The Rockabilly Chronicle (2026)

06/06/2026

Gary Hiland Trio – Catch Me

Moondog Music Oy – MOONCD2603 [2026]
Rock On – Devil In High-Heels – Catch Me – Tomorrow – Dirty Stroll – Keep Movin’ On – Easy And Free – Don’t Say No – I Don’t Mind – Gipsy Woman – It’s A Shame – Make With The Lovin’
gary hiland trio

There are two ways to approach Rockabilly and Rock’n’Roll. Both have their merits and are equally valid, although they are radically different. The first is to follow the path laid out by the genre’s illustrious creators and try, within those rules, to contribute one’s own, more or less modest, contribution. The second, more perilous, is to say, “Come on, old man, let’s see what you’ve got!” and take music that’s over 70 years old as a starting point to push the boundaries and create something new. Fewer people take this path because it’s easier to go off the rails (to take the metaphor to its logical conclusion). Among the resounding successes of this type of approach are, of course, the Stray Cats, notably with the superb Choo Choo Hot Fish, or the Black Crabs, to name just two examples. It is this second option that the Gary Hiland Trio has chosen.

The group consists of Gary ‘Kari Kunnas’ Hiland on vocals and guitar, Tommy Dahlstrom on drums, and Janne Anttonen on double bass. They have previously played in the Hi Fly Rangers, Daryl Haywood Combo, Maibell and the Misfire, the Cosh Boys, the Toreadors, Husky and the Sandmen, and Hi-Speed Rockets. It is this rich experience that allows the members of the Gary Hiland Trio to draw on all their resources to deliver a truly exciting gumbo. On this album, traditional rockabilly rubs shoulders with more neo-rockabilly tracks, and you’ll find a menacing instrumental alongside songs with a stronger country influence. The band’s only criterion seems to be, “Does it sound good?” But what makes the result so exciting is not a juxtaposition of styles, but rather an assimilation aimed at creating a style unique to the group. And believe me, it works! Add to that perfect musical mastery and solid compositions and you’ll quickly understand why this album should quickly find its place in your collection.

09/05/2026

Chevalier Brothers (the) – Live and Jumping

Disques Cheval GG1
Five Guys Named Moe – R**t Petite And Gone – Fat Sam From Birmingham – Airmail Special – Self Inflicted – The Joint Is Jumping – The Jam Man – One More Drink Bartender – Wake Up Baby
chevalier brothers

Saxophonist Ray Irwin (ex-Dynamite Band) formed the Chevalier Brothers with French guitarist Patrice Serapiglia in 1982. They subsequently adopted the pseudonyms Ray Gelato and Maurice Chevalier.
After a few months, the lineup stabilized with Ray Gelato, Maurice Chevalier, Roger Beaujolais (vibraphone), Clark Kent (aka Anders Jane of the Stargazers) on double bass, and John Piper (drums). They quickly developed an energetic stage show.
They entered the studio to record two EPs but were unable to fully capture the essence and personality of the Chevalier Brothers on vinyl. It was then decided to cut a live album, and thus Live and Jumping was recorded in March 1985 over two evenings at St. Mary’s College, Twickenham, and the Dublin Castle. The album was released on their own label (Les Disques Cheval).
With just nine tracks, Live and Jumping delivers a concise, hard-hitting, and uncompromising set. The program includes covers of classics by Benny Goodman and Charlie Christian (Air Mail Special), Slim Gaillard (The Jam Man), Fats Waller (The Joint Is Jumpin’), and Louis Jordan (Five Guys Named Moe, R**t Petite and Gone, Fat Sam From Birmingham), but it also features much more compelling, unrestrained, and free-spirited versions of the band’s original compositions, such as Self Inflicted, One More Drink Bartender (where the vocal contributions of the singer and the band sound much more natural), and Wake Up Baby.
On stage, their natural element, each member gave their all. The Chevalier Brothers didn’t treat this music like a museum piece, nor did they try to recreate it. While respectful of its roots, they infused their music with humor, energy, and speed, blended genres, and didn’t hesitate to quote from all quarters.
This innovative approach, combined with high musical standards, gave them complete freedom and firmly anchored the group in its time. In this respect, the Chevalier Brothers extended what Joe Jackson had begun with his album Jumpin’ Jive and preceded the neo-swing movement of the mid-1990s by more than ten years.

