Review 2025/2026

J.T. Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters: Still Be Friends 

Hunters Records 

https://www.bluesinbritain.org

Jan Tore Lauritsen celebrates three decades of fronting Norwegian soul/blues outfit The Buckshot Hunters with a project three years in the making. Ensuring this labour of love would actually work clearly required a little bold indulgence, entailing three trips Stateside to work with the great and the good. 

‘JT’ is an accordion and keyboard man but here it’s his vocal prowess that stands out. Even so, he still calls on the occasional guest singer to join the sessions, each seemingly invited with particular songs in mind, And it’s Lauritsen’s choice of songs which seals the whole deal, a dozen tracks by top songsmiths from Tennessee and Texas. Gary Nicholson, Nashville’s leading songwriter to the stars, is all over this set. 

The door is kicked open with some rocking blues, a stomping ver sion of ‘How Come My Bulldog Don’t Bark,’ originally a 1966 Verve 45 for Howard Tate. Lauritsen’s vocal has just the right swagger and punch with Ian Frederick Johannessen’s lead guitar expressive enough to even add a few restrained doggy ‘howls.’ Next up is the gently rolling soul of ‘Still Be Friends,’ underpinned perfectly by Paul Wagnberg’s Hammond B3 and one of two tracks here recorded at Greaseland, a studio cum small Norwegian outpost on the west coast run by guitarist Christoffer Lund Andersen who gets more of a chance to shine with some chunky guitar on his own ’Easy Kind Of Living’, an increasingly power ful blues shuff le again pushed along by Wagnberg and enhanced by backing vocals from Andersen’s wife Lisa, essential to the package. 

JT takes the chance to employ his accordion with due subtlety, matched by accompanying aching guitar twang, for a faithful version of Delbert McClinton’s ‘When Rita Leaves,’ one made even more authentic by getting the main man to sing on it. Delbert’s vocals are a little more ‘lived-in’ these days, actually perfect for a song so full of regret, while ‘I Oughta Know’ which precedes it, is so ‘pure Delbert’ that I was delighted to see it was co-writtten by his son Clay. Curtis Salgado and Lauritsen exchange vocals, with equal aplomb, on the funky ‘ Friction’ and ‘Hold What I Got’ a piece of sax-fused solid soul, both penned by Nicholson who also contributes another real highlight, the poppy soft shuffle ‘Soulshine’ featuring the controlled twin-guitar skill of regular Buckshot boys Torrisen and Johannessen. 

John Bottomley

https://www.bluesinbritain.org

J.T. LAURITSEN & THE BUCKSHOT HUNTERS WITH FRIENDS

Still Be Friends

Hunter Records HRCD 012025

Norwegian singer J.T. Lauritsen started The Buckshot Hunters in 1991 with guitarist Vidar Busk, who is no longer in the

band. After releasing ten albums, J.T. has become a well-known name across Europe. This latest album prominently

features Gary Nicholson, an American singer-songwriter who penned seven of the twelve tracks. Other contributors

include Andrew Duncanson, Howard Tate, and various other songwriters. The songs were carefully selected,

showcasing a mix of soul, rhythm and blues, and singer-songwriter styles, with touches of rock ‘n’ roll and ska. Each

track is filled with genuine emotion and musical skill. The collaboration with artists like Delbert McClinton, Curtis Salgado,

the amazing Mike Farris, Andrew Duncanson, guitarist Kid Anderson, keyboardist Kevin McKendree, drummer Jack

Bruno, and ten additional guests enhances the album's depth.

A standout for me is the lovely Latino song “When Rita Leaves,” where Lauritsen showcases his accordion skills. His voice holds its own against talents like Duncanson, McClinton, and Salgado, bringing warmth and a rich life experience that elevates each song.

This is an album to sit back and savor. Relax and take in its beauty. It’s a remarkable collection that will leave you feeling uplifted and warm inside.

