Blues Company - United Nations Of Blues

Album: United Nations Of Blues
Size: 176,1 MB
Time: 76:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2023
Styles: Blues
Art: Front

1. Bad Luck Boogie (4:22)
2. I Need A New Job (4:53)
3. Get On Up (5:19)
4. Invitation To The Blues (4:25)
5. Little By Little (5:42)
6. Separation Blues (7:55)
7. Another Man's Blues (4:30)
8. Jammin' At Mike's Place (4:31)
9. (Standin' On) Shakey Ground (5:46)
10. La la Land (7:24)
11. I'd Rather Go Blind (5:43)
12. Save Me (5:11)
13. So Bad (4:58)
14. Blow Jay Blow (5:17)

The Osnabrück Blues Company used the time during the pandemic to write songs for a new studio album. The album is completed, but for its recording the way then led not to the studio, but: The band was invited to the Blues Festival in Lahnstein in the fall of 2022, where their performance was recorded by SWR (radio & TV). A fitting premiere for the new pieces.

So the highlight now is that the super successful recording of the excellently performed songs made a studio recording unnecessary and uninteresting for the new album "United Nations Of Blues". The musicians of the Blues Company have always preferred the live atmosphere with audience to the studio work.

United Nations Of Blues mc
United Nations Of Blues zippy

---

Blues Company - Take The Stage

Size: 187,3 MB
Time: 80:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2020
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Full

01. Till The Lights Go Out (5:21)
02. My Guitar And Me (5:08)
03. The Blues Been Good To Me (4:27)
04. If I Only Could (5:07)
05. Let's Work Together (4:59)
06. Move To The Groove (4:25)
07. Brother, Where Are You (4:32)
08. Riot In Cell Block No. 9 (5:55)
09. Black Night (7:29)
10. Walking Blues (7:00)
11. Red Blood (6:03)
12. Big Legged Woman (4:44)
13. Almost (6:48)
14. Hideaway / Peter Gunn (8:03)

Take The Stage was recorded at the Bowers & Wilkins Rhythm'n'Blues Festival in Halle, East Westphalia. At the start was the XXL line-up of the Osnabrück formation around band leader Todor 'Tosho' Todorovic.
When asked about studio vs. Live album Todor 'Tosho Todorovic' expresses his more than 40 years of stage experience: If we as a blues company have the choice between a live or studio album, we will always choose a live album, as our music lives from the interaction of the band members with one another . The Blues Company is first and foremost a live band. The stage is our living room. Live recordings have more energy, are authentic and unadulterated and document the musical condition of the band on this special evening.

And then there are those 'magic moments'. There are moments and entire concerts that make you float on cloud nine. The stage sound sounds fantastic. The audience motivates you to perform at your best. The band grooves without end. If a live record is also recorded, you are the happiest person on earth. There were some of those magical moments at that gig in Halle.

Take The Stage MP3
Take The Stage FLAC

---

Blues Company - Ain't Givin' Up

Size: 131,3 MB
Time: 56:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Full

01. Ain't Givin' Up (6:20)
02. Guns (5:17)
03. The News (4:02)
04. Waiting For Springtime (6:52)
05. Sticks And Stones (5:04)
06. Georgia On My Mind (4:56)
07. One Shot (5:00)
08. Balsha's Dream (3:47)
09. Route 66 (3:35)
10. I'm Mad (5:32)
11. Precious Lord (5:30)

With more than 40 years on the move for the blues, the Blues Company is one of the pioneers of the German Blues-Scene and one of the oldest still active German bands ever. Various high-profile awards such as 'Jazz Award', 'Award of the German Record Critics' for several productions, 'Blues Louis' and the 'Lifetime Award' (BiG - Blues in Germany) for Todor 'Tosho' Todorovic are testifying the quality of this combo. Regularly their albums are selected by the high-end faction in the hi-fi area to impressively demonstrate the brilliance and performance of the finest speakers and the finest amplifier technology. Ain't Givin' Up consists of eight stylistically diversified own compositions as well as three cover versions. A new masterpiece of German Blues art.

Ain't Givin' Up

---

Blues Company - Encores / With A Little Help...

