Beginning a new series on Koko Mojo is ‘Popcorn Blues Party’. With volume two arriving fresh for review, the numerous artists featured are handpicked by the Mojo Man himself (aka Little Victor) and with all tracks receiving the remastering treatment, there’s much care and attention to detail given. Originating from the land of Belgium, the Popcorn genre as it is known blends traditional rhythm and blues with pop songs of the 50s and 60s and performed in a slow to midtempo and often in a minor key. Therefore what the listener can expect with the current album in this brand new series are such atmospheric slow burners as ‘My Baby’ performed by Nappy Brown, to infectious grooves with a slightly higher tempo as Bo Diddley’s ‘I Can Tell’, ‘Had You Told It Like It Was’ (Albert King) and ‘Icy Groove’ via Albert Collins. In fact, the entire long player is an eclectic mix of styles where one moment songs are pounding out rhythms via bongos and blues harmonica (‘Made It Up In Your Mind’) and the next slinking along to a forceful rhythm and blues beat and largely aided by convincing vocals from Piney Brown during ‘Sugar In My Tea (Cream In My Coffee). It’s the slower tempo songs that appeal most, especially when both music and vocal deliveries equally match one another, but that’s taking nothing away from what is an interesting and very engaging compilation of a genre that has much to offer.

Labelled ‘The Grown-Up Christmas’, ‘The Twelve Rockin’ Days Of Christmas’ is an apt description considering the period of the music selected that’s not going to appeal to your average teenager in the current scheme of things. The millennials loss is the “grown-ups” gain as ‘The Twelve Rockin’ Days Of Christmas’ unveils a combination of rock ‘n’ roll and rhythm and blues just in time for the festive season. Take your pick from such rockin’ delights featuring The Sabers’ ‘A Cool, Cool Christmas’ that is a cool swinging rhythm and blues sound, ditto Otis Williams and His Charms ‘Little Turtle Dove’, to the blues guitars of The Jive-A-Tones’ ‘Wild Bird’ and perky ‘Reindeer Rock’ via The Sportsmen. A smooth compelling tone arrives via Big Joe Turner with ‘Christmas Date Boogie’, and Tiny Topsy’s ‘Ring Around My Finger’ sounds larger than the performer behind it. A different version of ‘Rocking Goose’ arrives by Steve Stannard but, unfortunately, it’s the song rather than any artist behind it that grates, with the same fate falling to Bobby Helms’ ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’. Fortunately, there’s much to feel merry about with this compilation with a string of country influenced songs from Hank Snow ‘Reindeer Boogie’, Reece Shipley & The Rainbow Valley Boys’ ‘Milk Bucket Boogie’, before flicking the switch back to normal service of stonking rhythm and blues from Jack Hammer and ‘Girl, Girl, Girl’.

Helping to spread the gospel when it comes to traditional blues and rhythm and blues is the latest edition of ‘Southern Bred: Mississippi R&B Rockers Vol.5’. Stretching out its creative offerings with twenty-eight tracks, volume five opens its account with a sure-fire winner by Little Junior Parker & His Blue Flames and ‘My Baby’. The setlist continues to impress and largely with familiar pickings from Bo Diddley and super raucous ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll’, to lovely skeletal delivery from Rufus Thomas and ‘Bear Cat’. Then it’s a toss of a coin, not as a means of deciding where, if any, the strengths and weaknesses lie, more in terms of the lesser known artists rubbing shoulders with the more established. The quality in music never deteriorates as a result of this where Wolf Call Boogie provides the diamond in the pack in a compelling style of rambling blues, vocals and words via ‘Hot Shot Love’, to what sounds like it’s coming from a tiny transistor radio from Snooky Pryor with ‘Boogie Twist’, and then delivering on all levels with quality offerings from Sam Cooke (‘Mary, Mary Lou’), Otis Rush (‘Satisfied’) and B.B. King ‘Bim Bam’. Another volume and another successful formula of blues and rhythm and blues as far as ‘Southern Bred: Mississippi R&B Rockers Vol.5’ goes.

