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maybe is a tribute to Albert Collins) while 'C'est La Vie' is a moody left-bank ballad featuring Tatu

Kantomaa on bandoneon. We bow out with 'Why Doncha' a country sounding fast shuffle that again
features Tap Ylinen on guitar. This is a fine album of guitar-heavy blues rock produced by Slim
himself at Latosound in Tampere, Finland which is on a par with similar blues rock from both the
US and the UK.

Graham Harrison

Henry Gray—Shake a Hand (Live)—Wolf Records

As a teenager in the 60s we used to play Howlin' Wolf EPs and
singles at 78rpm and at that speed Wolf's vocals sounded like a
normal human being but the piano playing behind him was
ridiculously fast - 100mph - that piano playing was by Henry
Gray. Henry was originally from Louisiana and moved up to

Chicago to work with Wolf at Chess records before later moving
back to Louisiana where he died in 2020. This live album sees
Henry playing and singing with a small band on a selection of
blues from Chicago and Louisiana plus rock and roll. The focus is
very much on Henry with the guitar and drums doing just enough to support him without stealing

the spotlight.

He tackles blues classics like Leroy Carr's 'How Long', 'Sweet Home Chicago' and 'It Hurts Me Too'
as well as revisiting some of Wolf's hits like 'Little Red Rooster' and 'Howling For My Darling'
(which also includes harmonica). He also includes more modern rock and roll songs like Little
Richard's 'Tutti Frutti', Ray Charles' 'What I Say' and Fats Domino's 'My Girl Josephine'. Henry isn't
the world's best piano player or singer but he does have a certain charm and this is a pleasing

collection of songs and you feel that it would have been fabulous to have been in the audience for
this performance, although curiously we can't hear the audience at all on the recording! However,
this is a fitting tribute to one of the great supporting artists of the Chicago (and later Louisiana)
blues.

Graham Harrison

The Kokomo Kings—A Drive-by Love Affair—Rhythm Bomb
RBR 6010

The Kokomo Kings are a four-piece from Sweden, with a fine line
in original rocking blues and rock and roll. Try the title track for
a good example of how they sound, a somewhat Chuck Berry
styled number, with slide guitar fills adding a touch of classic
Elmore James – what’s not to like, or the straight-forward Berry

sound of ‘Buckle Up!’ – why, they are both car songs! ? Then there
is ‘The Smile Of A Shark’, again good fun and again, some
excellent slide guitar playing…