Independently Blue - The Duke Robillard Band - New Release Review

I just received the newest (release date April 9, 2013) Duke Robillard release, Independently Blue, and it's killer. Robillard pulls out all of the stops on this release playing some of his best riffs in years. The release opens with Al Basile track I Wouldn't-a Done That, a loping Texas style blues track. Robillard takes a stinging guitar solo on the track and has fine support from Bruce Bears on keys, Brad Hallen on bass, Mark Teixeira on drums and percussion, and featuring guest musicians Monster Mike Welch on guitar, Doug Woolverton on Trumpet and Billy Novick on clarinet. Another Basile track, Below Zero has a real interesting sound with ZZ Top like guitar distortion and a simple blues rock beat. This is a great track! Monster Mike's Stapled To the Chicken's Back is a swing blues instrumental with great lead work. You want to hear classic Robillard, this is it! Robillard and Welch trade smokin' hot riffs on this track pushed along by Hallen and Teixeira. Porter Granger penned Patrol Wagon Blues is an absolute blast calling up all of the swamp of Louisiana and featuring great trumpet mastery by Woolverton and sexy clarinet work by Novick. Robillard plays it crisp on this track but the horns lead the way. Robliiard plays a little jazzy interlude backed by the always great key work of Bears. Original track, Laurene, is a Chuck Berry style rocker and the guitar slingers pull out all the "double" stops. Even a little shimmering bend work is present and Bears adds to the original rock n roll feel. Another Robillard original, Moongate, has a real atmospheric feel with overlayed guitars in the background and reverbed guitars in the front. Really cool. Strollin' With Lowell and BB, another Robillard original, lets the guitar do the talking, swing style. Bears gets the chance to step up front for a while and of course he never wastes a note. Another really nice track. Another Welch original, This Man, This Monster has a really subtle opening playing T Bone Walker style... oh yeah...this is the real deal. As the track opens up, so does the playing. This is one smoking gun! A funky number, Groovin' Slow, finds Hallen pushed forward in the mix. Keeping vocals to a minimum, this is a really nice groove with a lot of guitar riffin' for guitar geeks like me! Finishing with Robillard original, If This Is Love, Duke gives up some of his personal best vocals on the release. Stinging guitar riffs answering each vocal line and the guys hold nothing back on this track. This is a super release and should automatically go to the best of 2013 list prospects!

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE” This track isnt on the release... but it shows you the general flavor!

Guitar Master Duke Robillard Is "Independently Blue" on New Stony Plain Records CD Coming April 9

Guitar Master Duke Robillard Is Independently Blue on New CD Coming April 9 from Stony Plain Records

Special Guests Include Guitarist “Monster” Mike Welch

EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records announces an April 9 release date for Independently Blue, the exciting new CD from multi Blues Music Award winner and Grammy nominee Duke Robillard. The dozen tracks contained on Independently Blue showcase the guitarist at the peak of his six-string powers and feature a dynamic tandem throughout with Duke joined by guitarist “Monster” Mike Welch as special guest. Duke’s band includes Bruce Bears on piano/Hammond organ, Brad Hallen on acoustic/electric bass and Mark Teixeira on drums/percussion, augmented by a horn section of Doug Woolverton on trumpet and Bill Novick on clarinet.

“Independently Blue is a special album to me because it blends many of my favorite elements of blues, early rock & roll and jazz music,” Robillard says. “First of all, I am happy about all the songs and the feeling we captured on all the tracks. The variety of musical styles is all part of what I am all about and the blues sensibilities within all the tracks - even when nodding to rock and roll, R&B or jazz - shows our strength as a band. The addition of Mike Welch added a blues fire to everything and I am really happy about the instant rapport Mike and I had, and what a great team we made coming up with parts for the songs.”

Robillard continues to tap into the wellspring of great songs from longtime friend and former Roomful of Blues band mate Al Basile, who contributes three tunes to the new CD, with one of those songs co-written with Duke. Mike Welch brought in two instrumentals that allow both players to stretch out, have fun and challenge each in ways that make the listener the big winner. “Patrol Wagon Blues,” a song originally recorded in 1929 by Red Allen, demonstrates his wide swath of influences, as backed by the horns of Doug Woolverton and Billy Novick, he takes us all on a swingin’ Dixieland ride down to New Orleans carried by a groove any fan of the Crescent City sound would dig.

Duke’s guitar mastery is evident throughout Independently Blue, whether it’s the rollicking grease on “I Wouldn’t-a Done That,” the crunchy rockin’ blues of “Below Zero,” the Chuck Berry-influenced rocker Laurene (named for his wife), the smooth Motown-fueled groove of “You Won’t Ever,” or the ethereal track, “Moongate,” inspired by a visit to a 19^th century gilded-age mansion in the Berkshire Mountains with its awesome gardens and rolling hills.