Peter Jacobs

http://www.backtotheroots.be

With a little help from my friends

J.T. Lauritsen and his band, The Buckshot Hunters, have been traveling the world for 30 years, serving as accomplished ambassadors of “blue-eyed soul,” made in Norway. To mark their 30th anniversary, the quintet has released its tenth album: Still Be Friends, featuring contributions from 17 guest artists from around the globe.

Von Christoph Ulrich

The party is over, but the euphoria lingers. “It was fantastic—I’m still flying,” enthuses Jan Tore Lauritsen. It was a rousing celebration that took place on September 20, 2025, in Lillestrøm. Four hundred guests gathered at the Lillestrøm Cultural Center, about half an hour from Oslo, to celebrate 30 years of J.T. Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters. At times, they found themselves facing as many as 17 artists who had also traveled to the bandleader’s hometown to celebrate. It was a kind of celebration that says a lot about this blues, soul, and R&B band: friendships, on and off the stage, are a core part of their DNA.

Without the support of friends who stood by them at the right moments—offering encouragement as well as tangible help—the quintet led by the former Hammond organist turned accordion and blues harmonica player and singer would not be what it is today: a fixture on international stages, multiple award winners, and surrounded by a prominent circle of fans and friends. That circle includes, among others, four-time Grammy winner Delbert McClinton, blues and soul singer Andrew Duncanson, and Grammy-winning hit songwriter and producer Gary Nicholson.

These transatlantic friendships—as well as those cultivated closer to home—are reflected on the band’s new, tenth album. McClinton, Duncanson, Curtis Salgado, Mike Farris, J.W. Jones, Kevin McKendree, Michael Joyce, James Pennebaker, Jack Bruno, Dana Robbins, Kid Andersen, Trez Gregory, Lisa Leuschner Andersen, Stina Stenerud, Paul Wagnberg, Ronny Aagren, and Michael Wallace all took part in recording the songs. Most of the material was written by Nicholson—and by the other guest artists.

The recording sessions themselves felt like a kind of birthday gift, says J.T. Lauritsen. “The traveling and meeting everyone, in so many different places, and the recording sessions where we didn’t know where they would lead.” That, he says, is generally the appeal of working in the studio for him: recording without knowing exactly where you’ll end up. In a very real sense, though, Lauritsen found himself arriving at a number of sonically rich destinations during the sessions.

Visiting them one after another would make for a spectacular road trip through the musically significant regions of the United States. “We started at The Rock House USA in Franklin,” he says, dropping an imaginary pin in a small town near Nashville, Tennessee. After recording under the direction of studio owner and engineer Kevin McKendree, the journey continued north on the map. “Then we went on to Chicago with Andrew Duncanson, working in an analog studio with tape machines,” Lauritsen explains. He’s referring to Earth Analog Studio in Champaign, Illinois—about a two-hour drive from Chicago. The next stop—one could easily have taken the legendary Route 66—was Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California. Waiting there was an old acquaintance: studio owner Kid Andersen. “He used to play in my band before he moved to California to play with Terry Hanck.” Everything else was recorded at Mo’s Garage, owned by Buckshot Hunters bassist Morten Nordskaug.

Lauritsen, who co-produced the album with Nordskaug, had selected the songs destined for this special release well in advance. “Gary Nicholson gave me some songs—that’s where it all started.” He then received more from Andrew Duncanson and put together a selection of songs he liked. One song holds a particularly special place in the lineup, both musically and personally: “When Rita Leaves,” written by a man who forged his own distinctive sound from country, blues, R&B, rock ’n’ roll, and soul—Delbert McClinton.

Lauritsen has shared a long-standing friendship with the Texas native, one that began—naturally—through music. “I met him 20 years ago, in 2005, at the Notodden Blues Festival and told him that I used to play accordion to his song ‘When Rita Leaves.’” It was a confession made after a long evening of good conversation. “After my own show at the same festival, he invited me onstage.” Four years later, the two met again, and McClinton invited Lauritsen on his own cruise, the Sandy Beaches Cruise, in Florida. “The next ten years are history.”