08/05/2026

One from the archives…

Ella Mae Morse – Rocks

Bear Family Records BCD 16672
Money Honey – Have Mercy Baby – Rock Me All Night Long – Daddy, Daddy – The House Of Blue Lights – 5-10-15 Hours – It’s Raining Tears From My Eyes – How Can You Leave A Man Like This – Lovey Dovey – Get Off It And Go – Oakie boogie – False Hearted Girl – Greyhound – ump Back, Honey – A Little Further Down The Road A Piece – Bouncin’ Ball – Big Mamou – Forty Cups Of Coffee – Give A Little Time To Your Lover – The Blacksmith Blues – Won’t You Listen To Me Baby – Oakie boogie – Smack Dab In The Middl – Yes, Yes I Do – Razzle Dazzle – Ain’t That A Shame – Piddilly Pitter Patter – Seventeen – When Boy Kiss Girl (It’s Love) – Give Me Love – Rockin’ And Rollin’ – Rock And Roll Wedding – Cow Cow Boogie – Mr. Anthony’s Blues
Ella Mae Morse

Versatile seems to be the most fitting adjective to describe Ella Mae Morse. �Discovered in 1942 with the superb “Cow Cow Boogie,” on which, despite her young age, she displays remarkable ease, Morse continued to explore different genres, navigating effortlessly from one to another. Recording primarily for Capitol Records, she tackled genres such as torch songs and sensual jazz (the sublime “Sensational,” on which she rivals Ella Fitzgerald), but also more rhythmic pieces. It is to this second category of songs that the tracks gathered on this compilation belong. Listening to this album, it is Morse’s vocal ease and her effortless transition from one genre to another that truly impresses the listener. Thus, across the 34 tracks of this album, we move from Boogie Woogie (House of Blue Light, A Little Further Down the Road A Piece) to Hillbilly Boogie (Okie Boogie, False Hearted Girl, a duet with Tennessee Ernie Ford) to Rhythm and Blues (Smack Dab In The Middle), to Rock and Roll (Razzle Dazzle, Greyhound, Money Honey), not forgetting Hot Jazz (Get Off It And Go) or exotic pop (the dispensable Rock and Roll Wedding).
Each time, her clear and powerful voice, tinged with bluesy accents, works wonders. Proof of this is the singer’s ability to convince us with a Mambo/pop version of Link Davis’s Big Mamou.
Of course, one might regret, mainly on the more Rock and Roll sides, the systematic use of a large orchestra instead of a smaller ensemble that would be better suited to the genre. Despite this, there’s always room for exciting solos, with Morse often accompanied by the cream of Capitol’s musicians, whether it’s the saxophone on Jump Back Honey, Barney Kessel’s guitar on Razzle Dazzle, or the Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant team on Okie Boogie.
Perhaps this versatility ultimately hindered Ella Mae Morse’s career, as audiences and labels don’t like artists that are hard to pigeonhole, but in the end, it’s what makes her career and this compilation so rich.

03/05/2026

James Brown – Rocks

Bear Family Records BCD 17775
That Dood It – I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On – And I Do Just What I Want – Tell Me What I Did Wrong – Shout And Shimmy – This Old Heart – You Don’t Have To Go – Chonnie-On-Chon – There Must Be A Reason – Come Over Here – I’ll Go Crazy – Love Don’t Love Nobody – Good Good Lovin’ – I’ll Never, Never Let You Go – Signed, Sealed And Delivered – No, No, No, No – Three Hearts In A Tangle – Can’t Be The Same – Think – Hold It – Just You And Me, Darling – Night Flying – Don’t Let It Happen To Me – Dancin’ Little Thing – Let’s Make It – Choo-Choo – Baby Cries Over The Ocean – Mashed Potatoes U.S.A. – I Got You (I Feel Good) – Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag
James Brown