The addition of Mike Welch on guitar (nicknamed “Monster” for good reason) brings into the mix another exciting guitar player, and the two feed off each other’s energy and riffs. On “Stapled to the Chicken’s Back,” the two go at it with a fierce – but friendly – bit of “head-cutting” on guitars, trading licks and runs that bring the Albert Collins-styled Texas shuffle to a glorious climax. And on “This Man, This Monster,” Duke and Mike explore an educational journey of blues sounds as beautiful as it is powerful – and done in one take.

Duke Robillard continues his extensive touring around the world, and has a lengthy series of European shows coming up in March that includes stops in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium and The Netherlands.   

Blue Duchess Signs Jazz Tenor Sax Great Scott Hamilton; Label Debut, "Remembering Billie," Out February 26

Blue Duchess Records Signs Jazz Tenor Sax Great Scott Hamilton

Label Debut, Remembering Billie, Produced by Duke Robillard, Salutes Billie Holiday on February 26

MIAMI, FL – Blue Duchess Records announces the signing of jazz tenor saxophone great Scott Hamilton, and will release his label debut CD, Remembering Billie, on February 26. Produced by Duke Robillard, the 10 all-instrumental tracks on Remembering Billie salute Billie Holiday in a worthy tribute of songs associated with the iconic singer, including several of her most-cherished tunes, such as “Good Morning Heartache,” “Them There Eyes” and “God Bless the Child.” Hamilton’s sax is backed by a trio of Tim Ray on piano, Dave Zinno on acoustic bass and Jim Gwin on drums, with Duke Robillard guesting on two tracks on acoustic archtop guitar. 

The sessions were recorded at Lakewest Recording in West Greenwich, RI.

“I started to make a Billie tribute many years ago with Ruby Braff but it ended up as something else,” Hamilton says. “At any rate, I have always considered the Billie Holiday repertoire as a great subject for an album like this. It's possible to pay tribute without changing your own style for the occasion - a big problem with most ‘project’ albums. It was Duke’s idea to do an album with the guys I play with when I’m back home in New England, which is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I think the band is what makes this record special - the guys play so well together. I can't really do them justice here. Everything they play is so right for the songs.

And Duke - I'm glad we were able to talk him into playing on a couple of numbers. He really loves these songs and it’s great to hear him on the acoustic guitar. I wish we could play some gigs with this band.”

Whether on ballads or swinging tunes, the magical tenor sax of Scott Hamilton shines through on Remembering Billie with his impressive tones and expressive soul. “Eight of the ten selections here are from that pre-WWII era when Billie’s work contained a lightness, great joy and a sense of fun,” writes Bob Porter in the album’s liner notes. “She made it sound so easy, but then so does Scott Hamilton. But you know it cannot be easy or else all musicians would have that quality and very, very few actually do. This is timeless music played by one of the few masters of our time. Treasure it.”

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Scott Hamilton got an early schooling in jazz from his father’s record collection, and after experimenting with several instruments, dedicated his playing exclusively to the saxophone by the time he was 16. After moving to New York at age 22, he was taken under the wing of legendary trumpeter Roy Eldridge, who helped get him a six-week gig at Michael’s Pub in the city, and in turn, chances to play and learn from such people like Eldridge, Illinois Jacquet, Jo Jones and the great Benny Goodman.  

In 1977, he formed his own band and signed to Concord Records, where he recorded over 40 albums with that label, including a lengthy and noteworthy collaboration with singer Rosemary Clooney that resulted in 15 albums over 15 years. Many of those projects involved concept albums around composers such as Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin and Johnny Mercer; some were individual projects or ballads, show tunes and a couple of dedications to singers Bing Crosby and Billie Holiday. On Remembering Billie, Hamilton reprises three of the songs included in the original Holiday tribute he recorded with Clooney.

In addition to a repertoire of acclaimed albums released under his own name, Scott Hamilton has made albums with such legends as Woody Herman, Tony Bennett, Gerry Mulligan and Buddy Tate. Over the years, he’s also performed and recorded with such touring bands as the Concord Jazz All Stars, the Concord Super Band and George Wein’s Newport Jazz Festival All Stars. Based in London for a number of years, Scott now travels the globe from his home in Italy, touring regularly all over the world at festivals, jazz club dates and residencies at some of the most prestigious venues in the world.    

For more information, visit www.blueduchessrecords.com or www.scotthamiltonsax.com.

