Duke Robillard

Duke Robillard - World Full Of Blues - 2007 - Stony Plain

Duke's World Full Of Blues is an enjoyable, eclectic, romp through a world colored by several shades of blue. - Living Blues #191 August 2007

Hats off to Stony Plain for letting Robillard and friends stretch out. All killer, no filler. - Sing Out! Vol. 51 #3 — Autumn 2007

Duke's World Full Of Blues is an enjoyable, eclectic, romp through a world colored by several shades of blue. Duke Robillard, whose career has included stints fronting Roomful of Blues and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, has honed a reputation as one of today's premier swing-style bluesmen. His latest effort, Duke's World Full Of Blues, is a double-CD showcase of originals and covers, all delivered with Robillard's signature touch. A four-time W.C. Handy Award winner in the "Best Blues Guitarist" category, Robillard was given the green light by Canada's Stony Plain Records to record a set that spans many of his influences. While swing and jazz are Robillard's clearest influences, on Duke's World Full Of Blues he also tips his hat to artists from Bob Dylan to Memphis Slim to labelmate Eric Bibb, allowing him to stretch much further musically than on previous outings. The first disc finds Robillard in familiar territory, as evidenced by his cover of T-Bone Walker's Treat Me So Lowdown. Few can work a T-Bone riff with as much ease and fluidity as Robillard. But this is not simply another Duke Robillard swing outing. He covers Bob Dylan's Everything Is Broken masterfully, replete with down-to-earth slide riffs. Even James Cotton's Slam Hammer gets the Robillard treatment with solid harp work by Sugar Ray Norcia and rollicking piano from Bruce Bears. Disc two allows Robillard to stretch even more as Duke gets down and dirty on Tom Waits' Low Side Of The Road with the help of Doug James on harp. Robillard also delivers covers of Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love and Jimmy Reed's Bright Lights, Big City but in his own swing-influenced, almost breezy style. Robillard shows he knows how to get funky too, covering Eric Bibb's paean to excess Too Much Stuff. But this release is not just about Duke covering other artists. From the dark and foreboding instrumental Blues Nightmare to Bounce For Billy, Robillard's tribute to guitarist Billy Butler, the original material here shows off his songwriting skills. By & © Dave Ruthenberg Living Blues #191 August 2007

Hats off to Stony Plain for letting Robillard and friends stretch out. All killer, no filler. Celebrated blues and roots music guitarist Duke Robillard's extensive discography includes recording with contemporaries like Bob Dylan, Roomful of Blues (which he founded in 1967 at the age of 17), the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Tom Waits and Herb Ellis as well as icons such as Ruth Brown, Jay McShann, Billy Boy Arnold, Jimmy Witherspoon and the Blind Boys of Alabama. Here he follows last year's Grammy-nominated Guitar Groove-A-Rama release with a two-hour, twin-CD set of blues, jump, swing, funk and original material that traverses the wide cross-section of blues styles he's become familiar with over the years. Most of the titles also allow plenty of room for long time band-mates like Mark Teixeira on drums, John Parker on electric or acoustic bass, saxophonist Doug James and keyboard marvel Bruce Bears to shine as well. Guest shots by harmonica aces "Sugar" Ray Norcia (on a rocking cover of James Cotton's instrumental "Slam Hammer" and Tim Taylor, Gordon Beadle (great gritty baritone sax on the T-Bone Walker tribute "Treat Me So Low Down"), Al Basile, Marty Ballou and guitarists Fred Bates and Paul Kolesnikow among others provide a colorful climate and provide a sense of adventurous exploration to Robillard's musical syllabus of the blues. In addition to a number of resilient originals like the topical "World of Blues," the B.B. King-themed "Gonna Get You Told" and an organ-brushed "Anything It Takes," Robillard stamps his idea-filled imprint on songs by Memphis Slim (his classic instrumental "Steppin' Out"), Buddy Johnson, Bo Diddley (a gospel-cued "Who Do You Love"), Wardell Gray, Booker T. Jones and Jimmy Reed, with a jazzy version of his early hit "Bright Lights, Big City." By & © Gvon T Sing Out! Vol. 51 #3 — Autumn 2007

If there's such a thing as narrow-focus versatility, this set's a prime example. Duke Robillard has cut jazz, swing, rock, and instrumental albums, and he was Tom Waits's 2006 tour guitarist. Now the virtuoso returns to his true love--the music that first brought him acclaim as founder of Roomful of Blues--with two CDs that explore all aspects of the style. Dirty Chicago grinds like "You're Killin' Me Baby" tumble into gentle swingers like Robillard's take on T-Bone Walker's "Treat Me So Lowdown" and the hushed Wes Montgomery-influenced "Stoned." He conjures a raw Mississippi-juke-joint sound to interpret "Everything Is Broken," a tune penned by another former employer, Bob Dylan. And electric and acoustic guitars, plus some lute-like sax, are used to magnify the hoodoo vibe of Waits's "Low Side of the Road." Robillard also experiments with his voice, dropping to his lowest register to echo Bo Diddley's brawny growl as he covers the rock godfather's "Who Do You Love." These 23 numbers culminate with "Stretchin'," a nine-minute guitar-and-organ showcase that evokes the soul-jazz style invented by Jimmy Smith, concluding a "World" tour that'll please blues guitar lovers. © Ted Drozdowski (Editorial Review) http://www.amazon.com/Duke-Robillards-World-Full-Blues/dp/B000PFU8GG

