left him in a coma until his death on January 21, 1984. Jackie Wilson turned 49. His immense popularity is evident from the fact that none other than Michael Jackson paid for Wilson's funeral.
The 28 tracks on this album, spanning the period from 1953 to 1963, give an extremely beautiful picture of Jackie Wilson's immeasurable talent. The first six tracks, recorded for Federal, highlight his time with Billy Ward and The Dominoes and are rhythm & blues related, culminating in the somewhat jazzy feel and doo-wop laced 'St. Louis Blues'. What follows are 19 songs that Wilson recorded under his own name. His mega hit 'Reet Petite' tops the list, but the other songs are certainly not inferior to this. Listen for example to the sublime swinging 'If I Can't Have You', the energetic rocken 'Right Now!', the cheerful 'So Much' or 'Sazzle Dazzle', 'Love Train' that showcases Jackie's vocal range and the majestic 'Baby Workout'.
These are randomly chosen tracks, because every song is like a finely cut diamond. Songs that can all boast of excellent and formidably performed arrangements.
The last three tracks are reserved for duets that Jackie recorded with Linda Hopkins in 1962 and 1963. Fantastic songs by an impressive duo!
The fact that the tenor Jackie Wilson had an enormous vocal range, rightly puts this album in the spotlights, and don't forget that this album, traditionally with Koko-Mojo, is once again bathed in a sublimely remastered sound. An absolute must!

​This debut album, which will be released on the Belly Up Records/Blue Élan Records label, is produced by Chris Goldsmith. It's colored in with ten classic soul and R&B rave-ups. 'Let's Straighten It Out'  features versions of songs by Billy Preston, Jackie Wilson, Ray Charles, Shuggie Otis and Latimore. The album was recorded in just five busy days with mostly live canned versions. Most of the songs embrace a love theme that impressed when they were originally released and are still relevant today. Sully's soulful, heartfelt vocals cross the horn section and guitar tunes. Bob 'Sully' Sullivan and Rebecca Jade alternate vocals, which makes for impressive sounds. A tight rhythm section, soulful excellent vocals, horn section and excellent musicians. Soulful and sparkling…!

​This Nashville Indie Recording Artist and Mississippi Soul Singer will rattle the rafters with her powerhouse vocals and rockin' soulful band. The record ‘Rise’ is already her fourth collaboration with Nashville-based producer Walter Scott. The release was partly recorded in Nashville and New Orleans, and diverges from blues ballads, Crescent City spirited tunes and a handsome jazzy ballad. Highly recommended release!

​If the name Charlie McCoy doesn't sound familiar to you right away, there's a good chance that you'll find his achievements in your record collection without knowing it. After all, a visit to his website introduces you to an immense list of celebrities to whom Charlie has provided musical assistance. Among them are Elvis Presley, Joan Baez, Steve Miller, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Paul Simon, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings…..and we could fill several more lines. Not surprising because McCoy is a multi-instrumentalist. When his mother gave him a harmonica as a little boy, it was the start of a glorious career. Later, Charlie taught himself to play guitar, bass, percussion, organ, sax and tuba. In 1941 he was born in Oak Hill, West Virginia, but for health reasons he grew up in Miami. In 1961, Charlie's big break came. Chet Atkins heard him play and immediately hired him as a harmonica player and session musician. The 1970s gave Charlie's success a huge boost. He was heard on more than 400 recordings and in 2009 he was honored in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
With this compilation, the Bear Family label focuses on McCoy's early years, long before he became a celebrated country artist. The album contains recordings that he made in his own name, but also as Charlie McCoy & The Escorts or The Gas Lantern and this in the period 1961 – 1969. Charlie's talent and craftsmanship also make him feel various musical styles like no other. The album naturally contains enthusiastic rock 'n' roll, rhythm & blues, blues and soul. In this way he works his way through a number of songs that have become classics. His unique harmonica playing is soon reflected in 'Gimme Some Lovin'', with which The Spencer Davis Group scored or 'Shot Gun' known from Jr. Walker, where he replaces the sax with the harmonica with verve. Masterfully he lets the harmonica sound on 'Harpoon Man'.
Also extremely beautiful versions of Little Walters 'Juke', 'My Babe', the rousing soulful 'Turn On Your Lovelight', Orbison's 'Candy Man', the poppy 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow' by The Shirelles, Muddy Waters' ' I'm Ready' and The Beach Boys' 'Good Vibrations', here in an instrumental harmonica version, just to name a few, but actually all tracks are absolute toppers. Charlie himself provided the foreword, after which Daryl Sanders elaborates on Charlie's career and his discography in the liner notes. Traditionally, everything is again illustrated with beautiful photos.
Screamin', Shoutin', Beggin', Pleadin'' by Charlie McCoy & The Escorts is an album of 29 captivating tracks, which sublimely showcases the talent of the young McCoy. A must without a doubt!

​For volume 23, entitled 'Rough Lover', we prick our ears for the third time to the rocking rhythm & blues from Tennessee and Arkansas. There is still so much to discover from that region, so this compilation contains a great mix of electric blues and rousing boogies with the piano in the lead. The region was a hotbed of talent and as a result produced a large number of well-known artists. So it makes sense that Big Maybelle, Sonny Boy Williamson, Memphis Slim, Jimmy McCracklin, Aretha Franklin, Rosco Gordon and Joe Hill Louis, to name just a few, can be found on this compilation.
Like every volume in the 'Southern Bred' series, volume 23 is again full of catchy rhythm & blues, blues, soul and rock 'n' roll at the highest level.
You want more? Just a little patience, because volume 24 entitled 'Dippin' Is My Business' is scheduled for release on February 25.

​This debut album by Jamie Musuva & The Numbers is a nice surprise from New Zealand. It contains original material plus a few covers. Northern soul or acoustic soul, it’s all here, and a nice discovery for soul fans!

​Cornell CC Carter shines as well in up-tempo as in mid-tempo songs and ballades. He’s really an all-round soul singer! He never loses the feeling of old school soul. A must have for soul fans!

​Lady A has a sultry and sexy voice timbre that is so fitting for her intended sound. Lady A has recorded many styles of blues, funk, soul, and gospel, but for this album, she wanted to capture the authentic Seattle Blues-Soul sound that she delivers when she hits the stage. Lady A has truly lived up to her moniker as "The Hardest Workin' Woman in  Blues, Soul, Funk & Gospel"
Highly recommended release…!

Ericson Holt is an ordinary man, just like you and me, but a hell of a singer-songwriter.  His clear voice, his natural feeling for soul…and his bright piano playing. Recommended!

​The ninth rock and roll commandment deals with the break-up of love and the return to being single. Responses can range from ‘I don’t care’ to ‘Darling come back’. Reactions that can also be found in the 30 songs selected by Mark Armstrong that fill this disc.
Rock 'n' roll, rhythm & blues, doo-wop and soul are abundantly present and again all 30 tracks are toppers. It is also a tradition that only killers are selected for compilations at the Atomicat label. Soon you will read on this site the review of the tenth and final commandment that commands 'Shun Immoral Behaviour, We'll Raise A Ruckus Tonight'. Watch out!

​Contemporary soul from France with roots in the past. A mixture of deep soul, Northern dance and soul from the legendary Hi studios, with a dash of New York hip hop. Rather nice!