If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

International Recording Artist MISS ROBIN BANK$ 2012 European Tour and Cew CD with Duke Robillard

International Recording Artist MISS ROBIN BANK$ 2012 European Tour and a new CD with Duke Robillard

Toronto based recording artist Miss Robin Banks is set to embark on her third Eurpoean tour with Texas based Viennese piano player Christian Dozzler to continue promotion for their duo CD "Livin' Life", which was recorded in Texas and released internationally in 2009. Popular on the European blues festival circuit, Banks and Dozzler will be performing in Austria, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Banks' first appearance in France at the Boogie Woogie Festival in Beaune in December.   Miss Banks is currently in preparations to for her next CD, with recording scheduled for February 2013 which will take place in Rhode Island. The CD will be produced by award winning artist, guitarist and producer Duke Robillard and will be recorded with Robillard's band in his studio. "I'm really excited to be working with Duke on this one." Banks explains "He's an artist and a man that I've admired and respected for so many years. I really love his work, and his band is as good as it gets. I have a feeling it's really going to be a lot of fun musically. And this will be the first all original full band studio recording I've done in 11 years, since "Honestly", so I'm definitely due! I'm putting everything I got into this one - the whole of my heart and spirit. I think I'm a different singer than I was on "Honestly". I think I've grown as a vocalist and a songwriter... Duke seems to like the batch of tunes I sent him and that's a great place to start! I'm feeling real good about the record." Stay tuned for more information   Miss Robin Banks has her roots deeply dug. Clearly comfortable with Jazz, Classic R&B and Soul, even Reggae, she's also known for her bold and brassy, classy but sassy, Texas and Chicago electric Blues style. In 1999, Miss Banks became a staple in the Texas music scene and continues to enjoy, and record in, the Lone Star state. She has 4 independently released CDs and one single to her credit and makes regular tours to Europe and the Caribbean, but recently made Toronto Canada her home. A master of tone and phrasing, Robin Banks has a vocal style, strength and clarity that has been compared to Etta James and Dinah Washington. She is a recipient of a Maple Blues Award for New Artist of the Year and was three times nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year. In 2010, she performed at Massey Hall in Toronto as part of the celebrated annual Women's Blues Revue event. No matter the genre, she is known in the industry as the real deal.   Christian Dozzler is an accomplished Blues musician of 40 years. In Europe and Texas he's known as "Vienna Slim" or "Two Metres of Blues". He performs regularly with American Blues guitarist Anson Funderburgh. He sings and plays harmonica and accordion as well as Blues piano very much in the style of Otis Spann.   www.dozzler.com www.cdbaby.com/cd/dozzlerbank               "Robin's got soul, class and most of all good taste!" - Duke Robillard "Robin Banks is Canada's first lady of the Blues! She has an electrifying presence and one of the best Blues Bands in the country" "She's a pro's pro!" - Mike Fitzpatrick, Downchild Blues Band "Robin sings with a simple coolness that can break your heart and still make you beg for more. She is absolutely my favorite blues singer" - Teddy Leonard, Fathead "Robin Banks is the real deal, playing in her world class band is a joy" - Gary Kendall, Downchild Blues Band Robin Banks, she'll kick your ass and break your heart, all in about a minute! - Lee McBee Upcoming Performances   November 23 Davis, Vienna (Austria) November 24 Altes Kino, St.Florian (Austria) November 29 Schalander, Seligenstadt (Germany) November 30 Jazzkeller, Sargans (Switzerland)   December 1 Incontri, Rohrbach (Germany) December 3 The Maple, Ertvelde (Belgium) December 7 & 8 Boogie Woogie Festival, Beaune (France) December 10 Jazzland, Vienna (Austria)     Contact:   Miss Robin Banks robinbanksblues@hotmail.com

 

Sweetspot Records artist: Al Basile - At Home Next Door - New Release Review

I have just received and had the opportunity to check out the new recording, At Home Next Door, by Al Basile. This record is produced by none other than Duke Robillard and is set for release on October 16, 2012. This is a two cd set packed full of great tunes. The first disk, At Home, is comprised of 14 solid blues and swing blues tracks and alone would qualify as a great blues release. The recording opens with Go Back Home To The Blues, a new Orleans style swing blues and featured Robillard with some great hot riffs. I Got to Be Loved and Be Loved takes the lead from Muddy with a Chicago style blues. Jerry Portnoy joins on harp for another great track. On Termites In My Basement, Ray Noica joins the group for a stripped down blues track with Bruce Katz on keys. Basile demonstrates why Robillard wanted to team with him so many years ago with a great vocal style. Daddy Got A Problem features a bit of coronet by Basile and and again sweet riffs from Robillard with just a touch of horns to warm up the bottom. I Really Miss You slows things down a bit and again Basile shows his vocal capabilities echoed by Robillard on guitar. This is a hot track with some particularly tight rhythms and really hot riffs by Robillard. Rich Latille opens this track with some really nice alto sax work and Doug James comes in behind him on Bari sax to heat up the bottom. Basile plays a really nice coronet solo on this track backed by Bruce Katz. Robillard plays very fluid guitar runs and this track seems to end it's 7 minute trek extremely quickly. 80 Bells wraps up the first disk with an acoustic number with a delta flare. Disk two, Next Door, has a totally different feel with a lot more horns and a strong funk and R&B feel.  The band lineup here is more condensed with Mark Teixrira on drums, Robillard on guitars, Scott Hamilton, Doug James, Rich Latille and Carl Querfutti on horns, Bruce Bears on keys, Jack Gauthier on keys and Brad Hallen on bass. This 13 track cd would be the more airplay driven disk featuring more pop oriented tracks, Basile on vocal and coronet. A standout blues track on this disk, A Mystery To Me slows the pace down a bit with cool solos by Robillard and Basile. It Is What It Is is another strong airplay contender with interesting thematic writing and a smooth sax solo. My Phone's Got A Mind Of It's Own is a clever track and falls more into the RFB swing blues track. Robliiard plays a particularly sweet guitar solo on this track and Latille plays a really nice sax solo. This 2 cd package is jammed full of blues, R&B and pop rhythm tracks. I found it really enjoyable and think that most blues, soul and R&B lovers will really like this new set. Great job!
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