A great 23 track double CD from the great Rhode Island vocalist and guitar stylist, Duke Robillard, ex-Fab Thunderbird and founder of Roomful of Blues. Duke has covered every musical genre and this album is a perfect mix of originals and classics covering blues, rockabilly, jazz, and rock & roll. Buy his great "Swing" album or his outstanding "Stretchin' Out Live" album. Duke's "Duke's Blues" album is @ DUKROB/DBLS His "Turn it Around" album is @ DUKROB/TIA and Joe Beard Featuring Duke Robillard & Friends' "For Real" album is @ JBRD/DUKROB/FR Listen to some of The Fabulous Thunderbirds' albums, some of which feature Duke Robillard, and for music in a similar vein, check out the late, great T-Bone Walker's brilliant "T-Bone Blues" album. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: CD ONE = 119 MB, & CD TWO = 137 MB]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

CD ONE

1. Jump the Blues For You - Duke Robillard
2. Everything Is Broken - Bob Dylan
3. Treat Me So Lowdown - T-Bone Walker
4. Slam Hammer - Johnny Young
5. You're Killin' Me Baby - Duke Robillard
6. Slim Jenkins Joint - Booker T. Jones, Stephen Lee Crooper, Donald V. Dunn, Al Jr. Jackson
7. Sweet Thing - Duke Robillard
8. You Won't Let Me Go - Buddy Johnson
9. Six Inch Heels - Duke Robillard
10. World of Blues - Duke Robillard, Al Basile
11. Look Out - Duke Robillard
12. Stoned - Wardell Grey

CD TWO

1. Gonna's Get You Told - Duke Robillard
2. Monkey Arms - Duke Robillard
3. Who Do You Love - Bo Diddley (Elias McDaniel)
4. Low Side of the Road - Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan
5. Too Much Stuff - Eric Bibb, David Eric Bronze
6. Blues Nightmare - Duke Robillard
7. Bounce For Billy - Duke Robillard
8. Bright Lights, Big City - Jimmy Reed
9. Steppin' Out - Peter Chatman
10. Anything It Takes - Duke Robillard
11. Stretchin' - Duke Robillard

MUSICIANS

Duke Robillard (vocals, guitar, saz)
Paul Kolesnikow, Fred Bates (guitar)
John Packer (acoustic bass, electric bass)
Marty Ballou (electric bass)
Bruce Bears (piano, electric piano, organ)
Lonnie Gasperini (organ)
Mark Teixeira (drums)
Doug James (baritone, harmonica, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone)
Gordon "Sax" Beadle (tenor saxophone)
Scott Aruda (trumpet)
Al Basile (cornet)
Sugar Ray Norcia, Tim Taylor (harmonica)

SHORT BIO

Duke Robillard is one of the founding members of Roomful of Blues, as well as one of the guitarists who replaced Jimmie Vaughan in the Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1990. Between that time, Robillard pursued a solo career that found him exploring more musically adventurous territory than either Roomful of Blues or the T-Birds. On his solo recordings, the guitarist dips into blues, rockabilly, jazz, and rock & roll, creating a unique fusion of American roots musics. In 1967, Duke Robillard formed Roomful of Blues in Westerly, RI. For the next decade, he led the band through numerous lineup changes before he decided that he had grown tired of the group. Robillard left the band in 1979, initially signing on as rockabilly singer Robert Gordon's lead guitarist. After his stint with Gordon, Robillard joined the Legendary Blues Band. In 1981, the guitarist formed a new group, the Duke Robillard Band, which soon evolved into Duke Robillard & the Pleasure Kings. After a few years of touring, Duke Robillard & the Pleasure Kings landed a contract with Rounder Records, releasing their eponymous debut album in 1984. For the rest of the decade, the band toured America and released a series of albums on Rounder Records. Occasionally, the guitarist would release a jazz-oriented solo album. In 1990, Robillard joined the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Even though he had become a member of the Austin group, the guitarist continued to record and tour as a solo artist, signing with the major label Point Blank/Virgin in 1994 for Temptation. Duke's Blues followed two years later, and after one more album for Virgin, 1997's Dangerous Place, Robillard signed to Shanachie for 1999's New Blues for Modern Man. Conversations in Swing Guitar followed later that year, and the prolific guitarist returned in mid-2000 with Explorer. Robillard switched to the Stony Plain label with 2002's Living with the Blues, and began a steady run of releases for the imprint, including a second pairing with jazz guitarist Herb Ellis for More Conversations in Swing Guitar (2003). Exalted Lover followed later that same year. Blue Mood, a tribute to T-Bone Walker, and New Guitar Summit (which teamed Robillard with guitarists J. Geils and Gerry Beaudoin) both appeared in 2004. Guitar Groove-A-Rama was released in 2006. Robillard continued to explore the jazz and jump blues path with 2008's A Swingin Session with Duke Robillard. He returned to his early R&B influences for 2009's Stomp! The Blues Tonight. His next album for Stony Plain, Passport to the Blues, saw him returning to the blues in all its gritty glory. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/duke-robillard-p5288/biography