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Anlässlich des hundertjährigen Geburtstages von Albert King ist sein Live-Album In Session mit Stevie
Ray Vaughan aus dem Jahr 1999 nun zum ersten Mal vollständig auf LP, CD und digital erhältlich. Es
wurde 1983 in den CHCH-TV-Studios in Ontario, Kanada, live für das Fernsehen aufgenommen und ist
die einzige bekannte Aufnahme, auf der Vaughan und King zusammen spielen. Mit von der Partie sind
außerdem Tony Llorens (Klavier/Orgel), Gus Thornton (Bass) und Michael Llorens (Schlagzeug). Diese
Deluxe-Edition wurde von Joe Tarantino neu gemastert.
Die Produkte sind überall ab dem 18, Oktober erhältlich.

Released to celebrate Albert King’s Centennial, his 1999 live album In Session, with Stevie Ray Vaughan is now available in it’s entirely for the first time on LP, CD and Digital. Recorded live for television at CHCH-TV studios in Ontario, Canada in 1983, this is the only known recording of Vaughan and King playing together. Also featured in the line-up are Tony Llorens (piano/organ), Gus Thornton (bass), and Michael Llorens (drums). This deluxe edition has been newly mastered by Joe Tarantino.

Live Wire/Blues Power ist ein Blues-Album von Albert King. Es wurde 1968 live im Fillmore Auditorium
aufgenommen. Der Rolling Stone bezeichnete das Album als ”die Überarbeitung eines klassischen Formats
durch einen Mann, um eine sehr persönliche Aussage zu machen, die alle Klischees aufruft, ohne auch nur
eine Sekunde lang selbst ein Klischee zu werden”. Die Encyclopedia of Popular Music bezeichnete es als
einen ”Klassiker, der Kings Musik dem weißen Rockpublikum näher brachte”.
Das Album erreichte Platz 150 in den Billboard 200.

The Bluesville Series from Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds!
Inspired by the original Prestige label imprint established in 1959
Live Wire/Blues Power by Albert King
All-analogue mastering by Grammy-nominated engineer Matthew Lutthans
180-gram vinyl pressed at Quality Record Pressings
Obi strip with reflections written by Grammy-winning producer, writer, and musician Scott Billington
Highlighting trailblazing blues musicians from legendary labels

Live Wire/Blues Power is a live album from Albert King recorded in 1968 at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, California. Featuring originals and King's rendition of classics, the album demonstrates Albert King's blues prowess.

Featuring all-analogue mastering by Grammy-nominated engineer Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab at Blue Heaven Studios. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, this album is released in partnership with Acoustic Sounds, and features a paper-wrapped tip-on jacket. According to Rolling Stone, this album is "Just the unadulterated pure and simple blues.

The album “Albert Live” by Albert King, released in 1977, captures the essence of electric blues with King’s unmistakable guitar style. Recorded live, this album delivers a raw and powerful performance, showcasing his expressive guitar playing and deep voice. It includes classics like “Blues Power” and “Stormy Monday,” illustrating his ability to electrify his audience. “Albert Live” is a vibrant testament to Albert King’s talent, making this album a must-have for blues enthusiasts.

"Albert King’s legendary first album for Stax Records, Born Under A Bad Sign – featuring Booker T. & The M.G.’s and The Memphis Horns, the album is pressed on 180-gram Vinyl with ALL-ANALOG mastering from the original stereo tapes by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl. Inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame and included in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” this album should be a staple in every music fan’s collection. "

Pioneering electric bluesman Albert King not only influenced
American guitarists like Robert Cray and Stevie Ray Vaughan, with
whom he played in later years, but made an indelible mark in
Britain. Cream-era Eric Clapton, in particular, was an early devotee
before Albert ever set foot on UK soil, while Gary Moore, who
unashamedly took his cues from Clapton, later shared a stage with
King in his ‘Still Got The Blues’ period. Enjoy his earliest
recordings as all his famous fans would have discovered them –
on vinyl!

2024 Repress ON BLACK VINYL

The album and single news follows closely on the heels of Daudi’s recent tracks “oMo” and “Fool Me As Many Times As You Like” which have received high praise from the likes of Gilles Peterson on Worldwide FM and BBC 6 Music as well as Lauren Laverne, and have been featured in several Spotify editorial playlists including The Most Beautiful Songs in the World, The Other list, The Listening Post, and Fresh Finds. Having released just two independent EPs – “A Brief Introduction to Failure” and “The Lingering Effects of Disconnection” – to date, Daudi has toured with GoGo Penguin, Keaton Henson, and Portico Quartet, whilst also being a participant of the Red Bull Music Academy in Montreal 2016. He also received a standing ovation at this years The Great Escape Festival, and plays as a member of Do Nothing’s live band, who he is currently on tour with. Through his unique brand of modern albeit reverent folk, Daudi continues to offer his listeners a space for understanding and introspection. Deft, melancholic picking reminiscent of Nick Drake is tempered by contemporary percussion and instrumentation. Matsiko’s vocals derive their strength from their seeming fragility. With every song, his confessional lyrics cut to the marrow.

With FBNM now celebrating their fifth year of operation, Lorenzo has marked the occasion by assembling his biggest project to date - an impeccably curated collection of obscure Italian production music circa 1974 - 1985. The project, nearly a year in the making, has been very close to Lorenzo's heart - beginning unexpectedly in the record fairs of Buenos Aires and leading him on several trips to Rome and Milan, tracking down the original musicians and licensors.

"In this compilation, I have tried to include some of the most interesting cuts I have collected over the years. Tracks like the entirely electronic "Nitrogen" from Alberto Baldan Bembo's "Sound Orchestra" LP on Star Track Records, featuring a wild evolving bassline leading us through frantic rhythmic experimentations. "In the Space", by French born composer Albert Verrecchia and taken from Italian poliziesco drama 'Il Tempo Degli Assasini' (Season for Assasins), tells the tale of wistful longing, played out with serenity on strings and keys, but unexpected interruption from its stop-start arrangement brings an unforeseen tension into the mix... And how could I not include the wonderfully charming "Screw Driver" by Fabio Fabor, from his collaborative album "Superman" with a young Antonio Arena. Featuring an orchestra of beautifully programmed ARP and Oberheim sonorities alongside the Commodore 64 programmed graphical artwork by Antonio Arena himself."

The music itself was partly sourced from Lorenzo's own collection, archived and then restored especially for this release. Where possible, tracks (such as "Vision", "Nitrogen" and "Blue Magnolia") have been lifted directly from the original master tapes kindly lent by the repertoire owners. Every track, however, has been carefully restored, remastered and cut for vinyl by the cautious hands of Andreas (LUPO) Lubich at Calyx Mastering, Berlin.

DJ Support: Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), Huey Morgan (BBC Radio 6), Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 6), Deb Grant (New Music Fix, BBC Radio 6)

On debut album ‘While I'm Distracted’, London-based New Zealander Arjuna Oakes draws inspiration from contemporary soul and jazz, touches of global folk, electronica, modern classical, and post-rock, with dynamic arrangements and production. ‘While I'm Distracted’ is an album about fighting for your innocence and right to be a vulnerable and honest human. Arjuna’s songwriting explores themes of identity, depression, existentialism, social media, loss of innocence, and finding hope for the future through artistic expression.

'I'm obsessed with albums,' says Arjuna. 'I've made seven EPs, but needed time to tackle a full length record. I was using the EPs to learn the craft of how to make a great album, much like a director will make short films before they make a feature. I wanted to take the listener on a journey and spark their imagination. Hopefully the album expresses complex emotions, rather than having an intellectual concept. I'd rather ask questions than answer them'.

Across the album, Arjuna performs vocals, piano, keyboards, synths, production, and wrote the string arrangements. He’s joined by Harrison Scholes on bass, Jo Jenkins and Andre Smith on guitar, Sam Notman on drums, Louisa Williamson on saxophone, Nathan Haines on flute, Kate King on french horn, Leah Thomas on clarinet, Hilary Hayes and Emma Colligan on violin, Chris Van Der Zee on viola, Charley Davenport on cello, Zane Hawkins on percussion, James Macewan on trumpet, and additional production by Callum Mower.

Enough pop princesses! Vanja Sky is the real deal—a blues-rock gunslinger with a fiery voice and a striking new album full of modern classics. The Croatian-born guitarist first made waves during the Blues Caravan 2018 with her acclaimed debut album Bad Penny, praised by critics as a powerful entry that revitalized the scene. Inspired by legends like Rory Gallagher, Albert King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Sky left her hometown of Buzet and her job as a pastry chef to immerse herself in the music scene of Zagreb. Despite the challenges of coming from a region rarely noticed by the music industry, her talent quickly gained attention. Supported by Thomas Ruf of Ruf Records, she broke through with Bad Penny and impressed audiences alongside Mike Zito and Bernard Allison on the Blues Caravan tour.

Not long after Strong Persuader became an unexpected crossover hit in 1986 - which was hard to imagine then and seems like a near impossibility now - Cray decided that he would rather pursue the sound of Stax and Hi soul than be a full-fledged bluesman. He punctuated his songs with stinging licks not dissimilar to Albert King, but the sound was closer to O.V. Wright. But what really separated Cray from his forefathers is that instead of getting dirty and gritty, he stayed classy and tasteful. After 25 years and 14 albums, Robert Cray has been mining the same low-key, mellow Memphis soul-blues groove for well over two-thirds of his career. He's found his sound and he's sticking to it. Now for the first time ever available on vinyl Twenty, his 14th album; a thoroughly pleasant listen indeed, it pack's a punch, and has just all the right ingredients. Twenty is available as a limited numbered edition of 750 copies on crystal clear 180 gram vinyl and includes an insert.

After returning from Australia, Brian Baker has wasted no time in making an impact on the NZ scene with much heralded and reviewed singles and film clips, and in particular his solo show which has seen him perform at gigs and Festivals across the country. Now he"s joined two local Whanganui Musicians, Stu Duncan and pro drummer Brad MacMillan, both seasoned performers. The act is called BB and The Bullets and has a focus on the blues, doing tracks by Albert King, BB King, Muddy Waters plus some Stevie Ray Vaughan and other blues classics. They also feature some of Brian"s excellent releases and have a few of their own recorded. These tracks make up their debut LP which will soon be released on vinyl, CD and digital through Nixon Street Recordings, Whanganui"s own international record label. Yes, the guitaring that made Brian"s solo show stand out is heavily on display here, now backed by a tight, live rhythm section. Their shows have been very well received wherever they have performed, getting standing ovations at the recent Bay Of Islands Jazz and Blues Festival where they played six standout shows over three days ! They are drawing crowds wherever they appear, have been invited back to the Capital Blues Inc in Wellington after a knock em dead show there, and were a solid crowd pleaser at Snells Beach this summer for Auckland city council"s Music In Parks series. They are delighting audiences with rock solid, emotive performances of classic blues tracks underlined by undoubtedly one of the finest guitarists New Zealand has produced !

Initially serving as the house band for Stax Records, organist Booker T. Jones, guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Lewie Steinberg (later replaced by bass monster Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn), and drummer Al Jackson Jr. were instrumental in creating the “Memphis Sound.’ They recorded the basic tracks for well over a hundred records, including backing some of the greatest artists of all time: Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Rufus Thomas, and Albert King, all the while breaking barriers as one of the South’s first integrated acts. 1966’s And Now!’ is the first to feature long-term bassist Duck Dunn, who helps create a nightclub feel that alternates between some of their most aggressive recordings and most sultry. No stranger to being in the U.S. and U.K. music charts (in both the Hot 100 & R&B categories), the jazzy first single off the record, “My Sweet Potato,” landed them yet another top 40 placement.