Album: Encores
Size: 104,9 MB
Time: 44:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Let´s Work Together (5:21)
02. Honky Tonk Woman (5:42)
03. Fool (4:47)
04. The Blues Is Alright (6:42)
05. Silent Night (Silent Concert) (6:58)
06. Smoking Gun (Silent Concert) (3:52)
07. Sugar Daddy (Silent Concert) (6:47)
08. A Little Bit Of That (Silent Concert) (4:34)

Album: With A Little Help...
Size: 171,7 MB
Time: 73:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Blow Jay Blow (4:31)
02. Look Here Baby (3:16)
03. Silent Nite (5:57)
04. Comin' Home, Baby (6:30)
05. Blues Is My Middle Name (3:24)
06. Move On Down The Line (8:22)
07. Dance All Nite (3:33)
08. She's Gone (4:40)
09. Drinkin' Blues (5:42)
10. I M Scared To Move (5:02)
11. Bad Dreams (3:40)
12. Cry For Me (4:06)
13. Things Won T Be The Same (3:49)
14. Pension Blues (5:00)
15. Ev'ryday I Have The Blues (5:55)

Since the '60s, the blues have inspired practically every generation of enthusiastic young, white musicians. Blues Company itself hasn't been around quite that long. The band started up its blues crusade on 20th May 1976. That was the day they first climbed on stage to fire up the audience into a twelve-bar frenzy. After countless other live missions, they proudly celebrated their first 30 years in the spring of 2006.

The Company itself has demonstrated tremendous staying power - and Todor “Toscho” Todorovic, the band's co-founder as well as singer, guitarist, composer and sound freak makes sure of this. The bluesman was born in 1951 in Lingen, in the Emsland region of northern Germany. His parents, who were born in Yugoslavia and who had fled to West Germany after the Second World War, gave their son a variety of opportunities to expand his musical horizons. And what Toscho learned from them and from grand old men of the blues including B.B. King and Muddy Waters would one day become the lifeblood of “his” Blues Company. Toscho not only plays the blues, he lives and breathes them. Blues without compassion would be unthinkable. Thus for years the band's leader has organised benefit events both large and small in his adopted country. For his commitment to social concerns, the city of Osnabrück awarded him the Public Service Medal in 1993.

Because the blues are performed live, Toscho has worked unceasingly on his image as an entertainer. It is pure delight to watch his facial reactions to a catchy refrain, to see how he electrifies the crowd with a breakneck guitar solo or entrances his listeners with a lush melodic figure, how he wakes emotions with his distinctive, dark voice. And with experienced band members at his side. The current line-up – in effect the core band – includes second guitarist Mike Titre (member of the band since 1980), Arnold Ogrodnik on bass and organ and Florian Schaube on drums.

Encores
With A Little Help...

---

Johnny Heartsman & The Blues Company - Made In Germany

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:20
Size: 145.0 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 1995/2009
Art: Front

[ 1:17] 1. Intro
[ 8:23] 2. That's Allright
[ 7:12] 3. Flute Juice
[ 7:25] 4. Cold Cold Feeling
[ 6:47] 5. I Don't Want No Woman
[ 7:37] 6. Let Me Love You
[ 5:54] 7. Ain't No Sunshine
[ 7:26] 8. Sweet Frisco Blues
[11:14] 9. Flip Flop & Fly

It would be wrong to say that Johnny Heartsman died young, although he died at a relatively young age -- Heartsman was 59 when the blues world lost him on December 27, 1996. You can certainly call his death premature, and you can say that he was at the height of his creative powers during the last years of his life. Recorded live at Vitischanze -- a club in Osnabrück, Germany -- in 1993, this album is a thoroughly rewarding document of the bluesman's late period. Heartsman's voice is in fine shape throughout his diverse set, and he is as confident on the guitar as he is on organ and flute. Although Made in Germany is a blues CD first and foremost, it's a blues CD that underscores his appreciation of jazz and soul. Heartsman's inspired performances of Junior Parker's "I Don't Want No Woman" and Albert Collins' "Cold Cold Feeling" are pure electric urban blues, but on the standard "Flip, Flop & Fly," the Californian reminds listeners how nicely he could handle jazz-influenced jump blues. Meanwhile, elements of soul, jazz, and blues come together on an instrumental version of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine," which gives Heartsman a chance to stretch out on flute. Very few bluesmen have been known for their flute playing, but in Heartsman's funky hands, the flute sounded perfectly logical as a blues instrument. Made in Germany makes one wish that he had recorded a lot more live albums during his career. ~Alex Henderson

Made In Germany

---

Blues Company - Old, New, Borrowed But Blues + Encores (40th Jubilee Concert)

Size: 182,3+53,0 MB
Time: 77:56+22:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Got To Move On (Live) (5:59)
02. Brother, Where Are You (Live) (5:02)
03. Move To The Groove (Live) (4:05)
04. The River (Live) (4:53)
05. Messin' With The Kid (Live) (4:36)
06. The Hideaway - Peter Gunn Theme (Live) (8:14)
07. Black Night (Live) (7:08)
08. Gangster Of Love (Live) (5:22)
09. T's Boogie (Live) (4:00)
10. A Little Bit Of That (Live) (4:34)
11. Baby, Please Don't Go - I'm A King Bee (Live) (5:51)
12. Luka's Lullaby (Live) (4:59)
13. Kidney Stew (Live) (6:06)
14. Walkin' Blues (Live) (7:03)

Encores:
01. Let's Work Together (Live) (5:21)
02. Honky Tonk Woman (Live) (5:42)
03. Fool (Live) (4:47)
04. The Blues Is Alright (Live) (6:47)

This band is hot. Very, very hot.