Shining Stone Records artist: Sunny Crownover - Right Here Right Now - New Release Eeview

I have just received the newest release, Right Here Right Now by Sunny Crownover. On this recording, Crownover is backed by an all-star cast of musicians including Duke Robillard (guitar), Bruce Bears (keys), Brad Hallen (bass), Mark Teixeira (drums), Sugar Ray Norcia (harp) and a horn section that includes Doug James on sax. The release opens with Oh Yes I Will, a Wilson Pickett style R&B track and sets the tone for the release. One Woman Man has a funky blues structure with a jazz engine. Robillard lays down some nice funky, jazzy guitar riffs adding nice spice to the track. Love Me Right gets right into the Chicago blues groove with Sugar Ray andwering the call of Crownovers voice on harp. Right Here Right Now, the title track, is a country styled ballad and pegged squarely at the airplay market. Roll Me Daddy stays in the pop vein but with a bit more blues especially infused by the harp work of Sugar Ray. Cook In Your Kitchen tweaks up the speed a bit but really has a strong sense of pop country. This could easily hit the airwaves. Piano work by Bears and guitar riffs by Robillard add nice touches. Warned walks the line between R&B and (pop) country again providing ample hook matter for airplay. Robillard throws down a nice solo and the horn are more noticeable on this track.I Might Just Change My Mind gets on a boogie train and Crownover leads the way on vocals with the confidence of a seasoned pro. Robillard plays the hottest of his solos yet over the solid horn rhythm. Hi-Heels and Home Cookin' has a taste of New Orleans with some nice clarinet work. Possibly the best track on the recording. Bears plays some slick piano on this one too. Trust Your Lover digs into Elmore James country opening with some fat slide work. Robillard really pumps this track up with some sliding hot sauce throughout. Can't Let Go wraps the track with a southern style R&B track. If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! - ”LIKE”

Listen to 12 track cuts!

