Koko Mojo Writer Series Leroy Kirkland, Thrill-la-dill (CD)

Release Date: 04/07/23

The intention of this tribute to Leroy Edward Kirkland's songwriting skills is to focus on his up-tempo titles

The Songwriter's album Leroy Kirkland Thrill-La-Dill (KM-CD-176) is the first of two independent albums from Koko Mojo Records that endeavour to dig more deeply into Kirkland's legacy and focus on the up-tempo compositions he cast his magic upon. As his legacy is so fast the following companion label album (KM-CD-179) Spotlight on Leroy Kirkland, Good Gracious) continues the story with more wonderful music.
The sleeve notes for the Songwriter's album Leroy Kirkland Thrill-La-Dill (KM-CD-176) will provide where available session information, and identified when he led the orchestra and arranged the session. The album is also programmed year by year to illustrate the changing direction of the music from 1952 through to 1962 with twenty-one songs being from the 1950s, and Kirkland was often in the hot seat as arranger and orchestra leader.
By intention, we exclude his development years which were musically grounded in jazz, his instrumental recordings as Claude Cloud, and the songs with pop arrangements. We can proudly say we have dug a little deeper into the annals of music history and through intensive research, we can omit many titles which have been often reissued.
The album begins in 1952 when he began writing exciting rhythm & blues rockers for soloists; Larry Darnell I'll Be Sittin', I'll Be Rockin', and Bobby Lewis, Mumbles Blues. Kirkland could vary his style and from 1953 he co-inked two stomping blues rockers for Sonny Terry, Hooray Hooray, and Hoopin' And Jumpin', and one year afterwards directed his craft on Jimmy/Jimmie Newsome and two rockin' blues titles, Do That Thing, and I'm Afraid I Love You.