Toy Tonics ITALOMANIA Vol. 3 is a compilation dedicated to NEW ITALIAN DISCO. (Not Italo Disco.) 14 young contemporary Italian producers made new organic disco, indie dance, pop house tracks with Italian vocals. Everything on this compilation has been produced in 2024. Fresh dance music by Italian artists Paul Older, Riva Starr, Valentino Vivace, Sam Ruffillo & Fimiani, Kymono, Mille Punti, Mind Enterprises, Bruno Belissimo and legendary cosmic disco pioneer Daniele Baldelli + french italo hitmakers Dov'e Liana. The ITALOMANIA compilation was initiated by Toy Tonics boss Kapote. Italo-German producer, DJ, keyboarder and head of Toy Tonics and Gomma records. ITALOAMNIA is a MANIFESTO to show the status of Italian Disco of today. Kapote invited the most relevant Italian producers to make new tracks with Italian vocals and show different styles of modern Italian disco with Italian vocals.

Italian Disco is not Italo Disco. The last years the trashy pop music of the 1980’s called Italo Disco (with English lyrics) had a big revival. But this compilation is about something else: It’s about this Italian Disco. Because the popularity of good Italian pop music is rising all over the world. And Toy Tonics want to show a new way to combine Italianity with dance culture. Its funny that also in France, Swiss and Germany there are new artists singing in Italian. Let’s not forget: The culture of party, dancing, show bizness and pop music would be unimaginable without the heritage and creativity that Italians contributed Italy is not just the country of good food, beaches and high fashion, but it’s also the original country of dance music. Since the ancient roman times the Italians have been the kings of entertainment. And if it comes to music; The DISCO wave of the 1970ies and the Pop music of the 1980ies has been co-created by Italians (and Italoamericans in New York).

Support from: Dino Lenny, Sabo, 1979, Alex Neri, Cioz, Just Her, Lonya, Hyenah, Nhar, Don Diablo, Luke Garcia, Underspreche, Francesco Chiocci, Adriatique

Undiscovered Recordings is a London- and Naples-based independent record label founded in 1994. Showcasing new and exciting production talent, Undiscovered was founded by a crack team of music industry experts, the two Angelos, Doug and Mario, in the midst of the dance music movement of the 1990s.

The Angelos met while working at UMM and Flying Records. Founding Undiscovered allowed them to move
away from the traditional dance music of the time and to highlight lesser-known artists and styles. Angelo
Tardio, in-house A&R, capitalised on his trail-blazing career as a DJ, as the founder of iconic label U.M.M., and his production career as Kwanzaa Posse, where he collaborated with huge talents such as Mano Negra, Manu Chao, King Chango, MC Solaar and Les Negresses Vertes, to name just a few. Doug Osborne, British DJ & Producer and co-founder. Angelo Bernardo brought his years of experience in the music industry to take over the business side of the company, and Mario Nicoletti came on board as a true living musical encyclopaedia and expert. Alberto Faggiana joined in 1998 to contribute his industry know-how to curate the legal and administrative aspects. And so the Undiscovered team was complete.

Undiscovered has since moved with the times, from classic dance genres into Balearic chill-out, all the while
maintaining its goals to showcase emerging producers and artists. After a long hiatus, and following a number of forced changes in the company, Undiscovered are back in full force. Kwanzaa Posse achieved success back in the 90's with such hits as "Wicked Funk", "African Vibrations" and "Musika!", all of which attracted collaborations with remixes by Massive Attack, Jam & Spoon, and Ralph Falcon & Oscar Gaetan - aka Murk Boys. Now the production unit responsible for such seminal tracks is back with a magical new track called 'Mali Chant'.

New R&B discoveries continue to emerge and entertain the many followers of the New Breed musical cult; nobody finds more than the Kent connoisseurs.
Berna Dean’s two previously unheard recordings are by far her best. They were laid down at Cosimo Matassa’s New Orleans’ studios by GNP Crescendo but eschewed in favour of two relatively average sides. The great 50s R&B songwriter Jesse Stone provides a rocker for the much-admired Jimmy Breedlove and a super-catchy ‘This Morning’ for an unknown mixed vocal group that has a joyous gospel feel. Jesse also penned ‘Private Eye’, a classic early 60s story-song, for Buddy Wilkins which was issued on Al Sears’ Tri-Ess imprint.
The title track is used twice, on two very different Fraternity recordings. Kenny Smith’s version was issued in 1964 and has many followers, but the equally meritorious Coasters-inspired composition by the Citations is newly discovered. Win Menifee’s ‘I’m Runnin’ Around’ from the same Cincinnati label comes complete with a fascinating back-story.
There are three cover versions. Vermettya Royster’s ‘All Around The World’ is backed by James Brown’s 1961 band, while Roosevelt Lee's 1970 update of the 1947-originated ‘Hey Little Girl’ funks the tune up a la Godfather of Soul. The cover that will make the biggest noise is undoubtedly west coast band the Afterglows’ version of Barbara Lynn’s evergreen dancer ‘I’m A Good Woman’ – this is a future monster.
Golden Crest provides two fabulous male vocal group sides – the swinging ‘What’s On Your Mind’ by Eddie Daye’s Four Bars and the delightful harmonies of the appropriately-named, but unknown Delights ‘Mary Don’t You Weep’.
Blues still thrived into the 70s as Albert Washington’s mean and moody ‘Case Of The Blues’ proves. Smokey Wilson took the music into the late 70s with the storming ‘Goin’ Away Baby (Round Like An Apple)’, which benefits here from a 45-style edit. His Pioneer Club on 88th Street in South Central L A provides the atmospheric photo for this collection.
More early 60s movers come from Wilbur “Hi-Fi” White with ‘Don’t Look Now’, future hit songwriter Johnny Madara’s raucous ‘You Make Me Mad’ and Big Boy Groves ‘Bucket O’ Blood’ which brilliantly describes the kind of club these tracks would fit right into.
The LP version loses a few tracks, but so many collectors have strong preferences we’ve thrown the vinyl junkies a lifeline.

Cincinnatian blues stalwart Albert Washington was a prolific recording artist from the 60s to the 90s. His ‘I’m The Man’ has become a New Breed R&B classic, which despite several US and UK releases, including our Kent one in 2003, is still eagerly sought out by people willing to pay whatever it takes.

‘Case Of The Blues’ is a similarly hip R&B dancer that was first issued on the Rye label in 1971. This slightly earlier Fraternity version is very similar.

After a health-induced hiatus, Popa Chubby, the legendary blues-rock guitarist, roars back with "I Love Freddie King," a heartfelt tribute album to the late great Texas Cannonball himself. Produced by Popa Chubby and Gulf Coast Records' executive producer Mike Zito, this 11-track masterpiece was recorded at G.B.'s Juke Joint and features contributions from an all-star roster of modern guitar heroes: Joe Bonamassa, Mike Zito, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Eric Gales, Albert Castiglia, Arthur Neilson, and V.D. King. Reflecting on the album, Popa Chubby calls Freddie King his lifelong muse, whose music "changed my soul forever." The album brings King's legacy roaring back to life, spanning his early instrumental hits, Shelter Records era, and more. With a core band of Mike Merritt (bass), Andrei Koribanics III (drums), and Mike DiMeo (keyboards), this record captures the sweat, soul, and unrelenting energy of Freddie King. Tracks like "I'm Going Down" (ft. Joe Bonamassa) and "Big Legged Woman" (ft. Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram) explode with fiery guitar work and passionate vocals. Other standouts include "She's A Burglar" (ft. Mike Zito) and "Hideaway" (ft. Arthur Neilson). Each collaboration brings something special to the table, making this album a must-listen for blues fans and guitar lovers alike. Despite battling a rare spinal disorder during production, Popa Chubby pressed on to create what he calls "a journey of love and homage." His raw determination, combined with the extraordinary talent of his guest musicians, resulted in a fitting tribute to Freddie King--the bridge between blues and rock, who forever altered the genre's course. The Texas Cannonball's legacy brought to life, grab your copy of "I Love Freddie King" today and let the blues thunder on!

South-London, British-Bengali musician Tara Lily shares her debut album 'Speak In The Dark'. The LP is about "speaking your truth" and combines alternative R&B, jazz, electronica and traditional Indian sounds into a unique fusion. The record, produced by Dom Valentino, features American jazz trumpeter Theo Croker, UK rapper Surya Sen, and Archy Marshall (aka King Krule) on guitar.

Growing up in Peckham as part of a British Bengali family has given Tara Lily a unique perspective on music and global culture. She has spent her life absorbing a multitude of sounds and genres from her surroundings, ranging from electronica to jazz and RnB to traditional Bengali folk music. From training at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music (where she studied jazz piano and voice) to learning Indian classical music and being the first act signed to Motown Records UK. Tara is a musical anomaly.

Debut album from South-London, British-Bengali musician and rising star Tara Lily, featuring American trumpeter Theo Croker & UK rapper Surya Sen
LP produced by Dom Valentino with additional contributions from Bad Sounds, Jaz Lee, Archy Marshall, Chiranjeeb Chakraborty, Akash Parekar, Mei Kerby, Ian Stratford
European Tour supporting JP Cooper (1st week of October, 2024)
UK Tour w/ Juabi - Manchester, Barbican (London) - Sept 2024
Artwork by Jay Vaz (Dreaming Vinyl)
"No Way Out" video shot in association with The North Face in the Himalayas, Nepal. Directed by Siddanth Ghosh
Press support - The Guardian, Evening Standard - "One to watch", Wonderland, ID, Notion, Clash
Radio support - 'Double Time' was track of the week on BBC Radio 1, other spots plays - BBC 6Music, Jazz FM (playlisting), BBC Asian Network, NTS
Recipient of the FAC x Amazon Music - Step Up Fund
Tours - UK, India (Echos Of Earth / Vh1 Supersonic festival / Jazz
Weekender), Nepal, Bangkok, Hong Kong, EU
Festivals - Glastonbury (3 sets - BBC introducing - Televised / Leftfield B2B Billy Bragg / PRS), We Out Here, Shambala, Daytimer Dialled In, Wilderness, Cross The Tracks
Career highlights - SHAKTI JAZZ NTS show, joined King Krule on stage at Apollo Theatre and supported RAYE at the Royal Albert Hall, Jazz Cafe w/ Mahalia, playing live on TV on BBC2 (The Kia Oval)

First Word Records präsentiert das brandneue Album der hochgelobten walisischen Jazz-Harfenistin Amanda Whiting. "A Christmas Cwtch" wurde mit viel Liebe, Sorgfalt und Hingabe meisterhaft komponiert und behandelt verschiedene Klassiker von Künstlern wie Vince Guaraldi, Bill Evans, Holst und Tschaikowski und präsentiert sie mit Originalarrangements von Amanda und ihrem versierten Trio neu. Das Endergebnis ist ein 14-Track-Auswahlpaket mit stimmungsvoller saisonaler Jazz-Harfenmagie, darunter die aktuellen Singles "Peace Piece" und "Skating". Amanda ist eine klassisch ausgebildete Virtuosin, die sich von Künstlern wie Dorothy Ashby und Alice Coltrane inspirieren liess und in der britischen Jazzszene gut etabliert ist, mit Veröffentlichungen bei Jazzman und Albert's Favourites.

Texas born Freddie King was one of the all time great Blues guitarists. He is considered one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert King and B. B. King, none of whom are related). Mostly known for his soulful and powerful voice and distinctive guitar playing, King had a major influence on electric blues music and on many later blues guitarists including the likes of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor.

This selection showcases live recordings from his classic repertoire over a period from 1969 to 1975. His signature tune “Hideaway” was named after a nightclub on Chicago’s Westside; “Mel’s Hideaway lounge”.

