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Roy Thompson and The Mellow Kings is a rockin' rhythm and blues band from France. The six musicians are all experienced veterans from the rockin' scene, well versed in roots, blues, and rock 'n' roll. Olivier Laporte aka Roy Thompson had previously led Canada-based band Roy Thompson & His Royal Acadians, which he founded in 2003. Laporte returned to Europe in 2005, after tours of Canada, the US, and Europe, and founded The Mellow Kings in 2010. The band's influences range from rhythm and blues to rockin' '50s/early-'60s sounds. The Mellow Kings' live repertoire includes songs by artists such as Ike Turner, Ray Charles, T-Bone Walker, Larry Williams, Little Richard, Young Jessie, Junior Watson, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Freddie King, Johnny Otis, and Guitar Junior, as well as many self-penned tunes. In 2012 they released their first album, Back on Tracks, on the Spanish label Sleazy Records, which they followed with performances at all the big festivals, including The Rockin' Race Jamboree in Spain, Rhythm Riot in England, Live and Jive in Sweden, Cahors Blues Festival in France, Moondogs International Rock'n'Roll Festival in Italy, and Let's Get Wild in Germany, plus a huge tour in Europe backing up Gizzelle, the soul diva from Los Angeles. In the meantime, the band recorded their second album, 20 Days. It features tunes by Mike Pedicin, Little Richard, Bobby Bland, Aaron Neville, and Otis Blackwell, as well as a number of original compositions. With its sizzlin' guitars, great piano work, and powerful sax, 20 Days recalls the music made between the late '50s and early '60s, when rhythm and blues slowly morphed into soul. The band's masterpiece so far.
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