Retro Music Review | Oldies, Reissues and New Releases with a Retro Sound

Kaye Bohler - Like A Flower (The Kaye Bohler Band; KB 2009)
reviewed by Michael Macomber

I’m telling ya, this lady has more than a little Aretha in her big, beautiful blues belt. She isn’t a sound-alike by any means, but she has that kind of power, that kind of nuance and that kind of emotional resonance. Her stylistic range is impressive too. “Wasted On You” opens like a smooth R&B number, but gradually resolves itself into a self-empowering declaration in the “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” class. “Constant State of the Blues” is a mix of thumping blues and 60s soul, pulsing with pain and rhythmic power. As her story gets more and more dire, the edge in her beautiful voice gets sharper and sharper. It becomes clear that nothing, and I mean nothing, can get in her away.

Of course, Ms. Bohler is much more than a magnificent set of pipes. It also turns out she’s a killer songwriter, author of every tune on this disc. Once again, her range is incredible. “I Got to Know” is a jump blues n’ swing number that could have come right out of the ’40s. “Another Man’s Arms” is badass Curtis Mayfield soul, the hit single from a film soundtrack that never was. “My Heart Beats for Him” could have come directly from the pen of Mr. Cole Porter. Her vocal approach on this one is so Billie Holiday it’ll give you shivers. Again, no imitation, but rather emulation. She is so gentle, so subtle, so glorious.

If you miss the gold old days–whether those days were in the 40s, 50s, 60s, or 70s–or you just want to curl up with the true sound of rhythm n’ blues, Kaye Bohler’s “Like a Flower” will fill the bill. Utterly breathtaking.

Slammers Maximum Jive Band [Live] - Hey There You (Self-Released; CD002)

Some bands are great in the studio. Some shine onstage. The Slammers Maximum Jive Band rocks both. After releasing a truly brilliant studio album earlier this year (the appropriately titled Jive Time), The Slammers return with Hey There You, an absolutely killer live recording… READ MORE

Mitch Woods - Jukebox Drive (El Toro Rhythm & Blues; El Toro R&B 206)

Whether “Boppin’ The Boogie” or serving up burgers at a “Boogie Woogie Bar-B-Q,” piano man Mitch Woods is the epitome of cool. He rocks those eighty-eights like crazy as a “Saturday Night Boogie Man,” then stumbles in the next morning with a “Blues Hangover.” The latter track is a thrilling rhythm and blues masterpiece, thanks in no small part to Woods’ first class backing band, The Lazy Jumpers. Drummer Blas Picon not only drives the tune furiously, he also delivers a killer harmonica break… READ MORE

Gas House Gorillas - Five Gorillas Walk Into A Bar (DM11608)

Remember those hoodlum friends you had when you were a teenager? Remember the way they used to hang out down by the drugstore in their zoot suits, snapping their fingers and acting too cool for school? Well, they grew up to be the Gas House Gorillas.

This primo jump blues band has it all: an amazing rhythm section, awesome sax playing, fabulous guitar, a killer frontman, and fantastic songs. And more than all that, these guys have the ability to cross over from jump blues to swing to rock and back again, often within the same track… READ MORE

DJ At’s Crazy Record Hop Presents: Foot Tappin’ & Dance At The Screamin’ Festival Vol. 1 (El Toro; ETCD 1017)

Organizers of rhythm and swing nights take note: here is the disc you need. This collection of rip roarin’ vintage dance tunes, issued by El Toro to honor the 10th Anniversary of Screamin’ Festival in Spain, is guaranteed to put a shimmy in your shake. There are rock tunes that swing, swing tunes that boogie, and boogie tunes that rock. In fact, there’s something for everyone who likes to move their tail… READ MORE