Author: JD Nash

Through extensive research and interviews, ‘Shake Your Hips: The Excello Records Story’ chronicles the tale of one of the most unusual labels to emerge from the 1950s. Shedding new light on Nashville’s rich history as much more than a country-music town.

Frank Bey is a soul man, in the truest sense of the word. Singing since a small child, Bey has spent nearly 70 years perfecting his craft. There have been highlights to his career, but he has had more than his share of obstacles as well.

Although his parents were against him playing guitar, Akapo immersed himself into the origins of the blues and never looked back.

“Mule” stands out as consummate Townsend. Omnivore Recordings’ inclusion of the eight previously unissued tracks is a gift to the entire blues loving world.

His friendship with Levon Helm led to an introduction to Leon Russell, who got Davis into session work. He joined Taj Mahal around that same time, playing guitar and piano on Mahal’s first three albums and co-writing some of the songs.

“Your Mama Wants To Do Me (And Your Daddy Wants To Do Me In)” is a rocking good time. The kind of song that keeps Anthony Gomes fans packing venues wherever he plays.

“‘Head Held High’ is a song I wrote that is close to literally true,” Margolin shared.

What Nakia has done is more borrowed than stolen. He took classic blues and soul songs, redefined them in his own unique and powerful way, and gifted them back to us as something fresh and new.

“I grew up poor man. I grew up with black folks and white folks, and the common denominator was that we were poor folks.” – Boscoe France

“The title ‘Prime Blues’ refers to both my love of the blues as well as my love of mathematics,” Allchin says. “‘Prime Blues’ is more concentrated blues than my past albums and at the same time more diverse in terms of style, guitar technique, and guitar tone.”