Multi-Blues Music Award-Winner Albert Castiglia Assembles All-Star Cast of Righteous Souls on His New Gulf Coast Record Album including Joe Bonamassa, Josh Smith, Danielle Nicole, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Popa Chubby, Ally Venable, Kevin Burt, Monster Mike Welch, Gary Hoey, Rick Estrin, Jimmy Carpenter and Alabama Mike.

"During last year's "Blood Brothers" tour, Mike Zito informed me that it was time for me to do another solo album. At that moment, I felt I was ill prepared for the task. I had been constantly touring with Mike for the last two years, doing very little writing so I didn't have a lot of original material. My last two studio albums were quite thematic. With 'Masterpiece' the album centered around the discovery of my daughter. 'I Got Love' was fueled by my life during the pandemic of 2020. What would be the thing that fuels the next one? It concerned me because if I'm not living the songs, it'll never work. It had to mean something to me. Mike suggested we make it an album with guests, my friends so to speak. I was concerned my friends wouldn't have time to devote to the project. I was wrong, so wrong. Joe Bonamassa, Josh Smith, Kevin Burt, Gary Hoey, Ally Venable, Popa Chubby, Rick Estrin, Kid & Lisa Andersen, Alabama Mike, Jimmy Carpenter, Kingfish Ingram, Danielle Nicole, Monster Mike Welch, Jerry Jemmott, D-Mar Martin, Jon Otis, Jim Pugh and others stepped up for me. My daughter, Rayne even participated which was the cherry on top. Suddenly, the theme became clear. It's about friends and family. It's about 'Righteous Souls'." - Albert Castiglia

Two times UK Blues Award winner second album for APM Records released on CD. HSLB carries the narrative of a bluesman upto no good who when his world falls apart, admits what he’s done and atones. Produced by Phil Dearing (Eliza Carthy, Gretchen Peters, Lauran Cantrell). Features special guest Vaneese Thomas (daughter of Rufus and sister to Carla Thomas). Radio for HSLB : no.1 IBBA radio chart two months running , Top 50 iTunes Blues album chart (US) / no.3 Roots Music Report Blues Album (Global)/ no.1 Roots Music Report Blues song ‘Blind Leading The Blind’ (Global) / Top10 Living Blues radio chart (US) / Top 20 National College Radio (US), airplay on 50 stations (US) / airplay in Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Croatia, France, Italy, Germany, Israel Press for HSLB : Blues In Britain front cover, reviews Blues Matters, Blues in Britain, Rock & Reel, Living Blues (US), Blues Blast (US), Charlotte Blues Society (US), Blues Roadhouse (US), Big City R&B (US) Bluestown (NL) “Mississippi MacDonald riffs like a fabulous Albert King circa his Stax days”. • Mississippi MacDonald is playing: Love Fields Stage-Glastonbury, Linton Blues Festival, Dereham Blues Festival, Brightlingsea Festival, Over The Hill Festival, Mississippi MacDonald won Traditional Blues Artist of the Year 2024 and Acoustic Blues Artist of the Year 2024 at the UK Blues Awards in April. HSLB Nominated for UK Blues album of the year

repressed!

Kerri Chandler delivers ‘Lost & Found Vol.1’ this March, a four-track collection of revisited, unreleased archive cuts, including Kerri’s own Grampa, Calvin Reed Sr. as a featuring artist on the opening track.

New Jersey’s Kerri Chandler has been at the forefront of house music since the beginning of his career in the early 90’s. Over the past three decades he’s released an extensive back catalogue of material including several albums on his own Madhouse and Kaoz Theory imprints as well as the likes of DJ Deep’s Deeply Rooted, Apollonia, Jerome Sydenham’s Ibadan and Watergate Records.

Here we see Kerri dig up some never before heard archived material from the 90’s and early 2000’s for this four-track EP. Up first is ‘What Will We Do ft Grampa’, featuring spoken word and vocal lines from Kerri’s Grandfather Calvin Reed St. atop gritty swinging drums, organ lines and rounded subs. ‘Tonight’ follows and tips focus over to airy chord sequences, choppy bass notes, dreamy arpeggio lines and dynamic drums.

‘Into The Night’ opens the b-side next, bringing a raw bass hook, tension building strings and vocal chants of the track’s title into the forefront while bumpy stripped-back drums keep things driving. ‘This and That’ then rounds out the release, bringing twitchy resonant synths and phaser sweeps into the mix alongside stuttering drum programming for a funk-infused, loop driven eight minute workout.

DJ Feedback:

Honey Dijon - Classic
Kerri still has his A Game intact! Great Ep!

Laurent Garnier - Kompakt, MCDE, F Communications
PURE LOOOOOOOOOVE

Jimpster - Freerange, Delusions Of Grandeur
Kerri!!!! Classic tracks with that inimitable groove and production which makes him such an icon. Big ups!!

Terry Farley - Junior Boys Own
BACK 2 DA RAW

Fouk - Heist, House of Disco, Razor N Tape
Super hard to pick a fav as each track has its own vibe! LOVE THIS <3

Enzo Siragusa - Fuse London, InFuse
Quality as always from Kerri!

Harvey Sutherland - MCDE, PPU, This Thing
always.

Roy Davis Jnr
Full support.

Jason Kendig Honey Sound System
Always fire tracks from kerri!

DJ Bone - Subject, Metroplex
Love the entire release!

Politics of Dancing (Guillaume & David)
one love for Kerry as always :)

Joyce Muniz - Exploited Ghetto, 20:20 Vision
Nice Ep!

Massimiliano Pagliara - Panorama Bar, Ostgut Ton
groovy!

Shadow Child
king.

Tobi Neumann - What Came First
Brutally good House Music. This one I wanna have on vinyl. Thanks master Chandler for the music!

Chrissy - Chiwax, The Nite Owl Diner
Very excited for this one

Halo Varga - All Inn Music, Surface, Inmotion Music
Kerri is GOD

Mutiny - Azuli, Skint
Kerri on that deep classic vibe..Love

Alinka - Permanent Vacation, Twirl!
Brilliant as always

Diz - Robsoul
90's freshness!!!

Fish Go Deep - Innervisions, Defected
The long-awaited follow up to She's Crazy! Beautifully done. The other tracks also slamming, packed with dancefloor drive and emotion. Can't wait to play loud.

Art Of Tones, Llorca
Superb EP !

Lupe
The Grampa one, instant cult hit, very endearing! Great stuff

BD1982 - Diskotopia, Tokyo
Classic material from an absolute legend

Johannes Albert - Need Want, Mirau, Berlin Bass
vibes for days!

Joseph G. Bendavid
kerri can't fail, always bomb tracks

Terry Grant
Stone. Cold. Legend.

Harri - Sub Club
Lovely

Severino - Horse Meat Disco
oh yes quality

"Family Style is a blues rock album by the Vaughan Brothers, originally released in 1990. The album features the brethren guitarists and vocalists, Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan, in their only studio collaboration. In his early years, Stevie Ray Vaughan often remarked that he would like to do an album with his brother. He fulfilled that wish in his very last studio performance, which was released nearly a month after his death. The liner notes end with ""Thanks Mama V. for letting us play."" With slick production from Nile Rodgers, this is bluesy, but far from purist. Jimmie makes his vocal debut on ""White Boots"" and ""Good Texan,"" and the brothers blur the lines between their expected guitar styles - Stevie sometimes going for a less sustainy twang, Jimmie moving into Albert King territory. Family Style is available as a limited edition of 2000 individually numbered copies on translucent blue coloured vinyl and includes an insert with lyrics. "

Shake Down, the debut album from the much-respected London-based Savoy Brown Blues Band was originally released on Decca Records in September 1967 - It was produced by the influential team of Mike Vernon and Gus Dudgeon - This re-issue faithfully replicates the original 1967 Decca UK stereo release and is pressed onto high quality 180g vinyl Led by Kim Simmonds, Savoy Brown were one of the UK's most successful and exportable outfits. Shake Down is viewed as one of the strongest and most respectful captures of the US blues they worshipped, bringing songs by Albert King, Willie Dixon and John Lee Hooker to eager UK purists. Recorded in West Hampstead rather than Chicago, the 11 covers showcased the remarkably tight playing of the band, which had formed in Battersea two years earlier. Savoy Brown on this recording comprised Trinidad born Brice Portius on vocals (his only album with the group), Simmonds and Martin Stone trading blues licks on their guitars, underpinned by the rhythm section of Ray Chappell on bass and Leo Mannings on drums. US critic Dave Marsh was to say that Shake Down was "as sympathetic a rendering of the blues as any English group has managed to lay down."

Shake Down by Savoy Brown Blues Band, released 26 April 2024, includes the following tracks: "Black Night", "Rock Me Baby", "Oh! Pretty Woman", "The Doormouse" and more.

This version of Shake Down comes as a 1xLP.

A nice boxset with 3 LP and a poster. Including all the greatest blues artists: LIGHTNIN" HOPKINS, JOHN LEE HOOKER, SCREAMIN" JAY HAWKINS, BO DIDDLEY, MUDDY WATERS, HOWLIN" WOLF, T-BONE WALKER, B.B KING...

Africamore: The Afro-Funk Side of Italy (1973-1978)

Continuing Four Flies' dedication to delving into lesser-explored periods of Italian music, Africamore takes us on a captivating journey into the intersection of Afro-funk and the Italian soundscape during the six years between 1973 and 1978 - a time when disco was looming on the horizon and the nightclub market was rapidly expanding.

Before reaching Italian shores, the infectious sound originating from African and Afro-Caribbean roots traversed both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, landing on New York dancefloors, where DJ Dave Mancuso discovered "Soul Makossa" by Manu Dibango. In 1973, from Mancuso's Loft parties, the song's hypnotic groove spread to the rest of the globe, including in Italy, where it sparked a wave of imitations and variations.


Tribal influences thus found their way into Italian soul-funk and early-disco productions released between 1973 and 1978 – from psychedelic-tinged tunes like Jean Paul & Angelique's "Africa Sound" to the Afrobeat-inspired club banger "Kumbayero" by composer/producer Albert Verrecchia (aka Weyman Corporation); and from groundbreaking Afro-cosmic songs like Chrisma's "Amore", co-written by Vangelis and featuring the rhythms of Ghanaian-British Afro-rock band Osibisa, to mind-blowing floor-fillers like Beryl Cunningham's "Why O", a re-write of Nat King Cole's "Calypso Blues" arranged by Paolo Ormi, with percussion breaks that sound pretty much like what would later become known as techno.


Combining feel-good vibes with driving rhythms, world-style percussion, and even synths, all these productions pushed the boundaries of dance music at a time when disco had not yet taken over. In doing so, they sowed many of the seeds of the later Italian cosmic scene and its unique mixture of African elements, disco-funk and electronic music.

This was a brief but nuanced period in Italian music history, one that deserves to be rediscovered, with love.

Africamore is due out on March 22nd and will be available as a gatefold 2LP and digipak CD. Both formats come with stunning artwork by Kathrin Remest and liner notes by Pierpaolo De Sanctis and Elena Miraglia.

Ivan The Tolerable is the alter ego solo project of Middlesbrough based musical wizard Oli Heffernan. Aside from his solo work as ITT, Oli has played in numerous bands over the years including Year Of Birds, King Champion Sounds with members of the Ex, Detective Instinct, and Shrug, and has collaborated with icons like Mike Watts of the Minutemen, and J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.

Ivan The Tolerable started by accident in 2013 when Heffernan recorded a bunch of songs for his band at the time (Year Of Birds). These were a bit too left-field for a speedy garage band, so Oli decided to put them out on tape himself, and hasn’t looked back since with releases on Up In Her Room, Stolen Body Records and Library of the Occult to name just a few.