Jesse's Blues - DUKE ROBILLARD

Guitarist. Bandleader. Songwriter. Singer. Producer. Session musician. And a one-man cheering section for the blues, in all its forms and permutations. And every one of those names has shared recording studio space or stage time with a man who is a legend in the blues community. The Blues Music Awards (formerly W.C.Handy Awards) have named Duke Robillard "Best Blues Guitarist" four years out of five (2000,2001,2003,2004) making him the second most honored guitarist for that award! He was also nominated in that category in 2005, 2007 and again this year of 2008. In 2007 Duke received a Grammy nomination for his "Guitar Groove-a-rama" CD and was also honored with the prestigious Rhode Island Pell Award for "excellence in the arts" along with actress Olympia Dukakis, actor Bob Colonna, and R.I. Choreographer/Festival Ballet director Mihailo "Misha" Djuric.The Pell award is named for Senator Claiborne Pell who help establish the the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities in 1965. Other awards over the last decade include three Canadian Maple Blues Awards in 2001, 2002, and 2003 for "Best International Blues Artist," The Blues Foundation's "Producer of the Year" award in 2004, The French Blues Association "Album of the Year" award in 2002 (Living with the Blues) and "Guitarist of the Year" awards in 1999 and 2002. BB King himself has called Duke "One of the great players," The Houston Post called him "one of God's guitarists. And the New York Times says "Robillard is a soloist of stunning force and originality. None of that goes to Robillard’s head. He’s still on the road, still playing as many as 250 dates a year. And still proving, night after night, that his true talent is bringing people out to hear the music, appreciate the show, and dance to the blues. Duke had his first band in high school — he was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island — and he was fascinated from the beginning by the ways in which jazz, swing, and the blues were linked. In 1967, he formed Roomful of Blues, and the band was tight enough and tough enough to accompany two of its heroes, Big Joe Turner and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson on record and in live appearances. Always ahead of his time, Duke’s first band pre-dated the renewed interest in jump blues by more than a decade — and almost 20 years later, in 1986, when he recorded with jazz sax master Scott Hamilton, he recorded a collection of classic big band tunes from the ’30s and ’40s, thus skillfully pre-dating the neo-Swing craze of the mid ’90s. Roomful of Blues — which still continues, forty years later — gave Duke his first exposure to a wide public, and when he left after a dozen years, he played briefly with rockabilly king Robert Gordon, then cut two albums with the Legendary Blues Band (a sterling collection of former members of Muddy Waters’ band). He led his own band until 1990, and then replaced Jimmy Vaughan in the Fabulous Thunderbirds. In 1993, as he was about to sign a world-wide recording deal with Virgin/Pointblank, he met Holger Petersen, head of the Canadian independent label Stony Plain, at a folk festival in Winnipeg. In conversation, he mentioned he wanted to record a complete album of blues, without the r & b and jazz influences of his work to date. Petersen was interested; Virgin gave the go-ahead, and the resulting album, Duke’s Blues, earned rave reviews. It was so successful, in fact, that Virgin soon licensed the record from Stony Plain and released it around the world (except in Canada, where it continues in the Canadian company’s catalogue. In the years since his relationship with the Canadian label has been astonishingly fruitful. As a soloist , he has released eleven CDs, plus one with label mate Ronnie Earl and one with The New Guitar Summit. Duke's next release will be in May/June of 2008 Just as remarkable have been the projects he has produced (and played on) for Stony Plain, including two albums with the late Jimmy Witherspoon, two with Kansas City piano king Jay McShann, comeback CDs for Billy Boy Arnold and Rosco Gordon, a swinging confection with the Canadian band The Rockin’ Highliners, and a superb album of guitar duets with the jazz legend Herb Ellis. As if this growing catalogue was not enough, he has found time to share studio gigs with Bob Dylan (the Daniel Lanois-produced Time Out of Mind sessions), Ruth Brown, the late Johnny Adams, John Hammond, Pinetop Perkins, and Ronnie Earl, among many others. He now has his own 24-track studio in his home, and he has become deeply involved in graphic design and photography as well as record production. Duke Robillard is a man in command of a full range of creative talents — unique in the blues, and rare in the music industry as a whole. He is, in fact, a complete artist at the height of his power. If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

Blues for T-Bone - Duke Robillard

Guitarist. Bandleader. Songwriter. Singer. Producer. Session musician. And a one-man cheering section for the blues, in all its forms and permutations. And every one of those names has shared recording studio space or stage time with a man who is a legend in the blues community.

The Blues Music Awards (formerly W.C.Handy Awards) have named Duke Robillard "Best Blues Guitarist" four years out of five (2000,2001,2003,2004) making him the second most honored guitarist for that award! He was also nominated in that category in 2005, 2007 and again this year of 2008.

In 2007 Duke received a Grammy nomination for his "Guitar Groove-a-rama" CD and was also honored with the prestigious Rhode Island Pell Award for "excellence in the arts" along with actress Olympia Dukakis, actor Bob Colonna, and R.I. Choreographer/Festival Ballet director Mihailo "Misha" Djuric.The Pell award is named for Senator Claiborne Pell who help establish the the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities in 1965.

Other awards over the last decade include three Canadian Maple Blues Awards in 2001, 2002, and 2003 for "Best International Blues Artist," The Blues Foundation's "Producer of the Year" award in 2004, The French Blues Association "Album of the Year" award in 2002 (Living with the Blues) and "Guitarist of the Year" awards in 1999 and 2002.

BB King himself has called Duke "One of the great players," The Houston Post called him "one of God's guitarists. And the New York Times says "Robillard is a soloist of stunning force and originality.

None of that goes to Robillard’s head. He’s still on the road, still playing as many as 250 dates a year. And still proving, night after night, that his true talent is bringing people out to hear the music, appreciate the show, and dance to the blues.

Duke had his first band in high school — he was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island — and he was fascinated from the beginning by the ways in which jazz, swing, and the blues were linked. In 1967, he formed Roomful of Blues, and the band was tight enough and tough enough to accompany two of its heroes, Big Joe Turner and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson on record and in live appearances.

Always ahead of his time, Duke’s first band pre-dated the renewed interest in jump blues by more than a decade — and almost 20 years later, in 1986, when he recorded with jazz sax master Scott Hamilton, he recorded a collection of classic big band tunes from the ’30s and ’40s, thus skillfully pre-dating the neo-Swing craze of the mid ’90s.

