Most people associate the blues with Louisiana’s bayous and Mississippi’s cotton fields. But lovers of “the devil´s music” might be surprised to learn that there’s also a thriving scene in Scandinavia. At the heart of this Nordic blues explosion are the Wentus Blues Band, who hail from Kokkola, in central Finland. Established in 1986, the band plays 150 gigs annually and has acquired a reputation as the hardest working blues outfit in Scandinavia.
Over the years, the five members of Wentus Blues Band have taken pleasure in performing with many of the world’s great blues artists. Through numerous tours in Europe supporting and backing these blues giants, and through the band’s solo tours, Wentus Blues Band has developed into a blues university of its own and has become a treasured Scandinavian musical institution.
Throwback is the diary of those tours: songs the band has enjoyed playing amidst the laughter, sweat and tears they’ve experienced during countless miles on the road. On the album, the group wanted to honor some of their heroes and mentors (ranging from Canned Heat to Eddie Kirkland to Louisiana Red) by playing their favorite tracks written by those cool cats. “We hope you enjoy the results as much as we did when recording and playing,” Wentus Blues Band says.