The horn-fueled, jumping, swinging, award-winning band Roomful of Blues, touring in support of their latest Alligator CD, "Raisin' A Ruckus," will perform live in Warsaw July 10.
Since 1967, the group's blend of swing, rock 'n' roll, jump, blues and soul has earned it five Grammy Award nominations and a slew of other accolades, including seven Blues Music Awards (with the nod for Blues Band Of The Year in 2005). The band has featured a membership that has continued to change and evolve over the years.
Roomful of Blues will perform at the Blues & BBQ, Glover Pavilion, Central Park, Warsaw, July 10 at 9 p.m. Admission is free.With a non-stop performance schedule for almost 40 years, Roomful of Blues has earned critical, popular and radio success and a legion of fans around the globe. Twice, the prestigious Down Beat International Critics Poll selected Roomful of Blues as Best Blues Band.
Roomful of Blues joined the Alligator Records family with the Grammy-nominated "That's Right!" in 2003, followed by Standing Room Only in 2005. Both CDs received massive amounts of critical and popular praise and earned them hordes of new fans around the world. Now they're back with "Raisin' A Ruckus," a foot-stomping CD highlighting the intense vocal and instrumental power of the world's smallest big band.
Currently, the eight-piece unit is led by guitarist Chris Vachon. In 2007, singer Dave Howard took over the vocal duties. With new members bassist Dima Gorodetsky and drummer Ephraim Lowell and long-time members keyboardist Travis Colby, baritone and tenor saxophonist Mark Earley, tenor and alto saxophonist Rich Lataille (the longest-standing member of the group), "Raisin' A Ruckus" swings with ferocity and rocks with urgency and purpose.
Long-time and much celebrated trumpeter Bob Enos, who plays on "Raisin' A Ruckus," died just prior to the CD's release.
Roomful of Blues was born in Westerly, RI, in 1967 when guitarist Duke Robillard and keyboardist Al Copley started a band that played tough, no-holds-barred Chicago blues. They soon began exploring the swinging, jumping blues, R&B and jazz of the 1940s and 1950s, and added a horn section (including Rich Lataille) in 1970.
In 1974, they performed with Count Basie, and a few years later legendary songwriter Doc Pomus helped them land their first record deal. In 1977, Roomful of Blues' self-titled debut album on Island Records (recently reissued on Hyena Records) brought them to the attention of fans and critics from coast to coast.
Over the years there have been at least 46 Roomful of Blues members, each bringing his or her own unique talent and vision to the mix.
When founding member Duke Robillard left the band in 1980, equally talented guitarist Ronnie Earl replaced him. Singer Lou Ann Barton joined the band at this time, sharing vocals with Greg Piccolo.
Roomful recorded "Hot Little Mama" for their own Blue Flame label and two successful albums for the Varrick label during the 1980s. In 1994 they released "Dance All Night," their first featuring guitarist Chris Vachon (who joined the band in 1990) and harpist/vocalist Sugar Ray Norcia.
Their 1995 album, the Grammy-nominated "Turn It On! Turn It Up!," was a mix of big band swing and rock 'n' roll, bringing the band its greatest radio and sales success to date, and giving them credibility with the rock radio audience.
In addition to their band recordings, Roomful of Blues often backed musicians like Jimmy Witherspoon, Jimmy McCracklin, Roy Brown, Joe Turner, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson and Earl King - stars of the 1940s and 1950s blues scene, and the very people who created the music that Roomful still keeps alive.
Roomful recorded albums with Turner, Vinson and King during the 1980s, and all three recordings received Grammy nominations. The Roomful Horns backed many other artists as well, including Stevie Ray Vaughan on his 1984 "Live At Carnegie Hall" album on Epic.
Over the years Roomful of Blues has played countless gigs and many major festivals, including The San Francisco Blues Festival, The King Biscuit Blues Festival, The Beale Street Music Festival, Blues On The Fox, Monterey Blues Festival, Santa Cruz Blues Festival, and overseas at The North Sea Jazz Festival, The Stockholm Jazz Festival, The Montreux Jazz Festival, Notodden Festival and the Belgian Peer Festival.
They've gigged with blues stars ranging from B.B. King, Otis Rush and Stevie Ray Vaughan to rockers Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana. The band has toured virtually non-stop, hitting cities from coast to coast, and traveling abroad to Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey and Russia.