While everyone knows the James “the Godfather of soul” Brown from the 1970s and 80s and his soul-funk hits, with his flamboyant costumes, the liters of sweat he poured out on stage, and his colorful appearances in films like The Blues Brothers and Rocky IV, the artist’s early years are perhaps less well-known. It’s these early years, through the lens of the most rhythmic tracks recorded for King and Federal, that Bear Family invites us to explore.
This compilation therefore covers the years from 1956, the date of the recording of I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On and Chonnie-On-Chon, which seem to have come straight from the repertoire of Little Richard, to 1962, with as a coda two unstoppable hits from 1965, judiciously placed at the end of the record, namely I Got You (I Feel Good) and Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag (the latter already laying the foundations of funk). This reminder at the end of the album allows us to appreciate the evolution and innovation of the singer and his band.
These early years were therefore formative and developmental for Brown, during which, under the combined influence of Little Richard, Hank Ballard, and Ray Charles, and supported by a powerful and fervent voice rooted in Gospel, the charismatic singer sought, defined, and refined his style, gradually moving away from the traditional codes of Rock and Roll and Rhythm and Blues to become Mr. Dynamite. Sometimes Brown and the Famous Flames learned by “borrowing” already known songs, making them their own. For example, Shout & Shimmy strongly recalls Shout by the Isley Brothers, and Night Flying inevitably evokes Bill Doggett’s H***y Tonk. But the personal elements that would become his trademark quickly took shape: a sharp guitar, a prominent bass line underpinned by staccato brass.
The music of Brown and the Famous Flame is a fusion, resulting in a more edgy, less lush, ultra-groovy Rhythm and Blues, played by a band that’s a veritable clockwork mechanism. The selection wisely includes instrumentals from the album James Brown Presents His Band, allowing for an even greater appreciation of the group’s masterful craftsmanship. �There’s absolutely nothing to skip on these thirty tracks, and it’s hard to resist the allure of this music and remain comfortably seated while listening to this album.

30/04/2026

V/A – Sicily is Rockin'

Heytone Records – HT001
Al And The Dirty Shakers – Dirty Shakers / Dale Rocka & The Volcanoess – One More Chance / Marco J & The Jaywalkerss – You’re So Nic / Robbie Dee – Love or Trouble / Vince And The Moon Bopperss – Summer Love / Halfchicken – The Moon And Me / Dale Rocka & The Volcanoes – Two Tone Shoes / Louisiana Reed – Pretty Baby / Al And The Dirty Shakers – Lover’s Moon / Jaguar & The Savanas – Riding Against The Wind / Halfchicken – Killing Time / Vince And The Moon Boppers – The One I Love / Robbie Dee – Sweety Bee / Marco J & The Jaywalkers – The Best That I Can
sicily is rockin

Sicily is Rockin’!! is an excellent compilation featuring eight Sicilian bands showcasing the island’s richness and diversity.
Al and the Dirty Shakers kick things off with a superb, aggressive instrumental that immediately sets the mood. Their second track, equally good, is reminiscent of Pat Capocci. �
DALE ROCKA & THE VOLCANOES can now be considered veterans, but their thoroughly traditional rockabilly, to our great delight, shows no sign of mellowing.
Like Dale Rocka, Vince and The Moon Boppers have been around for quite a few years now. So much so that we’ve become accustomed to the band’s quality that we’re hardly surprised anymore. That’s a shame. Bands who play rockabilly with such impeccable taste are rare. “The One I Love” is as wild as a forgotten Meteor single (I think Willie Lewis of Rock-A-Billy Records would have loved to record these guys), while “Summer Love” is a medium-tempo rockabilly with hints of Johnny Horton.
If you’re in the mood for jump blues, Marco J and the Jaywalkers are the band for you, whether it’s “You’re So Nice” with its impeccable, subtly piano-driven groove, or “The Best That I Can” with its juicy horns, not to mention that Johnny Guitar Watson-esque guitar.
Half Chicken plays in a fairly similar style, though with a slightly more pronounced rock ‘n’ roll edge.
Propelled by a solid double bass, Louisiana Reed‘s “Pretty Baby” strikes the perfect balance between rockabilly and jump blues, much like the Paladins before them.
I don’t know if the waves are good for surfing in Sicily, but in any case, Jaguar and the Savanas, with their reverb-drenched instrumental, are ready to provide the soundtrack for all the surfers on the island.
I’ve saved the best for last. On a record featuring only good bands, it could seem unfair to pick one, but Robbie Dee is a phenomenon (and a great discovery for me). Not only does she confidently sing her two excellent compositions (Love or Trouble, an uncompromising rocker, and the swingier Sweety Bee), but she also recorded all the instruments herself. Someone please get her to record an LP!
As you can see, this compilation, which offers a truly diverse range of styles, is essential.