We are delighted to bring you our next entry from the Ivan The Tolerable archive reissue series, 2019’s ‘Wild Nature!’ Originally released on CD by Ack Ack Ack Records back in 2019, the album has now been remastered and repackaged, and will be released on super ltd edition orange wax. Here’s a bit about the album in Oli’s own words.

‘Wild Nature was originally recorded sporadically during the first half of 2019. It started life in one house, then I moved and it was finished in another. I remember screenprinting the original CD artwork on the sly at my old job during my lunch breaks and hand-assembled a small run of about 50 that are all long gone. I also remember walking around Albert Park early one morning in thick fog with a field recorder to capture the sounds that were then processed to form 23 Minutes Over Albert Park (condensed to 4 mins for the reissue due to time constraints). I think this was also the last album I recorded vocals on and also the last one I recorded completely by myself - all instruments, recording, mixing, mastering and artwork done by me at home. I know the first and last tracks were recorded as a birthday present for someone but I cant remember much about the other songs i'm afraid - 4 years is a long time in my speedy world. I've been asked a bunch over the years about a vinyl edition of this one - so here it is. Enjoy - especially everything that went through the delay pedal, which is sadly no longer with us.’

Solos, Sessions & Encores is an album by Stevie Ray Vaughan, released in 2023. Solos, Sessions & Encores includes a.o. the following tracks: “The Sky Is Crying(live)(srv With Albert King, B.B. King And”, “Don't Stop By The Creek, Son (johnny Copeland With Srv)”, “Albert's Shuffle (live) (srv With Albert Collins)”, “Change It (live) (srv With Jimmy Vaughan)” and more. The album is a Coloured Vinyl, High Quality, Insert rock 2-LP.

Lovingly compiled, this album features only the finest Lovers from Jamaica’s finest label. From Blues parties in London, Birmingham, Bristol etc Lovers Rock quickly became one of the UK’s finest-ever musical movements.

Sweet harmonies, soulful reggae, love songs – the key ingredients of Lovers Rock - were all based on the revival of many of the classic Rocksteady harmony groups of the late 60's and early 70's, such as The Heptones, Carlton and The Shoes, Larry & Alvin, The Paragons, that Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd’s Studio One and rival Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label produced hit after hit with as they fought for dominance in the dancehalls of Kingston.

As well as these classic harmony groups, this album also features fine contributions from many of the reggae greats – Horace Andy, Alton Ellis, Bob Marley and The Wailers, Delroy Wilson – All artists who became stars at the legendary Studio One Records which Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, describes as "The University of Reggae".

Produziert von Joe Bonamassa und Josh Smith in den Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, enthält 'The Blues Album' Joannes persönliche Coverversionen von elf seltenen Blues-Klassikern. Dabei zollt sie Künstlern und Bands Tribut, die nicht zur offensichtlichen Auswahl gehören, wie z.B. Little Village, Little Milton, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, James Ray, covert gleichzeitig aber auch bahnbrechende Blues-Ikonen wie Albert King, Peter Green von Fleetwood Mac und Magic Sam. Einige Songs sind B-Seiten von Singles. War es eine bewusste Entscheidung von Joanne, Songs zu covern, die keine bekannten Blues-Standards sind? 'Wir versuchen, nicht die ausgetretenen Pfade des Blues zu gehen', erklärt Bonamassa. 'Jeder Song muss für sich selbst stehen und gleichzeitig den ursprünglichen Meistern Tribut zollen.'

180g audiophile vinyl reissue of American blues guitarist Melvin Taylor's 1995 album 'Melvin Taylor & The Slack Band', which is appearing on vinyl for the first time with remastering by Cicely Baston at Alchemy/Air Mastering, London "The U.S. release of Melvin Taylor's two early-'80s LPs by Evidence a decade later was a shock introduction to a blues guitarist who seemingly blazed out of nowhere - outside of Rosa's Lounge in Chicago, that is. "Blazed" is the right word, too, because Taylor is a total maximalist who unleashes torrents of notes to fill up every space. But he's so convincing a player that the concept of "blues guitar hero" might get a good name again, even with fans dead- tired of excess who never thought they'd think things like, "Man, can Melvin Taylor play the ever-loving (add the expletive superlative of your choice) out of the guitar" again. Taylor's first real-time release, Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band, is a pretty straightforward affair - basic trio with minimal overdubs, serviceable vocals in an Albert King mode, and a mix of originals and very classic covers. The opening "Texas Flood" lets him rip on a slow blues, constantly changing up his playing with wah-wah blitzes as the real ace in his sonic hole. The originals "Depression Blues" and "Groovin' in New Orleans" add some funk flair, while "Talking to Anna Mae" is a straight- up Chicago boogie instrumental that Taylor shines on. But he's even more in his element on the unadorned slow blues "Tin Pan Alley" and King's "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong." It's partly the speed but even more the phrasing - the unexpected stops and starts, the spiky and blazing runs and flurries, the unusual note selections he tosses in - that sets his playing apart. The other covers have their sporadic moments - "TBone Shuffle" is inconsequential, but Otis Rush's "All Your Love" and "Voodoo Chile" are worth listening to, even if the latter doesn't add anything to the famous Hendrix wah-wah workout. Taylor actually doesn't sound that radical here, like he was playing to establish blues circuit credentials by putting his stamp on familiar songs more than indulging offbeat personal touches like the mellow lounge jazz take on the Champs' "Tequila." But his playing can be truly electrifying and Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band is recommended for anyone, especially Stevie Ray Vaughan fans, looking for a distinctive new blues guitar voice." - Don Snowden, AllMusic Personnel: Melvin Taylor, guitar, vocals / Willie Smith, bass guitar / Steve Potts, drums Recorded and mixed on March 27-30, 1995 at Dockside Studios, Maurice, LA

For Fans Of... Magic Sam, Otis Rush, GA-20, Albert King, Elmore James. Never before heard blues from 1969! The 2023 RSD release is now also available on black vinyl and CD! Pressed right in Cleveland, Ohio at Gotta Groove Records. On Remined Records, Colemine's re-issue imprint. Produced by Eli 'Paperboy' Reed. Recorded by Eli's father in 1969. Tapes have been hidden for over 50 years, now being released for the first time ever. "Fred Davis was a legend, but only in my living room. As a teenager, I started digging deeper and deeper into the blues records in my Dad’s collection. That was when I started to get the Fred Davis story in fits and starts. Fred could play like T-Bone Walker and had a keen voice like J.B. Lenoir, he said. He used to front a jump band in Kansas City, before something went down that sent him to prison at Leavenworth. In the summer of 1967, he ended up working alongside my Dad at Harco, the Cleveland factory where my grandfather was an executive. They became friends, bonding over the B.B. King and Bobby Bland records blaring from the AM radio on the factory floor. Fred taught my Dad the rudiments of blues guitar, but his style. Instead of barring with his first finger, he wrapped his thumb around the back of the neck. That left his other fingers free to create big, ringing voicings that imitated the Kansas City horn sections he heard in his youth. Fred could play up and down the neck and, even when he played and sang just by himself, he sounded like a full band. Or, at least, so the legend went. These were only foggy memories from thirty years previous, passed down from a father to a son. But then we found the tape. A quarter inch reel in a plain white cardboard box, hiding on a shelf in the attic. My Dad explained how it came to exist: He found some friends (acquaintances really) who had a band and some equipment. They setup in my grandparents living room where the upright piano was, and he invited Fred over to record some of his songs with the band backing him up. We found a place nearby that could dub the tape and put it on a CD for us. When we finally got the transfer back, the legend became real. With this music now professionally transferred and remastered, I can only hope that Fred Davis can finally receive the acclaim that he deserves; that he never received in his lifetime. The legend can finally go behind the confines of my living room and, with any luck, to the whole world." Eli 'Paperboy'

Der fünffach Grammy-nominierte und mehrfach mit Platin ausgezeichnete Blues/Rock-Gitarrist Kenny Wayne Shepherd hat die Veröffentlichung seines neuen Albums "Dirt On My Diamonds Vol 1" angekündigt, das am 17. November 2023 über Provogue Records erscheinen wird.
Gleichzeitig erscheint 'Goin' Home' aus dem Jahr 2014, das Shepherds größte Einflüsse in der Musik zeigt. Das Album enthält Songs, die ursprünglich von einigen von Shepherds Helden wie B.B. King, Albert King, Bo Diddley, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Lee Dorsey und vielen anderen Ikonen des Blues aufgenommen wurden. Er griff tief in ihre Kataloge und wählte Songs aus, die ihn inspirierten, als er das Gitarrenspiel erlernte. '
Goin' Home' enthält auch Gastauftritte von einigen von Shepherds Freunden (die zufällig auch einige der größten Musiker sind, die heute auftreten), darunter Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Warren Haynes, Keb' Mo', Robert Randolph, Kim Wilson (Fabulous Thunderbirds), Pastor Brady Blade, Sr. und die Rebirth Brass Band.

“Stax Christmas” brings together 12 holiday classics from the legendary Stax Records, with favourites by Isaac Hayes (The Mistletoe and Me), The Staple Singers (Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas), Rufus Thomas (I’ll Be Your Santa Baby), Albert King (Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’) and more. Also included is an alternative mix of “Merry Christmas Baby” by Otis Redding and a newly unearthed version of the classic “Blue Christmas” sung by Stax recording artist Carla Thomas.

Blues Deluxe Vol 2 is a brand-new studio album, that starts off with 'Twenty-Four Hour Blues', a cover of the amazing Bobby "Blue" Bland song. The original is releases on one of Joe Bonamassa's favorite albums of all time, "Dreamer". Blues Deluxe Vol. 2 features eight cover versions of songs by artists, such as Fleetwood Mac, Guitar Slim, Albert King and more. The album is completed with two original tracks, Hope You Realize It (Goodbye Again) and Is It Safe To Go Home.
It is a true successor to the original Blues Deluxe album.

Original self-released by Malik king this lp has been on many peoples lists of holly grail private-press jazz wants for years , very rarely turning up on ebay and the like.. selling for up to $500.

Malik King was an important part of the St Louis jazz scene of the 70's & 80's.

He studied under Albert Ayler in NY in the early 70s before returning to the Midwest. He was a member of; The Human Arts Ensemble, the Shirley Le Flore's ensemble "Free N' Concert". He also served as musical director of The Creative Arts & Expression Lab, The African Peoples Continuum, & The Black Arts Alliance, The worrier poets, as well as various Emerging Force Ensembles.

Zimbabwe Nkenya (1953-2022), a creative artist and innovative musician, was brought up on army bases in the USA and Spain. He spent 30 years traveling and performing in New York, New Mexico, Arizona and St Louis. playing with a who's who of jazz. In New Mexico he became an integral part of the scene, producing and hosting the KUNM'S radio show "THE HOUSE THAT JAZZ BUILT" .

Luckily Malik self-released "Time & Condition" in 1982, capturing his work together with Qaiyim Shabazz. It's not just a crate diggers Holy Grail, but an important artistic and historic document of the St Louis scene. Time & Condition stands alone as a (very) individual, spiritual jazz classic.

We hope this reissue will finally grant these musicians the wider acknowledgement & credit they deserved during their life time.

Original self-released by Malik king this lp has been on many peoples lists of holly grail private-press jazz wants for years , very rarely turning up on ebay and the like.. selling for up to $500.

Malik King was an important part of the St Louis jazz scene of the 70's & 80's.

He studied under Albert Ayler in NY in the early 70s before returning to the Midwest. He was a member of; The Human Arts Ensemble, the Shirley Le Flore's ensemble "Free N' Concert". He also served as musical director of The Creative Arts & Expression Lab, The African Peoples Continuum, & The Black Arts Alliance, The worrier poets, as well as various Emerging Force Ensembles.