Roomful of Blues — which still continues, forty years later — gave Duke his first exposure to a wide public, and when he left after a dozen years, he played briefly with rockabilly king Robert Gordon, then cut two albums with the Legendary Blues Band (a sterling collection of former members of Muddy Waters’ band). He led his own band until 1990, and then replaced Jimmy Vaughan in the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

In 1993, as he was about to sign a world-wide recording deal with Virgin/Pointblank, he met Holger Petersen, head of the Canadian independent label Stony Plain, at a folk festival in Winnipeg. In conversation, he mentioned he wanted to record a complete album of blues, without the r & b and jazz influences of his work to date.

Petersen was interested; Virgin gave the go-ahead, and the resulting album, Duke’s Blues, earned rave reviews. It was so successful, in fact, that Virgin soon licensed the record from Stony Plain and released it around the world (except in Canada, where it continues in the Canadian company’s catalogue.

In the years since his relationship with the Canadian label has been astonishingly fruitful. As a soloist , he has released eleven CDs, plus one with label mate Ronnie Earl and one with The New Guitar Summit. Duke's next release will be in May/June of 2008

Just as remarkable have been the projects he has produced (and played on) for Stony Plain, including two albums with the late Jimmy Witherspoon, two with Kansas City piano king Jay McShann, comeback CDs for Billy Boy Arnold and Rosco Gordon, a swinging confection with the Canadian band The Rockin’ Highliners, and a superb album of guitar duets with the jazz legend Herb Ellis.

As if this growing catalogue was not enough, he has found time to share studio gigs with Bob Dylan (the Daniel Lanois-produced Time Out of Mind sessions), Ruth Brown, the late Johnny Adams, John Hammond, Pinetop Perkins, and Ronnie Earl, among many others. He now has his own 24-track studio in his home, and he has become deeply involved in graphic design and photography as well as record production.

Duke Robillard is a man in command of a full range of creative talents — unique in the blues, and rare in the music industry as a whole. He is, in fact, a complete artist at the height of his power.
If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! - ”LIKE”

Mark Pucci Media Artists Nominated for the 2012 Living Blues Awards

Mark Pucci Media

MARK PUCCI MEDIA CONGRATULATES ITS ARTISTS NOMINATED FOR THE 2012 LIVING BLUES AWARDS READER’S POLL

Blues Artist of the Year (Male) – Johnny Rawls

Best Blues Album of 2011 (New Recordings) – Johnny Rawls, Memphis Still Got Soul

Blues Artist of the Year (Female) – Rory Block

Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar) – Duke Robillard

Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboards) –

Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne

Best Blues DVD of 2011 – Guy Davis,

Guitar Artistry of Guy Davis: Teller of Tales

All ballots must be received by July 10, 2012. Vote for one choice only in each category. All ballots must have valid contact details. Only one ballot per person is allowed. To vote, follow this link and click on the VOTE button: http://www.livingblues.com/.

33rd Blues Music Awards Presented By The Blues Foundation

The Nominees For Contemporary Blues Male Artist are:

Joe Louis Walker

 

Johnny Sansone

Stony Plain Records celebrates 2012 Blues Music Awards' nominations

Stony Plain Records celebrates 2012 Blues Music Awards' nominations

When The Blues Foundation announced the list of nominees for the 33rd AnnualBlues Music Awards on Tuesday, December 13, Stony Plain Record’s artists were well represented with 7 nominations. The Blues Music Awards are universally acknowledged as the highest honour for musicians and songwriters in Blues music. Winners will be announced on May 10 at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis. Online voting is now open to Blues Foundation members at www.blues.org. Individual and corporate memberships are available for those who would like to vote.

The nominations continue a year in which Stony Plain Records Records celebrated our 35th year as Canada's roots, rock, country, folk and blues label, with the release of a special 2CD + bonus DVD compilation, 35 Years of Stony Plain. Earlier this fall the label received 14 nominations in Canada's Maple Blues Awards, recognising the talents of MonkeyJunk, Harry Manx & Kevin Breit, Duke Robillard and Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne.

Stony Plain Records nominees for the 2012 Blues Music Awards:

Maria Muldaur

Nominated for:
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)

The Pilot:

"Muldaur has one foot in church and another in a Saturday night juke joint as she belts out hand-clapping church rousers, soul ballads and greasy swamp stompers. Over the years her voice has only gotten better, with her pipes now displaying a lusty, full-bodied resonance."

Blues In Britain Magazine:

""Soul & grit" emanates from Muldaur's voice... Muldaur and the band excel at all levels... A triumph!"

Blinded By Sound:

"There are echoes here of the way Ray Charles turned gospel into secular gold, and Muldaur shows that spirituality can still rock out - the sacred and the profane aren’t all that far apart, and spirituality can still temper earthly desire without corrupting the former or diluting the latter."