20/04/2026

The Brits Are Rocking Vol. 9
Wee Willie Harris – Grab You

Bear Family Records BCD17732
Let’s Have A Party – Rosie Lee – I Go Ape – Grab You – Love Bug Crawl – Little Bitty Girl – Rockin’ At The 2 I’s – Get Happy – Back To School Again – Wild One – Blueberry Hill – Smack Dab In The Middle – Mean Woman Blues – Riot In Cell Block #9 – Bloodshot Eyes – No Chemise Please – Buona Sera – Got A Match? – I Don’t Know Why (But I Do) – Say Mama (Live) – Trouble In Mind – Row Row Row – I Go Ape (‘ll Mondo Di Notte’ Movie Version) – Have A Drink On Me – Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On – Medley: Shufflin’ Along/Baby Face/Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody/Toot Toot Tootsie

It would be too simplistic, and above all reductive, to summarize Wee Willie Harris by his colorful hair and outlandish bow ties. This new volume of the essential and always impeccable The Brits Are Rocking series demonstrates just how much more subtle and varied his music was than his eccentricity might suggest. Eddie Cochran’s vocal influence on “Let’s Have a Party” and “Rockin’ At The 2 I’s” is evident. This influence is perceptible, modulated by varying degrees of British accent, on most of the recordings. “Rosie Lee” successfully blends early rock and roll with big band elements. In a similar vein, “Get Happy” manages to combine rock and roll with Dixieland. These are not isolated cases; jazz influences regularly appear in Wee Willie Harris’s music, whether in the saxophone solo of the bluesy “Back To School” or in this excellent version of “Bloodshot Eyes,” a wild rock and roll track enriched by superb arrangements. And even if the idea of recording with a Big Band displeased Wee Willie Harris, this mix of genres is often what gives his music a very special personality.
I Go Ape is surely one of the singer’s best-known tracks, and rightly so, as Harris lets his wild side shine through. Paradoxically, Wild One, despite its title, is anything but wild; it’s a catchy, rather generic twist. While not bad, Love Bug Crawl (which Marty Wilde would also cover) and Blueberry Hill remain fairly conventional, as does Mean Woman Blues, although the latter boasts an excellent guitar solo. No Chemise Please is completely ruined by the omnipresent (and irritating) backing vocals.
Among the oddities, we find Got A Match, an instrumental with Harris on piano that seems to have been written as a television interlude, and, much more interestingly, Grab You, a disturbing and spooky track that Screamin’ Lord Sutch wouldn’t have disowned. This latter track once again benefits from excellent arrangements and backing by Tony Crombie (by the way, when will there be a Crombie volume in this series?).
I Don’t Know Why (But I Do) proves that Harris was a versatile singer and capable of crooning with subtlety. As is typical of the label, the booklet is very detailed, both in terms of illustrations (color photos, posters, press clippings, etc.) and text. Roland Heinrich Rumtreiber doesn’t simply recount Wee Willie Harris’s life, but places it in its context, and he expands his analysis by discussing the singer’s influence.