Being able to experience those ten years—and the twenty before them—fills him with gratitude. “I’m deeply overwhelmed by the fact that I’ve been able to see the world with my band, from Australia to the U.S. and across Europe. I never would have thought we’d have the privilege of traveling the world with our music.” Not even 30 years ago, during those early days fueled by youthful drive and ambition? “No way!”

Strictly speaking, the story of his band goes back a few years further. “It all started as a jam band, The Buckshot Blues Band. When I met Arnfinn (Tørrisen, ed.) in 1994, we decided to look for a drummer, another guitarist, and a bassist for the Buckshot Hunters project and form a band.” Their stated goal: “To go in search of great songs without any preset rules.” The slightly modified band name was meant as a good omen. “‘Buckshot’ comes from a movie with Willie Nelson that featured a character named Buckshot George, a hunter. We always saw ourselves as music hunters, searching for the right songs.” But as motivated as these young sonic hunters were, success was slow to come.

With great dedication and pooled financial support from family and friends, Lauritsen, Tørrisen, Kyrre Sætraan, Nils Halleland, and Per Eriksen set up shop at Abience Studio in Oslo in 1995 to record an album rooted in blues-influenced music. The joy of releasing it soon gave way to the realization that without professional marketing, few people took notice.

“Oh, those were hard years,” Lauritsen recalls. It was his friends who encouraged him to continue with his kind of blues. “So I recorded an album called My Kind of Blues, which was the next step before we made Make a Better World.” Released in 2001, it was the first album for which he personally selected all the songs. “In many ways, it became a door opener. Thanks to that album, we played in Australia in 2002 and in many other great places.”

That leads to an obvious question for someone who has spent the past 30 years as a professional musician: how has the Norwegian and international blues scene changed over the last three decades? “That’s hard to answer. I suppose the biggest difference is the music industry, with all the digital platforms that everyone seems to love—and everyone makes money from them except those of us who actually make the music.” It’s a sad situation for everyone in the business. “Still, we keep making music, with no supporters other than our fans, believing that we’re making really good music—music that’s too good to be played on the radio!”

Christoph Ulrich  www.dastextwerk.com

CD Review

J. T. Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters with Friends

Still Be Friends

(Hunters Records, 51 minutes)

CD, digipack (4 panels) with booklet (12 pages) incl. song lyrics and liner notes

5 stars

Thirty years in the service of soul and blues—that truly is a reason to celebrate. Jan Tore “J.T.” Lauritsen does so in the way befitting a true devotee: with an album for which he invited friends, longtime companions, and idols into the studio. The result is now available—imported from Norway on CD and vinyl, or, of course much more easily, in digital form. As in 100 percent of cases, however, it’s worth investing in a physical copy here as well, not just for the sound. Both CD and LP come with liner notes well worth reading, in which J.T. Lauritsen traces the history of the Buckshot Hunters across ten albums. It’s worth keeping this story—and the many little stories within it—in mind as the CD spins in the player.

For example, when the “blue-eyed soul” of Lauritsen & Co. suddenly takes on a powerful country twang, Delbert McClinton sings his Tex-Mex classic “When Rita Leaves,” and Lauritsen sensitively adds a second vocal and accordion. This jointly recorded song recalls a knighthood of sorts from 20 years ago: when Grammy winner McClinton invited Lauritsen onstage during his tour to accompany him on this very song.

Of course, Still Be Friends is a pleasure even without such anecdotes. Its range spans rhythm and blues, soul, and blues; country, Cajun, and Louisiana soul; to rock. Much of it comes from the pen of multi-Grammy-decorated songwriter and producer Gary Nicholson (Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Fleetwood Mac), or from the many guests who brought not only themselves but also their songs into the studio—Andrew Duncanson or Christoffer Lund Andersen, for example.

Naturally, the soulful spirit of the Buckshot Hunters is a very polished affair that would also work well in the background—if it didn’t contain so much excellence that it effortlessly makes itself the main attraction. (cu)

J.T. LAURITSEN & THE BUCKSHOT HUNTERS WITH FRIENDS – Still Be Friends

(Hunters HRCD 012025)

Pete Hoppula

(published in BN issue 5/2025)