01	Havin' a ball						03:20
	02	Invitation to the Blues						03:33
	03	Drivin' through Texas						04:22
	04	747						05:32
	05	Jet Set Shuffle						02:54
	06	Good man bad						03:39
	07	Run your finger through my hair						04:37
	08	Warm night in june						04:22
	09	Fine, Fine, Fine						03:34
	10	What love can do						04:06
	11	Same old feeling						03:54
	12	Goin' down						04:23
	13	My little angel						03:05

Date of Release Feb 6, 2001

AMG EXPERT REVIEW: If you listened to Invitation to the Blues without paying close attention and without knowing anything about the Blues Company's background, you could easily assume that the band was American. Unless you listened closely, it wouldn't occur to you that the Blues Company might be based in Germany, or that it could have a founder who was originally from the former Yugoslavia (Todor "Toscho" Todorovic). But the Blues Company has, in fact, been a European blues institution since 1976, and its members really do include several Germans and a Yugoslavian leader. On Invitation, the two lead vocalists (drummer Martin Schmachtenberg and founder Todorovic) sing with only slight traces of European accents. Their enunciation in English is excellent, and they would fit right in at a blues club in Chicago or Austin, TX. Invitation shows us how unpredictable and diverse a blues-oriented CD can be; this album finds the band incorporating everything from rock (the moody "Driving Through Texas") and funk ("Fine! Fine! Fine!") to jazz ("Warm Night in June"). "What Love Can Do" has the sort of Texas-fried blues-rock groove that you would expect from Z.Z. Top, while "Havin' A Ball" underscores Todorovic's appreciation of Little Richard. And elements of 1940s jump blues find their way to the exuberant "Jet Set Shuffle." To the Blues Company's credit, it all fits together-Invitation comes across as eclectic without sounding erratic or schizophrenic. This CD is enthusiastically recommended to anyone who is seeking something unpredictable from the blues. - Alex Henderson

1. Havin' a Ball (Dulisch/Todorovic) - 3:23
2. Invitation to the Blues (Titre/Todorovic) - 3:36
3. Driving Through Texas (Titre) - 4:26
4. 747 (Dulisch/Todorovic) - 5:35
5. Jet Set Shuffle (Dulisch/Todorovic) - 2:57
6. Good Man Bad (Titre) - 3:42
7. Run Your Finger Through My Hair (Dulisch/Geselbracht/Todorovic) - 4:40
8. Warm Night in June (Dulisch/Todorovic) - 4:25
9. Fine! Fine! Fine! (Dulisch/Todorovic) - 3:37
10. What Love Can Do (Titre) - 4:09
11. Same Old Feeling (Dulisch/Todorovic) - 3:57
12. Goin' Down (Nix) - 4:26
13. My Little Angel (Titre) - 3:05


Ricky Dillard - Arranger, Vocals (bckgr)
Albie Donnelly - Saxophone
Mick Franke - Mandolin, Keyboards, Producer, Drum Programming
Mike Titre - Guitar, Harp
Martin Schmachtenberg - Drums, Vocals
Manfred Pollert - Photography
Todor Todorovic - Guitar, Vocals, Producer
Bernhard Roessle - Producer
Toscho - Vocals