Living Blues Radio Chart:

#1 for October, #2 for November

Rory Block

Nominated for:
Acoustic Artist
Acoustic Album (for Shake 'Em On Down: A Tribute To Mississippi Fred McDowell)

Living Blues Magazine:

"There's plenty to admire in her torrid slide work, the passion she infuses into her reedy vocals, and the obvious dedication with which she has undertaken this project."

No Depression Magazine:

"Creating something new and honoring the past at the same time."

Jazz & Blues Report Magazine:

"A superb recording."

Duke Robillard

Nominated for:
Gibson Guitar Award

The Alternate Root:

"One of the pre-eminent guitarists in the world today, bar none."

Billings Gazette:

"The master blues guitarist heads back to the 1940s and '50s for a set of swinging blues covers from the Mt. Rushmore of early electric bluesmen"

Blues Revue (in Blues Wax newsletter):

"Gut Bucket with Caviar!!"

Living Blues Radio Chart:

#3 for October and November

Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

"Simply one of the best guitarists around."

Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne

Nominated for:
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player

Vintage Guitar Magazine:

"A red-hot boogie woogie ivory tickler."

Blues Festival E-Guide:

"Hammers out rockin' boogie woogie, deeply felt blues, and puts a fresh coat of paint on ... roots rock and roll."

Living Blues Magazine:

"This release is certain to garner many deserved nominations and awards."

Joe Louis Walker

Nominated for:
Contemporary Blues Male Artist

Chicago Sun-Times:

"Joe Louis Walker has achieved exalted status."

Blues Blast Magazine:

"Energy, undeniable personality, and high caliber talent."

Phoenix Blues Society:

"A fun set that sounds like it was as enjoyable to play as it must have been to watch."

Hampton Roads:

"He's the kind of guitarist... who always brings applause."

Eric Bibb

Nominated for:
Acoustic Artist
Acoustic Album (released by Telarc/Concord Music Group)

Stony Plain Records announces the signing of acclaimed folk blues singer/songwriter/guitarist Eric Bibb, and will release his debut CD for the label, Deeper in the Well, in March 2012. Deeper in the Well features Eric Bibb on vocals and guitar backed by multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell, guitarist Cedric Watson, drummer Danny Devillier and harmonica player Grant Dermody. Special guests on the CD include Michael Jerome Browne, Jerry Douglas and Christine Balfa.

Eric’s last CD, Troubadour Live, recorded at a 2010 concert in Stockholm, Sweden, was released earlier this year.

Vote Today!

You must be a registered member of the Blues Foundation to vote. Join today, if you're not already a member.

www.stonyplainrecords.com

INTERNATIONAL RELEASE SET FOR “GRITTY” NEW DUKE ROBILLARD BAND CD ON SEPTEMBER 20

INTERNATIONAL RELEASE SET FOR “GRITTY” NEW DUKE ROBILLARD BAND CD ON SEPTEMBER 20

Low Down and Tore Up is a collection of

hard-rockin’ early R&B tunes from the 40s and

50s on Canada’s international Stony Plain Records label

EDMONTON, AB - One of the most versatile and accomplished guitarists playing today, Duke Robillard has always been fascinated by the roots of American popular music — and he’s tackled everything from blues to the classic American songbook to jazz guitar duets, rock-influenced trios, small and big band swing recordings.

On September 20, Robillard will release his 18^th album on Stony Plain Records, the Edmonton-based roots music label. Low Down and Tore Up is described as an affirmation of his grittier blues roots and early influences.

Low Down and Tore Up is, once again, a tour de force — this time Robillard is taking hard-rockin’ songs from the forties and fifties, and refitting them with screaming tenor sax solos, gut-bucket vocals and guitar solos that shake the walls.

Duke sums it up: “Basically, I just wanted to go in the studio and record live and capture the real feeling of the lowdown blues in an off-the-cuff sort of way; the way singles used to be made in the blues world for small labels.”

He and his band immerse themselves into the songs of artists like Guitar Slim, Pee Wee Crayton, Sugar Boy Crawford, Bobby Blues Merrill, Tampa Red, Elmore James and John Lee Hooker — some of them artists who are, alas, almost forgotten today. But Robillard brings their tunes and their ragged-but-right approach straight to the table and steaming hot.

A powerful video for one of the songs, “What’s Wrong,” is now available on YouTube and is being distributed to television stations with arts or video programming:

Low Down & Tore Up will be released simultaneously in Canada and the United States, the UK, throughout Europe and in Australia and New Zealand on September 20

A serious road warrior who usually performs as many as 200 shows a year, Robillard has festival and showcase venue dates booked throughout the U.S., as well as Canadian appearances at the Calgary Blues Festival, the Edmonton Folk Festival and the Nanaimo Blues Festival, with September appearances at similar events in Norway and Northern Ireland.