Proudly waving the flag for Rhythm Bomb is Czech Republic outfit Twisted Rod. A three-piece setup consisting of guitar, bass and drums, Twisted Rod not only write most of their own material via the pen of Filip Nesvadba but have a habit of producing the goods every time there’s a new album release. New offering ‘One In A Million’ is further testament of the qualities at the centre of this band; a thirteen-track album teaming with red-hot rockers such as addictive ‘She’s A Hurricane’, brawling rhythms of ‘Wait A Minute Honey’ and ‘Rainy Days’. In fact, most of this long player is full of attitude (‘I Wanna Bop’) but also knows when to let go and enjoy the good times (‘The Place Was Jumpin’) as well as providing some light relief during the album’s title track. If you need further convincing of the qualities laid bare, then ‘Pretty Baby’ should tick all the boxes as it’s a song that proudly projects its emotions and convinces greatly. Twisted Rod has certainly done it again and produced a whirlwind of rockin’ rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll with current album ‘One In A Million’.

It’s that time of year again when the ghosts, ghoulies, skeletons and zombies have finished their laundry and ready themselves for the annual celebration that is Halloween. Arriving just in time for the ghoulish festivities is a new compilation to shakedown those dancing limbs from Koko Mojo. With a track list providing a new slant on this rockin’ theme with black artists from the genres of blues, rhythm and blues and rock ‘n’ roll. One aspect worth celebrating here, apart from the exciting music on offer, is the focus on less obvious tracks to celebrate this time of year. With no time for the obligatory Screamin’ Jay Hawkins ‘I Put A Spell On You’, what the listener receives instead is the same artist but with equally compelling ‘Frenzy’, complete with cartoon vocal expressions setting up this compilation for more great expectations. ‘Black Halloween: Bo Didley Is A Zombie’ certainly delivers with more measured, yet equally thrilling performances by the likes of Lord Luther and ‘(I Was A) Teenage Creature, The Hollywood Flames’ ‘Frankenstein’s Den’, and wonderfully bluesy-trippy version of ‘The Shadow Knows’ from The Coasters. With Johnny Fuller assuming a plucky stance in relation to ‘Haunted House’, to soulful numbers from Ike Turner, The Cadillacs and The Naturals, not to mention more predictable entry from Bo Diddley (‘Who Do You Love?’) who manages to bag the front cover despite appearances looking a tad unhealthy. Of course, no rockin’ Halloween album is complete without its eccentricities and this arrives upon its conclusion with intriguing Philly Joe Jones’ ‘Blues For Dracula’. Clearly, it’s not only the living who are rockin’ because there’s enough evidence to suggest the dead are enjoying the dance via ‘Black Halloween: Bo Didley Is A Zombie’.

Compiling numerous artists from the golden age of American music, with a hefty slice of rhythm and blues, comes ‘Motorvatin’: 28 Songs From The Green Book Era’. With The Mojo Man (aka Little Victor Mac) overseeing the track selection and dedicating the first instalment to Victor Hugo Green, who was responsible for producing The Green Book, which served as a travel guide to African Americans during an era of racial segregation in the United States. With America in the 50s enjoying a burgeoning car industry, not to mention a developing music scene that was equally as exciting and wild as the designs of the cars, ‘Motorvatin’: 28 Songs From The Green Book Era’ provides a history lesson and reminder of this period. It doesn’t take any real searching to discover a whole host of established names and tracks with the likes of Chuck Berry (‘Maybellene’), Jackie Brenston (‘Rocket “88”’), Lightnin’ Hopkins (‘Big Black Cadillac’), Bo Didley (‘Cadillac’) and Smiley Lewis (‘Too Many Drivers’). The inclusion of The Medallions charismatic delivery of ’59 Volvo’ is a worthy companion for any journey, with a return trip booked consisting of Wynonie Harris’s absorbing commentary during ‘Fishtail Blues’, followed by neat and tidy rhythm of Oscar McLollie’s ‘Roll Hot Rod Roll’. It’s a blast from start to finish with tales of new and exciting car designs, intertwined with tales of relationships set to an enthralling combination of rhythm and blues and rock ‘n’ roll. Off to a great start, ‘Motorvatin’: 28 Songs From The Green Book Era’ is a worthy addition to anyone’s music collection.