Virgil

Santos – the Tease

Santos - the Tease

Santos - the Tease
Santos – the Tease
Wild Records
The Tease – Juicy Fruit – Move Along Baby – Rockin Mabel
Santos is a young hepcat from El Salvador who came to LA with his guitar over his shoulders and knocked out the Wild Records staff. He soon released that four titles Cd (an Ep like in the good old times!) backed by Omar Romero on lead guitar, Iggy Garcia on upright bass and Jessie Gomez/Angel Hernandes on drums. There is two songs written by Santos (one with the help of Omar) and two covers. The covers “Juicy Fruit” from Joe Turner (a surprising rockabilly rendition) and Johnny Carroll’s “Rockin’ Mabel” (one of Santos most obvious influence) are furious. The other songs “Move Along Baby” -a foaming bopper- and the eponymous “Tease”- a stroller- are just hotter than hell!! Mama mia, that boy is fantastic. Please Santos give us rapidly more than four tracks
David “Long Tall” Phisel

Preston Rockabilly – Vol. 2 – Out Of The Valley

Preston Rockabilly - Vol. 2 - Out Of The Valley

Preston Rockabilly - Vol. 2 - Out Of The Valley
Preston Rockabilly – Vol. 2 – Out Of The Valley
Vol. 2 – Out Of The Valley
Press-Tone Music PCD 13
Pat Capocci, Ezra Lee and Danny Wegrzyn (Danny & the Cosmic Tremors) are three Australian cats who play in each other bands. For this album they went to Graeme Thomas’ Preston studio with Cal Robinson on bass, Paul Hainey on drums and Dave Cantrell (the Wildcats, Toni & the Tomcats) on steel.
Pat Capocci performs six songs, all self penned. Full Grown Woman is one of his wildest track, almost garage, Second Best is a traditionnal rockabilly, Burnin’ the Candle is a solid rocker. He also performs a country shuffle (Try To Forget Me), a Jerry Lee type of number (Til I Get to You) and a superb instrumental (After Hours) that has shades of T-Bone Walker and Johnny Guitar Watson.
Danny & the Cosmic Tremors perform five songs (four origiuals and one cover) including two classic rockabillies (my Baby Wants to Rock’n’Roll, So Long). Much wilder is the cover of Bill Johnson’s You Better Dig It. Little Darling, as its title indicates, is a smooth ballad and Feel Allright With You is a hot bopper that reminds me the style of Rip Carson.
Last but not least, Ezra Lee, the piano pumpin’ man, is present here with two rockers (Abby Jane and Goodbye Astrid Goodbye), a strong Rockabilly number (Werris creek Devil). I’m Gonna Kill Your Daddy sees Capocci playing a mean slide guitar that evokes Elmore James and Coalfire Man is more in the style of memphis Slim.
Without a doubt this trio counts among today’s hottest rockabilly/rock’n’roll acts

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Johnny Burnette and the Rock’n’Roll Trio – Shattered Dreams

Johnny Burnette and the Rock'n'Roll Trio

Johnny Burnette and the Rock'n'Roll Trio
Johnny Burnette and the Rock’n’Roll Trio – Shattered Dreams
El Toro ETCDVD10010
Tear It Up – You’re Undecided – Oh Baby Babe – Midnight Train – Shattered Dreams – The Train Kept A-Rollin’ – Honey Hush – Lonesome Train (On A Lonesome Track) – I Just Found Out / Blues Stay Away From Me – All By Myself – Drinking Wine Spoo-Dee-O-Dee – Chains Of Love – Lonesome Tears In My Eyes – Please Don’t Leave Me – Rock Therapy / Rock Billy Boogie – Please Don’t Leave Me (Alt) – I Love You So – Sweet Love On My Mind – My Love, You Are A Stranger – Your Baby Blue Eyes – Lonesome Train (Alt) – I Love You So (Alt) – Tear It Up (Live) – Oh Baby Babe (Live) – Hound Dog (Live TV Clip) – You’re Undecided (Von Version) – Go Along Mule
After its good work on Buddy Holly’s 1956 sides, El Toro released another batch of rockabilly classics with one of the most influential band of the era: The Johnny Burnette Trio. I won’t make a song by song review as they are all familiar to almost everybody here and the interest of this release is elsewhere. Probably for a question of right the last session held by the Trio (by convenience I use the term trio but it is clearly known today, and the very well written 8 page booklet explains it too, that for some sessions Dorsey Burnette and Paul Burlison parts were played by studio musicians notably Grady Martin) in 1957 that gave If You Want It Enough, Butterfingers, Eager Beaver Baby and Touch Me is not included here. Instead you have their Von single (Go Along Mule and an earlier version of You’re Undecided) as well as live takes of Tear It Up and Oh Baby Babe. For those who possesses the Bear Family release (BCD 15474) the main interest of this release besides this live version is the DVD included here which features The Rock’n’Roll Trio appearance in an amateur contest TV Show, some kind of Pop Idol of the day, performing Hound Dog. Until now I only knew the footage of the Johnny, Paul and Bill Black’s brother in the movie “Rock Rock Rock” so it’s a real thrill to watch more material from them. The dvd features the complete show, including commercials, which is very fun to watch even if most of the act are not rock’n’roll related. A must have for any rock’n’roll fan.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Mississippi Queen