17/04/2026

Jason & the Scorchers – Clear Impetuous Morning

Mammoth Records – 92730-2, Atlantic – 92730-2 [1996]
Self-Sabotage – Cappuccino Rosie – Drugstore Truck Drivin’ Man – Going Nowhere – Uncertain Girl – 2+1=Nothing – Victory Road – Kick Me Down – Everything Has A Cost – To Feel No Love – Walking A Vanishing Line – Tomorrow Has Come Today – Jeremy’s Glory – I’m Sticking With You

After a reunion album (A Blazing Grace) in 1995, which saw the original line-up (Jason Ringenberg, Jeff Johnson, Perry Baggs, and Warner Hodges) working together again, Jason & the Scorchers released Clear Impetuous Morning the following year. This album should have opened the doors to a wider audience than the still-restricted circle of “those who know.” Everything was reunited to make this record a success: the group was in great shape, there were good songs, the production was perfect, and they even had a distinguished guest in the person of Emmylou Harris. The problem with this album is that it is poorly balanced. After a fantastic start with four almost-perfect songs, the pace weakens. The energy drops, the songwriting is not up to par, and the album’s second part is more common.
The band kicks off with a bang with Self Sabotage recalling the fervor of Lost & Found, followed by Cappuccino Rosie. Supported by the relentless rhythm of the Johnson/Baggs duo, Ringenberg’s country influences blend perfectly with Hodges’ metal-sounding guitar. The group then covers the Byrds’ Drugstore Truck Drivin’ Man, which seems to have been written expressly for the Scorchers to be transformed into cow-punk. Co-written with Tommy Womack, like the first two songs, Going Nowhere is a very beautiful H***y Tonk with superb harmonies. After that, the band breaks the mood with Uncertain Girl, which recalls the best moments of Thunder & Fire. 2+1=Nothing is slightly less convincing, alternating between big Rolling Stones-style riffs and country passages. Victory Road, if not bad, is quite ordinary, and the guitar’s sound quickly gets boring. Kick Me Down is a good and energetic Rock tune, but once again, the guitar tends to do too much.
Fortunately, Everything Has A Cost, a mainly acoustic duo with Emmylou Harris, provides a welcome breath of fresh air. Behind the two singers, Warner Hodges knows how to be subtle, complemented by Fats Kaplin’s steel guitar. This song and the very beautiful To Feel No Love (although the latter is a little spoiled by the break, which doesn’t add much) prove Jason & the Scorcher’s ability to write highly melodic songs.
Unfortunately, Walking A Vanishing Line and Tomorrow Has Come Today, although energetic, are fillers, bordering on caricature as if the group had lost the good balance between Punk energy, metal guitar, and country melody. The group, mainly Jason, supported by a harmonica, an acoustic guitar, and a fiddle, continues with the folk-tinged Jeremy’s Glory, which is worthy of Bob Dylan’s first albums. But the album ends awkwardly with I’m Sticking With You, some sort of Gospel mixing steel guitar and saturated guitar, not always in the best taste. �In the end, Clear Impetuous Morning contains terrific songs, some even worthy of their first albums, but is marred by some more average songwriting. The quality wins despite everything, but the group should perhaps have stuck to a more concise album like Lost & Found or even Fervor.

16/04/2026

Billy Hancock – Wanted True Rock’n’Roll

Ripsaw Records 220 [1985]
Oh Caroline / All The Cats Join In / I Need You Now / I’m Free / Take Your Time / Sarah Lee

After releasing albums for Big Beat in France and Solid Smoke, Billy Hancock returned to Ripsaw in 1985 with this mini-album. The title says it all; it’s a shot of true Rock’n’Roll instead of the Rockabilly stuff he played with the Tennessee Rocket.
Oh Caroline, written by Hancock after the French tour of 1981, is a frantic piano-led rocker. Benny Goodman’s All The Cats Join In, first discovered by Billy in Disney’s movie of the same name, is turned into a wild neo-rockabilly number.
Initially done by Eddie Fisher as a pop tune, I Need You Now becomes in the expert hands of Hancock, a superb Elvis Presley type of ballad. The Velons, a Maryland doo-wop band, take in charge the Jordanaires part.
The b-side opens with a surprise: a cover of the Rolling Stones’ I’m Free. While one would expect Hancock covering one of their Rock’n’roll tunes, he chose this pop song and took the occasion to bring a good dose of Buddy Holly, one of his idol, to it.
Talking about the rocker from Lubbock next is Take Your Time. For this cover, he remains very faithful to the original, with a note for note organ part.
Sarah Lee, the closing song of the mini-lp, comes from the pen of British rocker Dave Travis. It has a very menacing edge, a bit like The Way I Walk, and features a tremendous guitar solo.