Zimbabwe Nkenya (1953-2022), a creative artist and innovative musician, was brought up on army bases in the USA and Spain. He spent 30 years traveling and performing in New York, New Mexico, Arizona and St Louis. playing with a who's who of jazz. In New Mexico he became an integral part of the scene, producing and hosting the KUNM'S radio show "THE HOUSE THAT JAZZ BUILT" .

Luckily Malik self-released "Time & Condition" in 1982, capturing his work together with Qaiyim Shabazz. It's not just a crate diggers Holy Grail, but an important artistic and historic document of the St Louis scene. Time & Condition stands alone as a (very) individual, spiritual jazz classic.

We hope this reissue will finally grant these musicians the wider acknowledgement & credit they deserved during their life time.

“Stax Christmas” brings together 12 holiday classics from the legendary Stax Records, with favorites by Isaac Hayes (The Mistletoe and Me), The Staple Singers (Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas), Rufus Thomas (I’ll Be Your Santa Baby), Albert King (Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’) and more. Also included is an alternative mix of “Merry Christmas Baby” by Otis Redding and a newly unearthed version of the classic “Blue Christmas” sung by Stax recording artist Carla Thomas.

The "Origins" collection focusses on one the greatest guitarist of all time. More than 50 years after his death, find the titles that influenced the sound of Jimi Hendrix on a double vinyl! With original tracks by : Muddy Waters - Bo Diddley - Chuck Berry - Little Richard - Buddy Guy - Bob Dylan - Elvis Presley - John Lee Hooker - B.B King

Rare 1986 Funk/Soul From Alabama.

Originally released as a private pressed cassette tape only.

First Time On Vinyl.

Released in collaboration with the Numero Group.

180g BLACK vinyl limited to 500 copies w/obi strip. Non-Returnable.

Armed with little more than his Peavey T-60 guitar and a Jumbo Fuzz pedal, Errol Stubbs and his bar-band cohorts cranked out a self-released tape of funked-up disco soul in 1986. With no label or distribution to speak of, Errol would simply put on his best suit and sell the cassettes by hand. The tape languished into obscurity…until now!

The story of Errol Stubbs begins in Birmingham, Alabama in 1959. The youngest of five, he was surrounded by music as a child–his aunt taught piano at Daniel Payne College while his older brother, Avery Beavers, was an accomplished jazz trumpeter. Under the guidance of Avery, Errol started playing trumpet at the age of nine, though he gravitated toward songwriting and quickly picked up the guitar. Inspired by blues greats the likes of Albert King, Buddy Guy, and Little Milton, 12-year-old Errol began mimicking the sounds that filled southern airwaves. As a teenager, he played at barbecues, fish fries, and dive bars across the Magic City. After a brief stint at Jefferson State studying music, Errol’s passion for songwriting beckoned him away from the classroom.

Stubbs bounced around bar bands before settling on a live lineup and saving enough dough to take his vision to the recording studio. Over the course of two days, his well-rehearsed band recorded Turning it Out mostly live to tape at the Sound Of Birmingham Studio. Located on Birmingham’s east side, the state-of-the-art studio kept the lights on by recording commercial jingles but was more than happy to open their doors to local talent.

Taking notes from guitar god Ernie Isley and funk legend Rick James, the resulting recordings are drenched in cosmic phaser-fuzz guitar work, slapping bass lines, and sexual disco innuendos. Big brother Avery lends a hand on Clavinet for “Sweat,” while studio owner/engineer Don Mosley adds a tasteful dose of Moog synthesizer across a handful of cuts.

Soon after the Sound Of Birmingham sessions, Errol released the private pressed EP “Dancin’ Fancy,” b/w “Spaced Out On Your Love,” the latter of which was featured on Numero Group’s 2019 compilation Visible and Invisible Persons Distributed In Space.

The seven-song cassette Turning It Out was sold in local record stores and from night club stages, but only a few copies made their way out of Birmingham.

Brand new album by The Church, their first in 6 years! Presented in deluxe card gatefold sleeve CD with 16 page booklet and as limited gatefold purple double vinyl LP! "Let it first be said that the title track of The Hypnogogue, the first new album from The Church in six years, is one of the most breath-taking singles they've released in years, a darkly psychedelic six minutes that slowly spirals into a menacing descent. That alone is a reason to keep this one on your radar; the Australian neo-psych band have been going for over 40 years, with around a half dozen classic albums and zero bad ones, yet their ability to keep evolving and uncovering new aspects to their sound and approach only serves as a reminder of how vital they remain after four decades". After an epic return to homeland stages, Australian psych-rock legends The Church announce their forthcoming studio album The Hypnogogue. Following on from 2017's widely acclaimed Man Woman Life Death Infinity, the Sydney band's 27th album was recorded just before the world was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging from the darkness is the band's first new studio album in six years and the first to feature the newest line-up led by founder, bassist and vocalist Steve Kilbey. "The Hypnogogue" is the most prog rock thing we have ever done, we've never created a concept album before," says Kilbey. "It is the most teamwork record we have ever had. Everyone in the band is so justifiably proud of this record and everyone helped to make sure it was as good as it could be. Personally, I think it's in our top three records." Picking up substantial international airplay, raising anticipation for the album's release, the digital singles 'The Hypnogogue' and 'C'est La Vie' set the stage for the album's striking science fiction narrative. Kilbey unpacks the themes that tie the album together: "The Hypnogogue is set in 2054, a dystopian and broken-down future. Invented by Sun Kim Jong, a North Korean scientist and occult dabbler, it is a machine and a process that pulls music straight off dreams." This new five-piece line-up is made up of Kilbey along with long-time collaborator, drummer and producer Tim Powles, who's remained a staple across 17 albums since 1994. Joining them is guitarist Ian Haug, formerly of Australian rock icons Powderfinger, who has been with the band since 2013. Touring multi-instrumentalist talent Jeffrey Cain is now a full-time member since the departure of Peter Koppes in early 2020. Completing the line-up, newcomer Ashley Naylor is one of Australia's finest guitarists and a long-time member of Paul Kelly's touring band. Formed in 1980, The Church found early chart success in their homeland, before establishing themselves as an international touring entity, earning a worldwide hit with the single 'Under The Milky Way' from their hit 1988 album Starfish, while their stellar live shows have been deemed 'spectacular' by MAGNET magazine and continue to win the hearts of industry and fans across the world. Often seen as the Godfathers of an Australian psych/prog scene generating such internationally successful names as Tame Impala and King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, The Church have gone on to maintain a loyal and far-reaching following as their fanbase has expanded with their evolving sound. Entering their fifth decade as a band, The Church continue to remain a treasured creative force. European tour 2023 - Reviews secured in Mojo, Classic Rock, Uncut, Vive Le Rock, Record Collector, Louder Than War - Press Quotes: "While some may just want The Church to write another "Under the Milky Way", The Hypnogogue's title track is excellent. One of the most anticipated albums of 2023" - Brooklyn Vegan - Treble Zine have named The Hypnogogue one of their most anticipated albums for 2023

As the momentum continues to build for old-school blues rock trio GA-20, the band takes their expanding fanbase by storm with the release its first full-length live LP, Live In Loveland!. Featuring 11 rowdy, blistering performances (including five songs from 2022's Crackdown, three from their 2019 debut Lonely Soul and three previously unrecorded tracks), Live In Loveland! captures GA-20 feeding off the energy of the wall-to-wall crowd and delivering each song with raw emotion and body-shaking force. Live In Loveland! mixes band originals and vintage covers, from early electric blues and honky-tonk country to proto rock 'n' roll, all performed live with deep feeling and punk energy. The album was recorded direct-to-tape on a vintage Tascam 388 at Plaid Room Records in Loveland, Ohio, home of the famous Colemine record label. Produced by Stubbs and engineered by Colemine owner Terry Cole, the band blasts out of the gate playing Harold Burrages' I Cry For You, before tearing into Little Walter's obscure gem My Baby's Sweeter. The previously unrecorded original Hold It One More Time proves to be an instant classic, sitting seamlessly next to the vintage covers on the album. According to guitarist Matthew Stubbs (whose resume includes playing with blues legends Charlie Musselwhite and James Cotton, among others), "There is a special type of energy that is exchanged when we play in front of a live audience, and we definitely feed off of that and wanted to capture that. I love the power and energy of the best live blues albums. Historically, some of the most iconic blues and jazz records have been live ones. B.B. King's Live At The Regal changed my life. So did Hound Dog Taylor's Beware Of The Dog!, and Albert King's Live Wire/Blues Power. We really wanted to continue that tradition and do one of our own."

Zur Feier des 50. Jahrestages des kultigen Wattstax-Events, das am 20. August 1972 im L.A. Memorial Coliseum stattfand, veröffentlicht Stax Records ”Wattstax” neu: The Living Word”.

Diese beiden LPs wurden von den Originalbändern von Chris Muth geschnitten und enthalten Auftritte von Isaac Hayes, The
Staple Singers, The Bar-Kays, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Albert King und anderen.

• The premium cuts by the legend that is Link Wray remastered on limited coloured vinyl with free CD
• Stunning artwork by Sophie Lo
• Liner notes by Author Nina Antonia.

It will surely come as no surprise that Quentin Tarantino picked up on Link Wray’s ‘Rumble’ and ‘Ace of Spades’ for the movie ‘Pulp Fiction’. The brooding guitar man; born in North Carolina in 1929, as Fred Lincoln Wray Jnr, hails from pulp territory - the mythic Americana of rock n’ roll. Wray’s mother, from whom he inherited his striking appearance, was a Shawnee Indian, his father was a street corner preacher and grandpa did some jail time. Whilst having contracted tuberculosis when serving in the Korean war affected Wray’s vocals, his guitar playing mostly did the singing for him, but he wasn’t always volatile - ‘Lillian’ and ‘Alone’ revealing the heart beneath the tough exterior. Fiercely independent, when the rock n’ roll boom burst, Wray fashioned a 3-track home studio from a chicken shack and largely extricated himself from the music business although he would continue to record and play, stating ‘Money don’t rule me, record companies don’t own me.’ Nothing owned Link Wray but he owned rock n roll. Though the era of monochrome had ended, Link cast a long shadow, drawing admiration from the likes of Neil Young, Keith Moon and Pete Townshend who noted of Wray ‘He is the king, if it hadn’t been for Link Wray and ‘Rumble’, I would never have picked up a guitar.’ Though often marginalised throughout his career, Wray was like the night, an unquantifiable influence on successive generations of guitarists who sought to scorch rather than soothe. In November 2005, Bob Dylan was just about to step out on stage at the Royal Hall Albert, when he learned that Link had struck his final chord. In tribute to the great man, Dylan commenced his set with ‘Rumble.’

The Men collection is back with a new double vinyl dedicated to the greatest voices of the Blues including the man who inspired Elvis Presley, BB King.

180 gram vinyl LP of Freddie's 1979 album with extensive sleeve notes
Produced by: Winston 'Niney The Observer' Holness
Recorded, Voiced & Mixed at: Channel One ecording Studio, 29 Maxfield
Avenue, Kingston 13
Engineers: Anthony 'Crucial Bunny'/'Bunny Tom Tom' Graham & Lancelot
'Maxie' McKenzie
Musicians:
Drums: Max 'Feelgood' Edwards & Leroy 'Horse Mouth' Wallace
Bass Guitar: George 'Fully' Fullwood
Lead Guitar: Earl 'Chinna' Smith
Lead Guitar & Rhythm Guitar: Albert Valentine 'Tony' Chin & Eric 'Bingy
Bunny' Lamont
Keyboards: Jamaba Johnson & Keith Sterling
Tenor Saxophone: Enroy 'Hot Train' Grant
Trumpet: Arnold 'Willie' Brackenridge & Donald Vidan-Greaves
Percussion: Herman 'Bongo Herman' Davis & 'Brooksy'
Advertising in Black Echoes and Record Collector

Strut present the first ever compilation of Balka Sound, bringing together their influential 1980s recordings. Hailing from Congo-Brazzaville and led by revered vocalist and ngonfi player, Nkibi "Lusialala" Albert, Balka Sound created their own unique musical world, re imagining traditional Congolese Balka rhythms with electric guitars, electric bass and drums, alongside the traditional 5-string ngonfi.