And those aren't just empty words. After all, the Blues Company from Osnabrück, Germany is neither a hodgepodge of rank beginners nor – to borrow business lingo – a group of new business starters. Rather, they are a team of artists who have made their mark, musicians with experience and know-how aplenty. The musicians at work here have long since ensured that the name of their “company” is a recognised “seal of approval”. In a nutshell, “Blues Company” stands for German's longest-running and most successful blues band. And with each new recording, with each concert, these pros underscore that their passionate love affair with the blues is burning brightly as ever.

Old, New, Borrowed But Blues
Old, New, Borrowed But Blues: Encores

---

The Blues Company - Ain't Nothin' But... The Blues Company

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:35
Size: 175.3 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[5:17] 1. My Guitar And Me
[4:38] 2. The Blues Been Good To Me
[4:54] 3. Oh What's Her Name
[4:35] 4. Bad Decision
[5:20] 5. If I Only Could
[3:57] 6. The Mirror
[4:37] 7. Keep On Singin' The Blues
[5:23] 8. Plastic People
[4:18] 9. Mr. TNT
[7:28] 10. You Drive Me Crazy
[5:21] 11. No Idea
[4:31] 12. Drivin' Thru Texas
[5:24] 13. (I'm Just An) Old Blues Singer
[4:59] 14. Things Won't Be The Same
[5:43] 15. Till The Lights Go Out

Blues Company at its best: with crunchy Chicago Blues and butter-soft ballads, with crackling guitar solos and steaming brass, with many additions from rock and soul and with concert-proven highlights.

"They have been on the stage for over 38 years, have performed on more than 4,000 occasions in 14 countries and have released more than 26 albums ? these figures highlight the impressive achievements of the Blues Company and demonstrate that the musicians gathered around the mastermind Todor Todorovic have had an enormous influence on the blues in Germany. However, far more impressive than the statistics is the manner in which Todorovic, known by everyone simply as "Tosho", celebrates the blues with his buddies on stage. Tosho lets the guitar fly with his pieces that bubble with elegance, while his unmistakeable voice gives the songs their distinctive expression.

The Blues Company have always been open-minded to new techniques. They were among the audiophile pioneers, who in the late 1980s brought out the first blues CDs, and later the first SACDs and 5.1 surround recordings - so we were the second Blues band in the world. But one thing was still missing in our releases: a live in the studio recording with an audience.

The trick with a "Silent Concert" is that visitors, unlike at normal concerts, do not appreciate the music through a PA, but through headphones. Thus, they are able to receive perfect stereo sound anywhere in the room and can even adjust the volume themselves. However, only a relatively small circle of people can experience this concert enjoyment. For technical reasons, the number of listeners is limited to a maximum of 100. The auditorium was equipped with sofas, chairs, beanbag chairs and floor lamps, and the band did not play on a stage, but rather dispersed in the audience. The sound engineer was able to create an individual in-ear monitor mix at the highest tonal level for each of the musicians involved as well as for the stereo mix for the audience. This culminated in the Blues Company presenting itself at its very best: with crisp Chicago blues and gentle ballads, with crackling guitar solos and a blasting brass section, with many rock and soul additions, and with highlights from concerts past. The audio recording literally vibrates with vivacity. For the band, as well as for the audience, this was a great, exciting, unforgettable experiment.

Ain't Nothin' But... The Blues Company mc
Ain't Nothin' But... The Blues Company zippy

---

Blues Company - 2 albums: Invitation To The Blues / From Daybreak To Heartbreak

Since the '60s, the blues have inspired practically every generation of enthusiastic young, white musicians. Blues Company itself hasn't been around quite that long. The band started up its blues crusade on 20th May 1976. That was the day they first climbed on stage to fire up the audience into a twelve-bar frenzy. After countless other live missions, they proudly celebrated their first 30 years in the spring of 2006.