15/04/2026

High Noon – Texas Style

Exile Records ‎– EX10EP09 [1994]
Crazy Mixed Up World – He Won I Lost, She’s Found – Across the River – My Heart Cries Yes (but my mind whispers no) – Movie Magg – Red Barn Boogie

High Noon, The Texas Rockabilly trio released this 10″ mini album in 1994. First, look at that cover! It’s perfect! Congratulations to Carlos Fernandez who captured the band in action. Then the music… For this one, High Noon took a slight departure from their usual brand of stripped down rockabilly and brought some guests to the party.
The opener is a cover of the Willie Dixon song made popular by Little Walter. The trio with the help of Alvin Crow on fiddle and John Ely on steel turns it into a superb hillbilly bop with Shaun Young yelling the name of the musicians in the great Bob Wills tradition. As usual Shaun’s vocals are superb, Sean Mencher’s guitar inventive and Kevin Smith provides the perfect backbone with his slap.
Next is He Won, I Lost, She’s Found, penned by Mencher. This H***y Tonk with steel, fiddle and harmony vocals (provided by Brent wilson of the Wagoneers) is sure to make you cry in you beer. The side A closes with Across the River, another Mencher original. It’s another fine ballad enlightened by Mike Maddux on accordion.
Side B opens with My Heart Cries Yes. Can these boys play bluegrass. You bet they can! With the help of Danny Barnes (Bad Livers) on banjo. Perkins’ Movie Magg is here to remind you that High Noon is one of the very best (if not the best) Rockabilly band of the late 80’s/early 90’s. Finally the steel and the fiddle return for Hank Harral’s Red Barn Boogie to conclude this mini album in beauty.

14/04/2026

The Javes – Beat Crazy

Remmi Demmi RD24 203295 [2024]
Right Now – Nero Rising – Somebody Answer – Home No More – Guardian Angel (From Hell) – Sixteen Tons – Soldier In The Night – Where Danger Lives – T.V. Quarrel – 77 Sunset Strip – Stranger Than Paradise – Jivin’ With My Baby
the Javes Beat Crazy

After almost four decades since their excellent and noteworthy first EP, TV Quarrel, the Javes are making a triumphant return.

At first glance, we might fear seeing a group reunite after so many years, even if they have stayed active in the Rock’n’Roll scene, notably with 45 RPM. Fans are torn between the joy of reuniting with old friends and the apprehension of seeing if they have aged well and not become old dorks (just kidding…).

The doubts vanish with Right Now, the first track of this highly successful album. The sound is impactful, and the carefully crafted production excellently showcases the musicians’ work. Throughout the eight new tracks, they maintain this high level of quality. The Javes chose a brief and cohesive album that eliminates any unnecessary or filler material.
Since their debut EP, the sound has become more intense, and the guitars are more aggressive. Also, the structures evolved into more complex things and melodies. The lively Neo-Rockabilly of the mid-1980s has been replaced by a darker, sometimes menacing modern Rockabilly, as evidenced by their outstanding and highly original cover of 16 Tons. At no point does the trio attempt to make us believe that we are in 1985. While their music is influenced and even codified, The Javes aim to create music for their time. In this aspect, they can be compared to recent albums by Brian Setzer (Gotta Have The Rumble or The Devil Always Collects) or Restless, one of the group’s influences at the time. Like Setzer and Restless, the German group achieves its goal by avoiding the trap of nostalgia.

When certain groups in the rock ‘n’ roll scene seem stuck in traditional ways, it would be a shame to overlook this album. The Javes, with their innovative approach, have given the genre a new twist, keeping it relevant and lively for our times. But that’s not all – this disc offers the best of both worlds. Torsten and his two bandmates had the excellent idea of including four bonus TV Quarrel tracks.

The Rockabilly Chronicle

06/06/2026

09/05/2026

08/05/2026

03/05/2026

30/04/2026

20/04/2026

17/04/2026

16/04/2026

15/04/2026

14/04/2026

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