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In the early 1960s, beat groups from the Dutch Randstad dominated the national charts. Yet far from the big cities, in the clubs of Drenthe, one band was already being billed as “Beatgroup Number One”: Cuby + Blizzards. But frontman Harry Muskee never embraced that label. Raised on broadcasts from The Voice of America, he possessed a deeper understanding of the blues than most of his contemporaries. Muskee didn’t want to sing ‘songs,’ as he called them, he wanted to sing the blues, raw and unfiltered, in the tradition of Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters.

Their debut single “Stumble & Fall” was recorded in the Bavohuis, a simple gym hall in Amsterdam, with Addy Kleingeld as producer. But the debut album Desolation marked a turning point, recorded at the Phonogram Studios in Hilversum with renowned blues producer Tony Vos, it captured the band exactly as Muskee intended.

The resulting album became a jewel of Dutch music history. Never before had the Netherlands heard a blues singer who poured his emotions into a recording with such conviction and authenticity. Muskee even outshone his British peers. Eric Burdon (The Animals), Paul Jones (Manfred Mann), Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones) and Van Morrison (Them).

At the 1968 Grand Gala du Disque (the Dutch equivalent of the Grammys), Muskee received an Edison Award for Desolation, handed to him by cabaret artist Wim Sonneveld, whose lukewarm speech couldn’t diminish the significance of the moment.

Sixty years later, the legacy of this groundbreaking album still resonates, an essential document of European blues and a defining moment in the story of Cuby + Blizzards.

This 60th anniversary edition of Desolation is now available as an expanded 2LP-set including the original 1966 album plus fifteen bonus tracks. The gatefold version features songs “Things I Remember”, “Stumble & Fall”, “L.S.D. (Got A Million Dollars)”, is a limited edition on blue vinyl and includes new liner notes by Dutch Blues authority Johan Derksen.

Ten years after of the passing of Dutch blues singer Harry Muskee on
September 26th 2011, the Cuby + Blizzards Foundation presents the very
last encore of the legendary blues band.
Internationally Cuby is best known for The Window Of My Eyes, which, apart
from being a national chart hit in Netherlands, was also featured in the
soundtrack of the George Clooney film “The American”.
Sound engineer Ed Roose delved into his archives and came up with a memorable live album. One more time Grolloo Blues with Harry ‘Cuby’ Muskee, whom
we miss but who shall never be forgotten.
National blues lovers cherish his body of work, which is now complete.
Harry Muskee - Vocals Erwin Java - Guitar Helmig van der Vegt - Piano & Organ Herman Deinum - Bass Guitar Hans Lafaille - Drums Horns: Mikl s F rst Bert
Pfeiffer Peter van Soest Wouter Schueler

Cuby + Blizzards were a Dutch blues band founded by vocalist Harry Muskee and guitarist Eelco Gelling in 1964. The band were active until Muskee’s death in 2011. Simple Man was released in 1971 as the bands ninth studio album. A perfect example of the band’s signature blues rock sound, the album was well received by fans and charted in the Dutch Album Top 100. Simple Man contains the single “Back Street”, which also charted in the Dutch Top 40.

Available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on transparent green vinyl.

In between the Golden Earring albums 'Seven Tears' and 'Together', both guitarist George Kooymans and singer Barry Hay worked on solo material. Kooymans’ album 'Jojo' was released in December 1971 and was the result of a sparkling and short period of recording sessions at the Phonogram Studio in Hilversum, where he recorded a collection of songs with some of the best Dutch session musicians – among guitarists Eelco Gelling (Cuby + Blizzards) and Hans Hollestelle and saxophone player Bertus Borgers (Sweet d’Buster). Thanks to the spontaneous recordings, the personal lyrics - with help from George’s friends Bruce Kirkman and Jerry Voisin - and Harry van Hoof’s string arrangements, 'Jojo' achieved a cult status and became a collectors' item soon after release.

The album has been remastered from the original Phonogram Studio master tapes and includes a recent interview with George Kooymans about the making of 'Jojo'.

'Jojo' is available as a limited numbered edition of 750 copies on light green coloured vinyl and includes an insert.

Frank Nuyens, alias Rainman, was the guitarist for bands like Circus and a founding member of Q65. His solo debut album from 1971 is a slice of psychedelic folk & rock sounds and features fellow Q65 member Jay Baar, Dick Beekman and Eelco Gelling (Cuby & The Blizzards). Rainman is a very rare and hard to find album from the Dutch psychedelic
70’s era. The album is part of Music On Vinyl’s Behind The Dykes series, which comprises rare and sought-after albums from the Netherlands.

Rainman celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2021. This release includes an insert with song lyrics and is available as a limited individually numbered edition on transparent green vinyl.