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seven tracks on the album, and they are all good, strong original songs. Certainly worth
investigating.

Norman Darwen

(www.facebook.com/onusbluesband)

Jimmy Regal & the Royals—Live at Elephant & Castle—
Independent

The band’s first live album is only available from their online
store or live gigs, and it comes as a limited edition of 100
copies, so don’t hang around if you want to grab yourself a
copy of this CD. Come back and finish the review once you’ve
ordered it! Jimmy Regal & The Royals have been making a
name for themselves over the last few years with their tough
blues sound, but one which admits a few world (or maybe they
are actually London) influences.

This gig was the launch party for their album “First And Last
Stop” in July 2023 at The Temple Of Art And Music in south
London. It features the three piece with an expanded line-up including horns, keyboards, backing
vocals, and percussion, though Joff Watkins dirty blues harp playing is still way out front much
of the time, with band members Sammy Samuels and CJ Williams on drums and guitars
respectively doing far more than making up the numbers.

The set actually opens with a rendition of ‘Burn It Down’ a tough number from the band’s first
album with the basic line-up. Then it is into the new material and bigger line-up for the remaining
eight songs, with a sound based on the driving Hill Country blues and beyond. It’s certainly
infectious - try ‘Empty Streets’ for example, or ‘First And Last Stop’, with its mix of Junior Wells
and a subtle West African feel. Or actually any track here…

As I said, if you want a copy don’t hang around. Go do it now if you ignored my advice earlier.

Norman Darwen

(www.jimmyregalandtheroyals.com)

Stefan Hillesheim Band—Live at Rosa’s Lounge—Stella
Blue Music

Recorded at the famed Chicago blues club, this set finds
German-born singer, guitarist and bandleader Stefan (who
moved to the USA at 27 years old) backed by a trio and tackling
a dozen original numbers. These range from the slow, jazz-
tinged ‘Leaving You Behind’, stylistically poised somewhere
between a ballad and a slow blues, to the bright and breezy
soul of ‘You’re My Family’, and the traditional slide sound of
the descriptive blues ‘Harlem Avenue Lounge’, showing
influences from Elmore James and Tampa Red.

It follows on from several EP releases and last year’s album ‘When I’m Gone’, which included a
few blues standards alongside Stefan’s own compositions, and was made with the same