Stevie Ray Vaughan's 1983 debut album, Texas Flood, was a phenomenal success, climbing into the Top 40 and spending over half a year on the charts, which was practically unheard of for a blues recording. The record plays like a dynamite club show, filled with crowd-pleasing originals and covers, all performed with unbridled enthusiasm. Texas Flood was certified gold on August 13, 1990, and certified platinum on January 22, 1992.

With his astonishingly accomplished guitar playing, Stevie Ray Vaughan ignited the blues revival of the '80s. Vaughan drew equally from bluesmen like Albert King, Otis Rush and Hubert Sumlin and rock 'n' roll players like Jimi Hendrix and Lonnie Mack, as well as the stray jazz guitarist like Kenny Burrell, developing a uniquely eclectic and fiery style that sounded like no other guitarist, regardless of genre.

Many will know Bernie Marsden for being a founder member of Whitesnake, one of the biggest rock bands of all time, and writing the iconic global smash, “Here I Go Again”.Since leaving Whitesnake almost 40 years ago, Bernie has forged an impressive solo career. He is acclaimed as one of the premier British blues guitarists. He has written and recorded with some of the biggest names in the industry, composed music for film & TV, forged a successful career as an author, and amassed a priceless collection of guitars. Most recently, Bernie partnered with Joe Bonamassa to write half of his hit album, Royal Tea. Rewind to Summer 2018… Bernie was invited to join Billy Gibbons on stage, when he said “Bernie, wouldn’t it be great if we could all record the songs we grew up with as we learned to play the guitar?” Rather than suffer the usual fate of great ideas that are left to litter the dressing room floor, Bernie immediately set about making a list, and the “Inspirations” Series was born. KINGS” is the first album of Bernie Marsden’s “Inspirations”. Featuring 10 songs that were originally recorded by Albert, B.B. & Freddie King, and recorded in a studio in Oxfordshire with a band that just locked into a groove, “KINGS” is chock full of blues and soul. Two Bernie Marsden penned instrumentals inspired by The Kings appear as the final two tracks on the album. Features appeared / appearing in Blues Matters, Classic Rock, Fireworks, Rock Hard (Germany), Sweden Rock, Rock N Reel magazines, with great reviews given by most of the premier UK Rock, Blues and Guitar publications around the release of “KINGS”. Radio support at Planet Rock, The Max, Radio Caroline and was IBBA’s #4 most played album in 2021.

'You & Me', 'The Ballad of John Henry' and 'Live from the Royal Albert Hall'.
The 2009 fan favourite and iconic 'The Ballad of John Henry' will be also available
on coloured vinyl for the first time, has been remastered on 180g heavyweight
2LP brown vinyl and includes a bonus track – B.B. King's "Chains and Things."
Bonamassa's seventh studio album saw him steamroll into another US Billboard
Blues #1 as well as it making waves across the charts around Europe. Well on his
way to becoming a superstar, several Bonamassa originals adorn the album as
well as covers of Tom Waits, Sam Brown and Ike & Tina Turner, highlighting the
sheer scope of his palette.
With 25 #1 albums, yearly sold-out tours worldwide and custom annual cruises,
he's a hard act to beat. These albums are a testament to his credentials and a
toast to his longtime fans who remember them originally and new fans who can
experience them for the first time. It's Joe Bonamassa at his finest, ready to rock.

Mit Oop Boomp veröffentlicht Stag-O-Lee mit Vol. 13 eine neue Folge der fantastischen Exotic Blues & Rhythm Serie, die unter den Fans bereits Kultstatus genießt. Wie auch bei den Vorgängern bietet die Vinyl-only 10" je 12 Songs zwischen tanzbaren Popcorn-Grooves, ein paar Tittyshakern und 50s Rhythm & Blues Tunes - alle mit einem exotischen Flair!

Joe Bonamassa - 'The Ballad of John Henry' 2022 Remaster erstmals als farbiges Doppel-Vinyl

Provogue / Mascot Label Group veröffentlichen am 22.04.2022 drei spezielle Vinyl-Neuauflagen des Blues-Titans Joe Bonamassa. You & Me", "The Ballad of John Henry" und "Live from the Royal Albert Hall" erscheinen erstmals remastered.
Das Bonamassa Kult-Album "The Ballad of John Henry" aus dem Jahr 2009 wird erstmals auch auf farbigem Vinyl erhältlich sein. Das Album wurde für die 2 LP-Version neu gemastert und auf 180g braunem Vinyl gepresst. Als besonderes Bonbon gibt es mit der B.B. King Coverversion von 'Chains and Things' einen Bonustrack.
Bonamassas siebtes Studioalbum brachte ihn erneut auf Platz 1 der US Billboard Blues Charts und brachte ihm den Durchbruch in Europa. Mehrere Bonamassa-Originale zieren das Album ebenso wie Coverversionen von Tom Waits, Sam Brown und Ike & Tina Turner, die die ganze Bandbreite seiner Palette aufzeigen.
Mit mittlerweile 25 Nummer 1 Alben in den Billboard Blues-Charts, ausverkauften Tourneen und seiner Keeping The Blues Alive Cruise in Amerika und Europa, ist Joe Bonamassa allgegenwärtig. Diese Re-issues sind für seine langjährigen Fans und für Musikliebhaber, die JB neu für sich entdeckt haben. Diese drei Alben sind Joe Bonamassa vom Feinsten!

Gonzalo Benitez and Luis Alberto Valencia were kingpins of the musica nacional movement in Ecuador. Check them out on the cover, on a rooftop in Quito’s Old Town, surveying their dominion. In 1970, when Valencia collapsed onstage during a performance of the yaravi Desesperacion — ‘My heart is already in ashes’ — and died four days later, aged 52, his coffin was carried through those city streets on the shoulders of his fans.

They began singing as a duo in their mid-teens. During twenty-eight years together they recorded more than six hundred songs, for Discos Ecuador, Nacional, Granja, Ortiz, Rondador, Onix, Fuente, Real, Tropical, Fadisa, RCA Victor — and of course CAIFE.

Their exquisitely romantic harmonising is a sublime blend of collected forbearance and abject self-annihilation, underpinned and elaborated by the heart-piercing, improvisatory guitar-playing of Bolivar Ortiz. Effectively the third member of the group. ‘El Pollo’ sets the tone and intensity for everything that follows: listen to his soloing at the start of our opener, Lamparilla.

Musically a pasillo — a cross between a Viennese waltz and the indigenous yaravi rhythm — Lamparilla draws its verses from a poem by Luz Martinez from Riobamba, written in 1918 when she was 15, under the influence of Baudelaire and Mallarme. Another pasillo here, Sombras is one of the best-loved songs in the musica nacional canon, setting lines about undercover sex and loss by the Mexican poet Maria Pren, which were considered pornographic on publication in 1911.

And Benitez & Valencia looked back still further, to the indigenous roots of Ecuadorian music, as the key to its future. Carnaval de Guaranda is their take on a song dating back to the era of the Mitimaes, a broad group of Bolivian tribes conquered by the Incas and displaced to Ecuador. ‘Impossible love of mine / I love you for being impossible / Who loves what is impossible / Is the truest lover.’

Lovingly presented in a gatefold sleeve with spot-gloss, and printed inners, with stunning photos and expert notes. Excellent sound, drawn from original tapes, by way of Abbey Road, D&M and Pallas.

From its founding in the late 14th century, the kingdom of Buganda has been celebrated through sound and nurtured a rich musical tradition in its royal court. Coming from across the kingdom, musicians would take turns in the palace to sound drums, xylophones, flutes, lyres, and more to praise and honour the existence of the kingship. In recent years however, the tradition has been more difficult to maintain, especially since 1966 where there was a violent attack on the palace that abruptly abolished the kingdom and during which royal musicians fled or were killed. And while the kingdom was re-established in 1993 as a cultural institution, many of the remaining musicians had since chosen to sideline their skills to deal with the issues of their day to day lives, the practice of the royal tradition waning in popularity, especially with younger listeners and players. But all is not lost. Scattered across the kingdom, a motivated team of older veterans and attentive young players are still keeping the tradition alive. Offering a transversal glimpse into the past and the present, "Buganda Royal Music Revival" collects recordings made in between the late 1940s and 1966 illustrating the older generation's skills, and presents them alongside recent recordings featuring old and young musicians who still carry on this musical tradition, some even performing for the current king, Muwenda Mutebi II. The later were made during the shooting of the 2019 documentary "Buganda Royal Music Revival" that presents through a film what this album conveys through sounds: a packed dive into a century-old tradition. The music displayed here is diverse and vibrant, presenting a variety of styles and highlighting instruments that illustrate the depth and sophistication that stemmed from the royal court experience of Buganda. As a starter, the album opens with 'Mujaguzo'. Often translated as 'The Drums of the Kingship', the mujaguzo is a crucial ensemble for the cultural tradition, made from drums collected by the kingdom throughout its long history and numbering around 100 drums (historical records suggest there were at some point over 300). They are the vitality of the kingship packaged into sound. From here, we're introduced deeper to an array of instruments and textures, like the buzzing Bugandan lyre (endongo) by contemporary royal player Albert Bisaso Ssempeke, the resonant akadinda xylophone with its 21 large wooden keys, Temutewo Mukasa's restless praise sung with his harp (ennanga), the hand-made gourd trumpet (amakondere), the entenga "drum-chime" and its core set of 12 drums tuned like the amadinda xylophone, or the tightly intertwined melodies of the flutes ensemble (abalere). With the music, the hissing and swishing sounds of old tapes reminds at times the listener of the long process, from the original recording to its archival digitization, that allows the talent of past musicians to still vibrate nowadays. This rousing selection of music and moods is a unique and all too rare exploration of sounds that celebrates the common history of generations of musicians, and the question remains open as to how this rich cultural tradition will shape and be shaped by the upcoming Bugandan future, and what engagement it will trigger among audiences within, but also beyond, the kingdom of Buganda.

Canadian collective The Hello Darlins, dubbed “the Broken Social Scene of
Americana”, release their first full-length LP Go By Feel on June 11, 2021.
With over 500,000 combined Spotify streams for their initial three singles, it’s
safe to say there’s a lot of anticipation for their debut album. The buzz began
building almost immediately after the Calgary, Alberta-based Americana collective debuted on the scene in early 2020, with American Songwriter calling the
group “the product of a talented pool of session musicians craving more,” while
Americana UK stated, “It’s great to see a band put together by the talented
folks who would usually be ‘behind the scenes.’”
So, who exactly are The Hello Darlins? The seeds of the band took root in 2016
when vocalist/producer Candace Lacina crossed paths again with keyboardist/
producer Mike Little after first meeting at a recording studio years earlier. Once
reconnected, they soon found themselves making music together in between
their work with other artists, an impressive list that ranges from Shania Twain
to Charlie Major, The Road Hammers to George Canyon as well as the late B.B.
King.
In short order, the couple began inviting others within their circle to participate, including Murray Pulver (Crash Test Dummies), Clay- ton Bellamy (The
Road Hammers), Matt Andersen, Dave and Joey Landreth (aka The Bros. Landreth), Russell Broom (Jann Arden), and ace fiddler Shane Guse.
On Go By Feel, this incredible collection of talent has forged a hybrid of country,
gospel and blues like no other, from the heart-wrenching ballads “Aberdeen”
and “Prayer For A Sparrow” to the classic country-rocker “Mountain Time” and
the album’s soulful title track.
Making music influenced by times of joy and sorrow is natural for Candace and
Mike, as both come from families with long musical traditions within Canada.
It all adds up to The Hello Darlins preferring to add “North” to the Americana
genre, a more than symbolic gesture that’s in line with a musical vision that will
continue to evolve as soon as the band gets a chance to play live with a lineup that could potentially consist of anywhere between five to nine players on
stage.
Until then, audiences will now be able to fully savour the tunes, musicianship
and production of Go By Feel, proof positive that teamwork ultimately leads to
exceptional results.