The Company itself has demonstrated tremendous staying power - and Todor “Toscho” Todorovic, the band's co-founder as well as singer, guitarist, composer and sound freak makes sure of this. The bluesman was born in 1951 in Lingen, in the Emsland region of northern Germany. His parents, who were born in Yugoslavia and who had fled to West Germany after the Second World War, gave their son a variety of opportunities to expand his musical horizons. And what Toscho learned from them and from grand old men of the blues including B.B. King and Muddy Waters would one day become the lifeblood of “his” Blues Company. Toscho not only plays the blues, he lives and breathes them. Blues without compassion would be unthinkable. Thus for years the band's leader has organised benefit events both large and small in his adopted country. For his commitment to social concerns, the city of Osnabrück awarded him the Public Service Medal in 1993.

Because the blues are performed live, Toscho has worked unceasingly on his image as an entertainer. It is pure delight to watch his facial reactions to a catchy refrain, to see how he electrifies the crowd with a breakneck guitar solo or entrances his listeners with a lush melodic figure, how he wakes emotions with his distinctive, dark voice. And with experienced band members at his side. The current line-up – in effect the core band – includes second guitarist Mike Titre (member of the band since 1980), Arnold Ogrodnik on bass and organ and Florian Schaube on drums.

Album: Invitation To The Blues
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:19
Size: 117.5 MB
Styles: Rockin blues
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:19] 1. Havin' A Ball
[3:32] 2. Invitation To The Blues
[4:22] 3. Drivin' Through Texas
[5:32] 4. 747
[2:53] 5. Jet Set Shuffle
[3:38] 6. Good Man Bad
[4:36] 7. Run Your Finger Through My Hair
[4:22] 8. Warm Night In June
[3:33] 9. Fine! Fine! Fine!
[4:05] 10. What Love Can Do
[3:54] 11. Same Old Feeling
[4:23] 12. Goin' Down
[3:04] 13. My Little Angel

Invitation To The Blues mc
Invitation To The Blues zippy

---

Album: From Daybreak To Heartbreak
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:09
Size: 121.7 MB
Styles: Rockin blues
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[5:04] 1. The River
[5:03] 2. Listen What I Say
[5:17] 3. Over The City
[4:48] 4. Wait A Minute
[5:09] 5. Over
[3:12] 6. Get In The Groove
[6:17] 7. Blues Is A Feeling
[3:28] 8. 21st Century Blues
[4:30] 9. Keepin' The Blues Alive
[4:52] 10. Commercials
[5:23] 11. Blues For Mick

From Daybreak To Heartbreak mc
From Daybreak To Heartbreak zippy

---

Blues Company - 2 albums: O'Town Grooves / Hot And Ready To Serve

Album: Blues Company & The Fabulous BC Horns - O'Town Grooves
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:57
Size: 139.5 MB
Styles: Rockin blues
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:07] 1. Blues Go Away
[4:56] 2. Homeward Bound
[5:37] 3. (I´m Just An) Old Blues Singer
[5:01] 4. I´m Scared To Move
[4:31] 5. Keep On Tryin´
[3:45] 6. Things Won´t Be The Same
[4:39] 7. Slaves To The Money
[5:28] 8. Blues In A Bottle
[5:16] 9. Ol´ What´s Her Name
[4:30] 10. Last Train Home
[4:20] 11. Walk That Way
[5:57] 12. 3 Flies On An Empty Plate
[1:45] 13. Slaves To The Money (Slight Return)

A life devoted to the blues - Todor Todorovic, nicknamed "Toscho," has been doing that for more than 30 years. The captain of the Blues Company has steered his weatherproof vessel with great care through all the trends of the music market. "O`Town Grooves.

O'Town Grooves mc
O'Town Grooves zippy

---

Album: Hot And Ready To Serve
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:49
Size: 130.1 MB
Styles: Rockin blues
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:15] 1. Till The Lights Go Out
[5:11] 2. My Guitar And Me
[7:01] 3. Kids
[3:31] 4. Hollywood
[4:42] 5. Soon Or Later
[5:28] 6. Plastic People
[4:26] 7. Shake It Don't Break It
[5:52] 8. Dark Day
[6:00] 9. Doin' It Right
[4:13] 10. The People
[6:06] 11. Hideaway Peter Gun Theme

Blues Company is Germany's longest-running and most successful blues band. And with each new recording, with each concert, these pros underscore that their passionate love affair with the blues is burning brightly as ever. On their album "Hot and Ready to Serve", they once again show off the talents for which they are best known and loved: they serve up powerful, modern, guitar-based blues. Just as the cover suggests, the music is a "gumbo", a dish directly from New Orleans, very nourishing and sharply flavoured, with every possible ingredient that grows and flourishes in the enormous garden of blues.

Hot And Ready To Serve mc
Hot And Ready To Serve zippy

---