Along the way, he’s earned no less than four Guitarist of the Year awards from the Blues Foundation, was chosen Traditional Males Blue Artist earlier this year, and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards, for his 2006 release, Guitar Groove-a-Rama, and for Stomp! The Blues Tonight (2009)

Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Lousy Husband (But A Real Good Dad) - Todd Sharpville

Todd Sharpville (born The Hon. Roland Augusto Jestyn Estanislao Philipps the younger son of the 3rd Viscount St Davids and younger brother of 4th Viscount St Davids, is a British musician, singer-songwriter and lead guitarist, mainly in the blues field. It is claimed that he is "the world’s first blue-blooded bluesman, being a titled member of one of the UK’s oldest aristocratic families, descending from royal lineage". In 2010, the Conservative Party asked him to stand for election as a Prospective parliamentary candidate, but he declined the offer

Sharpville first came to public prominence with his 1994 debut blues album release Touch Of Your Love (Red Lightnin' Records - RLCD0095). The album achieved critical acclaim winning "Best Album" in 1994 in the British Blues Connection awards (Britain's equivalent to the W.C. Handy Awards). At this time, Sharpville was putting together European backing bands for visiting American blues artists (such as Hubert Sumlin, Ike Turner, Chuck Berry and Byther Smith). He won the British Blues Connection "Best UK Guitarist" award in 1995 (beating fellow nominees Eric Clapton and Gary Moore according to the April 1995 edition of British Blues Connection's Blueprint magazine) and became a mainstay on the European blues circuit as a solo artist.



His second blues album The Meaning Of Life (CRCD0057) was released in 2001 on Cathouse Records and featured guests Leo Sayer, Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges, Snowy White, Paul Lamb, Keith Dunn, and ex-Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor. In support of this release, Sayer and Taylor toured extensively,[6][7][8] as part of the Todd Sharpville Band. Sharpville can also be found on more than thirty five compilation albums, and at least five Dana Gillespie releases. He additionally appeared on The Mick Ronson Memorial Concert (Citadel Records - recorded at the Hammersmith Apollo in 1994), Albert Hammond's 2006 release Revolution Of The Heart (Sharpville was Hammond's guitarist and musical director) and Leo Sayer's Voice In My Head (2005). Live performances include appearances with Robbie Williams, Van Morrison, Peter Green, George Michael, Taj Mahal, Albert Collins, Georgie Fame, Kim Wilson, Joe Louis Walker, Tommy Castro, Brian May, and the reformed version of The Yardbirds.



Between 2005 and 2007, Sharpville was the European opening act for Pink, Joe Cocker, and B.B. King. He is still due to release his singer/songwriter album Diary Of A Drowning Man . This is a "confessional" album, inspired by his divorce. It features a duet with British vocalist Sam Brown ("Sweet Redemption"), and was co-produced by ex-Stone Roses record producer Dave Hyatt and Robbie Williams producer Steve Power. His new blues double album "Porchlight" was released on 29 October 2010 by the MiG Music record label. This was produced in Rhode Island by Duke Robillard and features guests: Duke Robillard, Joe Louis Walker, & Kim Wilson (of The Fabulous Thunderbirds).

Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

YOU DON'T LOVE ME, AND I DON'T EVEN CARE - Duke Robillard

The Duke plays a little T-Bone!!

Michael John "Duke" Robillard (born October 4, 1948, Woonsocket, Rhode Island) is an American blues musician.

After playing in various bands and working for the Guild Guitar Company, he co-founded the band Roomful of Blues with pianist Al Copley in 1967. He has also been a member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds which included Kim Wilson, replacing Jimmie Vaughan on guitar. Also experienced in jazz, swing, and rock and roll, aside from his preferred blues music, Robillard has been generally regarded as a guitar player keeping the blues style of T-Bone Walker.

He has recorded with artists such as Jimmy Witherspoon, Snooky Prior, Jay McShann, Hal Singer, Pinetop Perkins, Joe Louis Walker, Todd Sharpville, and Bob Dylan. In the summer of 2006, Robillard accompanied Tom Waits on a tour of the Southern United States.
Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Gonna Get You Told

Michael John "Duke" Robillard (born October 4, 1948, Woonsocket, Rhode Island) is an American blues musician.

After playing in various bands and working for the Guild Guitar Company, he co-founded the band Roomful of Blues with pianist Al Copley in 1967. He has also been a member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds which included Kim Wilson, replacing Jimmie Vaughan on guitar. Also experienced in jazz, swing, and rock and roll, aside from his preferred blues music, Robillard has been generally regarded as a guitar player keeping the blues style of T-Bone Walker.

He has recorded with artists such as Jimmy Witherspoon, Snooky Prior, Jay McShann, Hal Singer, Pinetop Perkins, Joe Louis Walker, Todd Sharpville, and Bob Dylan. In the summer of 2006, Robillard accompanied Tom Waits on a tour of the Southern United States.
Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE