Various Artists - The Rogana Story: Hossman’s Blues

The man behind Rogana was one William “Hoss” Allen, a Nashville-based radio DJ, music publisher, label boss and promo man. Following a spell at Chess, Hoss set up Hermitage Records and the Rogana production company with the idea of licensing his productions to a variety of other labels. Using Johnny Jones & The Imperial Seven (then sporting the cream of Nashville R&B musicians, including future Hendrix sidemen Billy Cox and Larry Lee) as his studio band, Allen ran weekly sessions at Nashville’s Starday/King studio, with artists including Frank Howard, Sam Baker and Clarence Gatemouth Brown. He also recorded some of his artists (Art Grayson, Rodge Martin, Lucille Mathis and Tiny Watkins) at Muscle Shoals. Tracks of interest here include those featuring Jimmy Stuart, a trumpet player with BB King during the mid 60s, who also doubled on harmonica, and, most bizarre of all, Hoss Allen’s tribute to Martin Luther King, He Went To The Mountain Top, which anticipated his later career as a gospel radio DJ. Although Allen was able to license tracks to a number of labels, including Excello, Coda and Jewel, ultimately many of his protégés showcased here disappeared without trace.