New York City 4-piece deliver a modern blues rock masterclass on their feisty debut album.

“A timeless classic rock sound that revels in lean riffs and raw emotion.” – Afropunk

In an age where artistic merit is awarded to those who shout the loudest, Dakota Jones pride themselves on an unwavering ability to leave a lasting impression. Spearheaded by Tristan Carter-Jones fierce and unashamedly uncensored songwriting, the band’s fast-growing reputation as formidable live act has stamped Dakota Jones with the hell-hath-no-fury power of Chaka Khan, the wild spontaneity of Janis Joplin, and the honey-dripping sensuality of Marvin Gaye. Their debut album’s message of proud black heritage and triumphant queerness manifests itself in Carter-Jones’ ability to challenge norms of adulthood and femininity as she takes a deep dive into some of life’s most visceral emotions.

Tristan Carter-Jones: “I’m a black, queer woman expressing myself through love and music. Some folks still find that to be a transgressive act in and of itself. I work to fight that idea. I write a lot about my
Continued over…
sexuality and the ways in which I express it. Songs about sex and love bounce back and forth between songs about heartache, hangovers and self-medication, and the pleasure and pain of truly finding yourself. I don’t think we get to hear these things from a woman’s mouth as often as we should.”

Serving as an instant tone setter, the album opens with the line "Stretch marks from growing pains" with Carter-Jones lamenting the woes of adjusting to adulthood on lead single ‘Did It To Myself’ - her husky and commanding vocal instantly asserting its place in the spotlight. The atmosphere soon turns steamy on the flirtatious title track ‘Blacklight,’ whilst fantasising over a modern-day Bonnie & Clyde love affair the funk-laden ‘We Playin Bad Games’ packs a punch with its tale of free spirits entwined in a haze of late-night revelry.

Elsewhere, stories of caustic heartache twist the knife into wounded blues guitar riffs on ‘Like That’ and ‘Black Magic (That Power)’, in which Carter-Jones’s stoical voice never once faulters as she mourns the memories of a previous flame. Personal prayer ‘Lord Please’ recites empowered words of reassurance, and solidarity in the face of injustice erupts into a rallying cry for change on the classic sounding ‘Noise’ – written as a reaction to the 2016 US election. “I woke up after the election feeling pure panic and fear in my body,” remembers Tristan. “I wanted people in a place of privilege to stand up for what I was feeling, stand up for injustice, stand up for all of the things we need to change as a country. I wanted their rage, and I wanted their noise.”

Finally, the band’s tender tropes of togetherness eventually boil into gritty, guitar-slung balladry on hidden bonus track, ‘California,’ where, knees buckling under the weight of past trials and tribulations, Carter-Jones sets out on one final journey of self-discovery, hastily pulling out from reality and leaving only a dust cloud in her wake.

Production comes courtesy of the Grammy-winning John Wooler, ex Virgin Records A+R and founder of the Blues label Pointblank who has worked with everyone from John Lee Hooker and John Hammond to Isaac Hayes and Van Morrison. The album also features a wealth of hugely talented and accomplished musicians, including backing vocalist Kudisan Kai, former backing vocalist for the likes of Elton John, Chaka Khan, Anita Baker, Natalie Cole, Beck, Sting, Mary J. Blige and Jill Scott. Also present; Grammy winning keyboardist Jon Gilutin, who has spent years working with some of the industry’s most respected and iconic artists including Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Lady Gaga, Willie Nelson, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Jackson Browne, Celine Dion, Bonnie Rait and Carole King. You’ll also hear the talents of acclaimed guitarist Michael Toles. Most well-known for being a part of the Stax Records group The Bar Kays, and for his contributions on famous records by Issac Hayes, Al Green, BB King, Johnny Taylor, Rufus Thomas, Albert King to name just a few.

Dakota Jones are a rising funk, soul and blues rock band from Brooklyn, New York City. Comprising of Tristan Carter-Jones (vocals), Scott Kramp (bass) Steve Ross (drums), and acclaimed musician Randy Jacobs (guitar) - former member of Was(Not Was) who has recorded for Seal, Bonnie Raitt, Tears for Fears, Elton John and many others. Though Carter-Jones and Ross first met in 1999 whilst at primary school, the band formed years later following a series of home jam sessions in 2016. The band’s collective alias originates from Carter-Jones’s middle name, ‘Dakota’. Dakota Jones have since released a string of acclaimed singles and EPs as well as received international attention for their track, ‘Have Mercy’ after it featured on Netflix’s 2019 film, Always Be My Maybe starring Ali Wong and Randall Park – and now after years of hard work and determination, the band are finally set to reveal their long awaited debut album. “We’d been regularly releasing EPs, waiting for our chance to come, and wondering what that would look like,” says Carter-Jones. “We didn’t realise until we started making this record that we needed to stop waiting for some break to come along, and just do it ourselves, independently.”

“Black Light really dives into a place of funk soul and everything that comes with it. There’s joy and dancing, sleek guitar licks and funky bass slaps. There’s pain and longing, and there’s the feeling of relief when you come out of that place and find your joy and purpose again. Black Light is my story.”

Fifth -and last- volume of our "R&B Hipshakers" series, featuring rockin' R&B and early soul from the King and Federal catalogues. A compilation of tracks from 1953 to 1964 by essential artists such as Hank Ballard, The 5 Royales, Little Esther, Little Willie John, Lula Reed, Albert King… that, after 5 juicy volumes (do you have them all?), reach the magic number of 100 delights from King and Federal's incredible output.
20 terrific dance cuts selected by genre expert Mr Fine Wine, from WFMU's Downtown Soulville. Most of the tracks have never been reissued before. *This volume includes a previously unreleased version of Lulu Reed's 'Your Love Keeps A-Working on Me' on a bonus single that will be solely available as part of this 2LP + bonus 7" pack.

Re-mastering by: Cicely Baston at Alchemy/Air Mastering, London

Electric blues guitarist Melvin Taylor had been sporadically recording solo albums for 20 years when Dirty Pool arrived — and was somehow just beginning to find fame. Already a hit in Europe, it had taken a steady run of performing in Chicago’s famed blues clubs to slowly earn Taylor a well-deserved reputation as an equal talent among the giants before him, such as Otis Rush, Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

While early records like Melvin Taylor Plays the Blues For You show off an equally amazing jazz side, Taylor traded away his Wes Montgomery-inspired runs for more Luther Allison/Jimi Hendrix attacks with the formation of the trio Melvin Taylor and the Slack Band in the mid ’90’s.

The title song of the second album by that outfit, “Dirty Pool,” is actually more the balls-to-the-wall, no-compromise, hard-rockin’ electric Texas blues of Vaughan and Johnny Winter than the sweet Chicago soul of Buddy Guy.

Indeed, three tracks on this 1997 release, including “Dirty Pool,” were SRV tunes. Other standards, like “Kansas City” and “Floodin’ in California” also have more of a Lone Star State approach to them. But the Jackson, Miss.-born Taylor’s guitar is cleaner than his forebears and technically, he even surpasses them, yet the anger and sorrow of the blues is readily evident in his playing.

This rare combination of qualities really comes out in a slow blues tune like his solo in “Dirty Pool,” which after repeated listens, still makes me head shake in disbelief when I hear it.

“Too Sorry” is a good example of how well Taylor fares when he treads in Jimi Hendrix territory, whereas his rhythm work is the best I’ve heard from a lead guitarist since Vaughan; listen to “I Ain’t Superstitious,” “Born Under A Bad Sign” and the funky “Telephone Song” for your proof.

It also helps that Taylor’s drummer James Knowles is well in synch with him, while Ethan Farmer completely owns the low end of the sound. Farmer’s peppering bass lines in and “Floodin’ in California” is the textbook way electric blues bass should be. Overall, a tight little band.

Taylor’s vocals certainly won’t draw any comparisons to the Wide-Brimmed–Hatted One but he holds his own just fine until it’s cuttin’ time. This is right at the top of my list of best blues guitar playing on record over the last couple of decades. If you decide to give this one a listen, prepare to be blown away.

Soul Jazz Records’ new Studio One collection ‘Fire Over Babylon: Dread, Peace and Conscious Sounds at Studio One’ features a stellar selection of 70s roots music – classic and rare tracks recorded at
Clement Dodd’s musical empire at 13 Brentford Road in the 1970s.
Rastafarian-inspired Roots music was an ever-important aspect of Studio One’s output from the start of the 1970s onwards and this album features many of the ground-breaking groups and artists that
established the sound of Jamaica during this decade and beyond.
Featured here are seminal artists such as Freddie McGregor, The Wailing Souls, The Gladiators, Horace Andy, Devon Russell, Cedric Brooks, Count Ossie, Judah Eskender Tafari alongside a host of lesserknown rare cuts made at Studio One from artists such as The Prospectors, Viceroys and Pablove Black. Studio One and founder Clement Dodd’s connection with Rastafarianism dates back to the early 1960s, with Dodd accompanying members of the Skatalites up to the hills of Kingston to listen to the music of the Rastafarian Count Ossie and his drummers. The album sleevenotes discuss how Clement Dodd’s musical links, as well as his role in heading the most important record label in Reggae, are in many ways linked to the beliefs of Rastafarianism. This album is released as a heavyweight black vinyl double-album with gatefold sleeve, full notes and
download code, deluxe CD with full booklet and slipcase and digital album.

Orange and black. Fire and ebony. Fury and pride. Wearing its signature colors proudly and raising its exclamation point high, Impulse! Records was the go-to label for music that harnessed the searching and political stand-taking of the Sixties. Launched in 1961, Impulse grew to become an inherent part of the era’s velocity as well as its volume, pulling jazz into the age of Black Power, Afrocentricity, and Spiritual Expansion. In its balance of tradition and transition, it bridged the golden age of jazz, that brief window from the late Fifties to the Seventies when players representing every jazz era were alive and active—from Louis Armstrong to Albert Ayler, from the legends of lore to a new generation of energy players. Impulse treated all its musicians as innovators, revolutionaries even—from swing and bebop, to free and Afrofuturist. The performances on Impulse Records: Music, Message and the Moment draw their staying power from a wide embrace of styles and sounds, as well as a tight focus on a historic moment when the promise of change was in the air and the message of racial harmony was in the music. Today that music has lost none of its relevance: the promise still deferred, the message still on time.

The term "Guitar Hero" is bandied about loosely these days. Seems like all you have to do is look good holding the thing and you qualify. But if you ask the actual guitar heroes---like Brian May, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton---who THEIR Guitar Heroes are, Steve Cropper is definitely on the shortlist. If all he had done were the records with Otis Redding that would be enough, but shortly thereafter he was leaving his fingerprints on records by Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Johnny Taylor, Albert King, and virtually anybody worthy who came within earshot of Memphis. He was a Guitarist's Guitarist, and a Songwriter's Songwriter.

Fire It Up is Steve Cropper's first album of new Soul/R&B material in 10 years. The album was produced by Steve and Jon Tiven, and will be released worldwide on April 23, 2021 via Mascot Label Group/Provogue.