Mississippi Queen - Oh Yeah!
Mississippi Queen - Oh Yeah!
Mississippi Queen – Oh Yeah!

Mississippi Queen – Oh Yeah!

Rhythm Bomb RBR5818 {2015}
Everybody Have A Ball – Hey Bartender – Oh Yeah – Mississippi Queen – Knock Knock Rattle – My Way Down – Lonely – Same Ol’ Fool – Eyes Of Blue – Brand New Fool – Precious Memories – Ol’ Black Busted Guitar – Bop Train – Why Should I Fall In Love Again?

Mississippi Queen is one of the longest band in activity in Croatia (if not THE longest band) having formed in 1989 and “Oh Yeah!” is their fifth album. They aim at an authentic sound and one could reproach them to the Barnshakers in term of sound; Musically the band is good but the material if not bad (far from that) doesn’t bring something new to the genre (contrary to the Barnshakers who have he songs and the musicianship). Furthermore Don Karlos their singer shows some weakness being slightly off pitch on some songs. Maybe a producer could have helped them to tighten up their sound.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Coral Lee

Coral Lee - The Weather Vane
Coral Lee – The Weather Vane

Coral Lee – The Weather Vane

Rhythm Bomb RBR5825 {2015}
All I Can Do Is Sing – Big Wide World – Rock and Rollin’ Fever – My Sweet Baby Blue – Me and My Chauffeur – Cadillac – Black Cat Blues – Hi Fly Boogie – Lover Man – Rodney – The Weather Vane – Boppin’ On The Moon – Bobby Brown – I Stole The Train

Another excellent surprise from Rhythm Bomb. Coral Lee comes from the land down under and for her third album has teamed up with the fine folks of Lightning Recorders Studio in Berlin. The combination made by the young girl’s voice, the talent of the band and a bunch of self penned originals (the sole cover being Memphis minnie’s Me & My Chauffeur) is superb. The core of the album is made of hillbilly/rockabilly with the occasional detour by 50’s Rock’n’roll with a hint of doo wop and some songs have a more 60’s feel.
There’s a lot of good singers out there (well, at least there’s a few) but Coral Lee has a little something more than many others with her songwriting talent. Tthis is not your run of the mill Rockabilly/hillbilly that you’ve heard for the umpteenth time elsewhere, and the guys at LRS know how to arrange her songs and make them sound.
Follow this girl closely, as I bet that she’ll soon become the darling of the festivals across Europe.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Hot Rod Trio

Hot Rod Trio - Live!
Hot Rod Trio – Live!

Hot Rod Trio- Live !

Golly Gee Records GGR 1045
Hot Rod Model A – Long Blonde Hair – Here Comes That Train – Hop, Skip, Jump – Cat On The Loose – 32 – Hot Rod Heaven -Baby Don’t Rock – One Gone Cat – What If – Demon’s Got A Motorcycle – Hot Dog – Let’s Bop – Don’t Boss Me Baby – Tear It Up – Folsom Prison Blues – Boppin The Blues – Crazy Baby
The Hot Rod Trio is a Californian modern rockabilly band consisting of Buddy Dughi on guitar, Suzy Dughi on slap bass and Pete Bonny on drums. Both Suzy and Buddy sing. They have released 2 studio albums to date and have been playing their brand of high octane rockabilly since 1991. This live album of 18 tracks is a good way to hear how they sound on stage. You can definitely find a Setzer/Stray Cats influence in their music, not exactly the sound, Buddy’s voice is more rockabilly with hiccups and tremoloes, but in the general feel and the way to approach the genre. The set is a mix of classic covers (Johnny Cash, Johnny Powers, Collins Kid, Carl Perkins…), played with enough personality to be more than reproduction. Buddy plays great solos and make ‘em his own.The band’s self-penned songs stand well among the classics. I really loved “32” and “Demon’s Got A Motorcycle” on which Buddy’s guitar roars like an engine. If you like Brian Setzer’s 68 Comeback Special or The Reverend Horton Heat, you won’t be disappointed with this one.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

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