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Jess and Jill and the Sinners

Chessnuts (the)

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chessnuts

The Chessnuts – EP

chessnuts

NUTS – NUTS 001 [1989]
Lollipop Lover – Hungry For Your Lovin – Everlovin – Beyond The Sea

The Chessnuts were a Dutch band formed by Ronald Balten (vocal and double bass), Kees Stigter (vocal and lead guitar),  Jeroen Haagedoorn (vocal and rhythm guitar) and Jan Van Leeuwen (vocal and drums). This EP released in 1989 on their own Nuts Records contains four tracks. Danny Dill’s Hungry For Your Lovin’ is a traditional Rockabilly. They turn the Davis Sisters’ Everlovin into a soft Rockabilly tune with some doo-wop thrown in for good measure. Lollipop Lover (aka The Three Chuckles’ Cinnamon Sinner) and Beyond the Sea (Bobby Darin) show some jive influences and wouldn’t be out of place on a Keytones album.
Jan van Leeuwen later played with the Haystack Hi-Tones and Jess’n’Jill and the Sinners and both Kees Stigter and Jeroen Haagedoorn formed the Barnstompers.

Fred ‘Virgil’ Turgis

Bugaloos (the)

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bugaloos

The Bugaloos – In the Mood

bugaloos

Rockhouse Records – ROCKCD9318 [1993]

Rockabye Boogie – Most Of All – Be Bop Baby – Baby I Love You So – At The Old Town Hal – Love Me – Rocky Road Blues – In The Mood – Crazy Real Gone Blues – Bye Bye Blues – Frankie’s Out On Patrol – You Can Do No Wrong

The Bugaloos were a three piece female harmony band from the Netherland, featuring Lil’ Esther.
Their sound was a mix of “sisters” bands (Fontane, Davis, Dinning, Miller) as well as Nita, Rita and Ruby with a dash of Rockabilly à la Collins Kids thrown in for good measure.

In the Mood is their second album and benefits of the presence of Jelle aka Joe Sixpack (who later joined the Ranch Girls and the Ragtime Wranglers) on guitar. This guy is one the great masters of the Rockabilly guitar on the modern scene next to pickers like Deke Dickerson, TK Smith. He brings rockabilly to their swing and swing to their rockabilly.

All songs are covers but the band is good enough to always turn them into something new and interesting. Even an ear worm like In the Mood that makes me cringe even when played by Bob Wills is pleasant here. But how could you resist to the charm produced by the sweet voices of those three girls.
From Hillbilly bop with a hint of western swing to a sweet ballad with Rockabilly in between and a bit of jazz, you’ll sure enjoy this moment with the Bugaloos.

After the Bugaloos disbanded Esther and Marga formed Jess’n’Jill & the Sinners before singing as a solo act. Read more about all that here.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

The Bugaloos with Lil Esther
The Bugaloos
Bugaloos

Jess and Jill and the Sinners

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Jess and jill and the sinners

Jess and Jill and the Sinners formed around 1993 after the Bugaloos went their separate ways. The first line-up was Esther van der Meer (aka Lil’ Esther) and Marja both from the Bugaloos on vocals with Jan van Leewen (ex Chessnuts) on drums,  Peter Crowfield on double bass and Tjarko Jeen on guitar, both from the Tinstars.
After a year with the band, Marga left and was replaced by Diane (now in Laverne and the Rhythm Kings) but the band split in 1996. They played in Holland, of course, and Germany, Swiss, Belgium (where they backed Al Ferrier) and France.
Esther has found memories about this band “It was mostly straight rockabilly harmony stuff but it was so much fun to do.”  She also explains why the band stopped “We did some great gigs but Tjarko and Peter were to busy with the Tinstars at the time so the band just faded away you might say.”
I don’t think they ever released anything (maybe a demo?), if you have more infos, feel free to contact us.

jess-jill
Jess and Jill first line-up, circa 1993.