Whitesnake celebrates the blues sound that helped inspire its multi-platinum career on a new collection that features remixed and remastered versions of the group’s best blues-rock songs. The Blues Album is the third and final release in the band’s Red, White and Blues Trilogy, a series of compilations organised by musical themes that began earlier in 2020 with Love Songs (red) and The Rock Album (white). The new compilation delivers a potent mix of hits and deep tracks that originally appeared between 1984 and 2011 on six Whitesnake studio albums and Coverdale’s solo album, Into the Light.

Whitesnake’s singer-songwriter David Coverdale says, the music reflects how blues artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and the three Kings (Albert, B.B. and Freddie) continue to inspire him. In the album’s liner notes, he writes: “It’s hard to find the words to show how profoundly they connected with my soul. But ‘blues’ to me is a beautiful word that describes emotional expression… feelings, be it feelings of sadness, loneliness, emptiness… but, also those that express great joy, celebration and dance, sexiness and love!!!”

The Blues Album showcases two of the band’s biggest songs: “Slow An’ Easy,” a big hit in 1984 from Whitesnake’s massive album Slide It In, and the smash “Give Me All Your Love” from the band’s 1987 self-titled globally successful album. Other choice tracks from Whitesnake are also featured: “Looking For Love” and “Crying In The Rain,” and “Steal Your Heart Away.” The collection also includes “If You Want Me,” a studio recording released in 2006 as a bonus track on the live album, Live…in the Shadows of the Blues. Coverdale also taps his 2000 solo album, Into the Light, for “The River Song.”

Ross Alexander first came to our attention with Memorias Vol.1 - Bugandan Sacred Places, released back in 2017 on Sucata Tapes, it featured a mind altering mix of recorded sounds from a series of visited sites considered sacred within the Bugandan kingdom and session recordings with Ugandan musicians Albert Sempeke and the Nilotika Collective layered with his own original composition using the Yamaha DX7 and programmed FM synthesis. The result being an unique reconfiguration of new age vocabulary with East African traditional sensibilities. The tape quickly sold out and the new Volume of Memorias presented here arrives now on the mother label Discrepant, on Vinyl with an expanded sound palette appropriate to the format.

Memorias Vol.2 - High Atlas To The Sahara Desert is the logical progression of Volume 1. - based on a series of field recordings Alexander made during a trip through the High Atlas Mountains and into the Sahara Desert in 2018. The aim of the trip was to visit a gathering of nomadic musicians at an oasis close to the Algerian border. Like Memorias Vol1. the recordings made on the trip were then later processed, layered and arranged with original compositions. Where Vol1. had clear nods to New Age music this volume explores the more ambient side of 80’s Industrial sound.

Compilation of work from the group, spanning 1986 to 1991.. Dub infused experimental tunes here!

Politico dub-collage practitioners Guerilla Welfare came from Edmonton, Alberta, coincidentally the birthplace of prophetic media sage Marshall McLuhan. Armed with vanguard ideas taken from Steve Reich, Fela Kuti, Robert Fripp and Material, the duo of Curtis Ruptash and Brian Schultze adopted the 'studio as instrument' mindset of Eno and King Tubby creating complex textural and polyrhythmic sonic insurgencies. They overdubbed drum computers, guitar, bass, noise-makers, mallet percussion, sitars, often accompanied by sampled vocals and found sound taken from TV. Their pan-global, multi-media palette supported zeitgeist commentary — often, with a healthy dose of gallows humour — on gender, power structures, and sexual and geopolitical tensions in the late 80s. Their DIY bunker studio experimentations align them with genre defying dub-infused outfits like African Head Charge, Dome, Lifetones, Naffi, Woo, Negativland and The Residents. The Nature of Human Nature captures Guerilla Welfare's most formidable output, compiling tracks selected from their entire discography (two LPs and a cassette collaboration with poet Mary Howes), all originally self-released from 1986 to 1991. Remastered from the original tapes.

Kingswood Drive and Accidental Return were an early teaser of this new set, due in April. Displaying their signature analogue sounds and arpeggios, alongside broken beats and soul, you wouldn't be alone in hearing the influences of Dam Funk, Herbie Hancock or Bugz In The Attic coming through on these two.
Elsewhere more jittery, playful rhythms underpin Croydon Rooftop Café Culture. As well as in the calming and ethereal Prints On The Heath, a subtle tribute to mutual hero Prince, who passed away on the unusually prolific day this and two other, currently unreleased, tracks were written and recorded.Throughout the EP the duo nod at their London home from the "Heath" to Kingswood Drive and more obviously Croydon itself. The sound of South London is threaded throughout this record with pride.
Even down to the mechanical sunset sound of EP finale Thorns, capturing some of the essence of the studio view over London from their high point on the hill in Thornton Heath.
The first EP from Albert's Favourites co-founders and synth-production duo Modified Man focused on throwing out heavy editing, recording music with as few processes as possible and grabbing performances as single takes. Blending warped cassette recordings that touched upon early jazz-funk/brit-funk influences with the energy of broken beat and experimental electronica, won them support from Patrick Forge, Osunlade, Thris Tian, Yam Who and Titeknots to name a few.
Since that release they premiered new track Thorns live on Boiler Room, going on to deliver a full, three-hour live performance and DJ set for the infamous global community.They also provided remixes for Dele Sosimi, Amp Fiddler, Makadem & Behr and Hector Plimmer, meanwhile, busily preparing a series of four, six-track vinyl EPs which will be released over the next 18 months.

It's impossible to talk about this album without acknowledging the spectre of death that hangs over it - not only is it the third entry in Strata-East Records' Dolphy Series, a collection of archival recordings from some of the label's close associates honoring the recently deceased multi-instrumentalist, but it is actually dedicated to two members of the band, Wynton Kelly and Kenny Dorham, who died in between the recording sessions and its release. The point is driven home even further by the fact that the album begins with a tribute from Payne to the fallen Martin Luther King, Jr., a piece that acts as a de facto solo for Dorham - his playing all rosy elegance and regal warmth - before shifting into the lighter (though equally coolly-paced) "I Know Love," a showcase for Payne's sax. While not the most somber jazz track ever recorded, this opening suite is a low-key and mournful way to open the affair, but thankfully the album really picks off and shows these musicians more in their element the rest of the way.

"Girl, You Got a Home" is a funky piece, beginning very soulfully with some tight interplay among the rhythm section of Kelly, bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Albert Heath. Ware is in especially fine form on this track, tying together the disparate passages of the piece by grounding the more ponderous moments in a deep funk, while Kelly's playing is especially ear catching in the way he stabs at his piano like it's an organ. After the first two tracks take up nearly twenty minutes, the four-minute "Slide Hampton" feels almost impossibly brief, a feeling that's enhanced by its quick, jittery, and infectious rhythm, driven by some really dexterous work from Kelly. The final track, "Flying Fish," may be the album's highlight, a Caribbean-inspired composition that casts the rhythm section as flighty ground for both Payne and Dorham to vamp on. The track is oddly danceable for something released on Strata-East, maybe the most fun moment ever for the label, and relentlessly uptempo. Though this release may be in part defined by the deaths that preceded it, it's clear that the recording process was actually a lot of fun for everybody, as their enthusiasm and energy jumps right out of the speakers. This is one of the first Strata East records I really got into and is still one of my favorites, a must-hear for any fans of the flightier moments of Dorham or Kelly's career, and a fitting tribute for both master musicians.

- This four LP box set features some of the best studio recordings by Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, the ten-piece band that Bill
put together after leaving the Rolling Stones in 1992. Whilst the band features guest appearances by all-star musicians (including
Mick Taylor, Eric Clapton, Chris Rea, George Harrison,Gary Brooker and Peter Frampton on these recordings), it has an all-
star core line-up that features Georgie Fame, Beverley Skeete, Albert Lee, Terry Taylor and Bill Wyman himself of course.
- For this compilation, Bill Wyman has chosen forty three tracks that showcase the fantastic lead vocals of both Beverley
Skeete, perhaps the UK's busiest session singer, and Georgie Fame, a star (and legend) in his own right since 1964 of course.
- Each singer has two LPs: Georgie's features his renditions of songs by the likes of J.J. Cale, Mose Allison, Dan Hicks, and Bill
Wyman & Terry Taylor, while Beverley's features her take on songs by Nellie Lutcher, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, J.B. Lenoir and
The Rascals.
- This box set marks the first appearance of any Rhythm Kings recordings on vinyl. The four LPs are housed in an attractive rigid
outer slipcase and the inner sleeves feature all themusician credits.

Deconstructed royal-court music from the forgotten kingdoms of the Buganda, reconstructed electronic wedding music, fluorescent pink African pop, crunched 8-bit drum machines and a 10-foot long monster xylophone are just a few of the many sounds of Ennanga Vision.

This post-modern African soundtrack follows London producer Jesse Hackett's heady musical journey into the heart of Uganda - recording with chief collaborator, multi instrumentalist and singer Albert Ssempeke and featuring assorted vocal legends from the north of the country. The music blends a fully electronic sensibility with unusual, hand-crafted, African one-string fiddles, a 200-year-old harp and an enormous, group-played xylophone. It mixes traditional Ugandan folk songs and modern pop forms into a new PLASTIC ORGANIC VISION.

Hackett is influenced as much by the music of the African continent as he is by European electronic compositions and soundtrack scores. The sounds of hauntingly-dark vocoded vocals, crushed electronics, and poly-rhythmic drum machines sit alongside chiming African fiddles, rippling harps and children's laughter. He is a member of Owiny Sigoma band having sung on and co-written a lot of their work spanning three albums. He is also touring keyboard player for the Gorillaz and has released records on Stones Throw, Honest Jon's and DEEK Recordings, to name a few.

Albert Ssempeke is the son of a prestigious royal court musician who played in the days of the old Buganda kingdom - one of more than twenty five musical siblings, Albert is simultaneously an educator, performer and preservationist of this intricate and complex traditional form of music. Here he plays over ten traditional Ugandan instruments including Amadinada (xylophone), Ngindidi (fiddle), Endongo (harp), Ennanga (flute) and many more

Deconstructed royal-court music from the forgotten kingdoms of the Buganda, reconstructed electronic wedding music, fluorescent pink African pop, crunched 8-bit drum machines and a 10-foot long monster xylophone are just a few of the many sounds of Ennanga Vision. This post-modern African soundtrack follows London producer Jesse Hackett's heady musical journey into the heart of Uganda - recording with chief collaborator, multi instrumentalist and singer Albert Ssempeke and featuring assorted vocal legends from the north of the country. The music blends a fully electronic sensibility with unusual, hand-crafted, African one-string fiddles, a 200-year-old harp and an enormous, group-played xylophone. It mixes traditional Ugandan folk songs and modern pop forms into a new PLASTIC ORGANIC VISION.
Hackett is influenced as much by the music of the African continent as he is by European electronic compositions and soundtrack scores. The sounds of hauntingly-dark vocoded vocals, crushed electronics, and poly-rhythmic drum machines sit alongside chiming African fiddles, rippling harps and children's laughter. He is a member of Owiny Sigoma band having sung on and co-written a lot of their work spanning three albums. He is also touring keyboard player for the Gorillaz and has released records on Stones Throw, Honest Jon's and DEEK Recordings, to name a few. Albert Ssempeke is the son of a prestigious royal court musician who played in the days of the old Buganda kingdom - one of more than twenty five musical siblings, Albert is simultaneously an educator, performer and preservationist of this intricate and complex traditional form of music. Here he plays over ten traditional Ugandan instruments including Amadinada (xylophone), Ngindidi (fiddle), Endongo (harp), Ennanga (flute) and many more