The Four Blazes were active in the early 80’s and featured Pat Reyford (Sugar Ray Ford) on vocals and guitar, John Jobbagy on drums,
Colin Cosimini on double bass and Steve Michael (vocals / guitar?).
To my knowledge they only had one song (a cover of Slim and Slam’s Buck Dance Rhythm) released on the Northwood Story Vol. 1 (NV Records – NVCDCOMP3)
Juke Joint Records
Hot Rod Guy – Juke Joint Jumpin’ – Nagging, Nagging – Road King – Tore Up – Diamond Ring – Your Love – Rhythm Rustler – The Last Petal – Latina Tina
The Juke Joint Cruisers come from Colorado and they are Randy Watson (guitar and lead vocals), Mike Boyce (double bass and lead vocals) and Lee Lippstrew (drums). This is their debut album and it’s been entirely recorded live which is the best way in my opinion to record this music. Produced and recorded by the band It’s a very solid album, featuring all original material. They have the good idea to keep it short (10 songs and 30 minutes), which avoids the temptation to include second choice material. All the songs here are first rate and varied. It also takes you back to the good old vinyl days a feeling reinforced by the Side A and Side B on the back cover. Their sound mixes rockabilly with rockin’ blues and the result is sure to appeal to fans of Lee Rocker, the Nervous Fellas and most of all the early Paladins. In addition you’ll also find more country oriented stuff like “Nagging, Nagging ”, latin beat (Latina Tina) and a Chuck Berry meets Link Wray and Duane Eddy instrumental (Rhythm Rustlers). No rockin’ album would be complete without a rockaballad and Boyce’s The Last Petal perfectly fills this void.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis
Part Records Part CD 6102 [2012]
Teddy Boy Five – Heads Or Tales – Break Up Today – Growl – My Old Man Is A Square – Be Bop Teddy Girl – Mysterious Night – Jack The Ripper – Don’t Take Your Love From Me – Riot At leister Square – Fiddler On The Roof – Texas calls You Home – Sinister Street – Gonna Type A Letter – Dankee Belle – Saturday Night At The Duckpond – At The Ace London Rocker
Johnny Knife and the Rippers are a 1/3 Norwegian-2/3 German powerful rockin’ trio formed by John Sindre Lynhaug (aka Johnny Knife) on lead vocals and electric bass, Christian Hockmouth on guitar and Sven Schürmann on drums. These three guys are solid musicians having respectively played with three famous Teddy Boys bands: Rebels Revenge, the Town Rebels and the Foggy Mountain Rockers. And it shows in the final result.It’s a very tight album that mixes influences from the late 50’s/early 60’s British rockers (with covers of Johnny Kidd, Billy Fury and Screamin Lord Sutch) with the sound of the mid 70’s Teddy Boys bands. Take your drape jacket and your creepers and bop to the sound of Johnny Knife and the Ripers.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis
Blue Lake Records 2009
Too Hot – Miss A-Bomb – Hands Off – No Reason To Go Home – Who Knows – I Can’t Stand It No More – I Really Really Love You – Whiskey & Gin – Roosters Love Call – Mole In The Hole – Young & Wild – Stop Foolin Around – My Search
Ella and The Roosters come from Spain via Switzerland where they recorded this hot platter. I’m not sure if they are still active under this form as I believe Ella is now playing with the Blues Shouters. Anyway, we still have this platter to testify to their talent. Ella has a powerful voice, to say the least, and the Roosters are a solid three piece band. The production is perfect giving them the warm and raw sound needed for their brand of rockin’ blues/rhythm’n’blues. Guitar player Jorge Nunes wrote several originals that stand well near the covers (I especially like I Can’t Stand It No More with its Somestack Lightning type of riff). Brenda Lee was Miss Dynamite and now we have Miss A-Bomb, keep an eye on her future projects, I’d love to hear her backed by a horn section.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis