Of the various popular music forms, many are a young people’s artform in which the performers tend not to age well in the genre, especially if all they do is try to play their own old hits of decades ago, especially if their lyrics are about the travails of youth. But two styles in which many of the artists seem to get better with age are jazz and blues. This week, we have a new album by a veteran blues performer who is at the top of his game at age 76. It’s Duke Robillard, whose new album is called Roll With Me.

Michael John “Duke” Robillard grew up in Rhode Island, where he is still based. A fan of old rhythm and blues from the 1940s and 1950s, Robillard and Al Copley founded Roomful of Blues in 1967, known for their big horn arrangements, and their authentic approach to old blues in a style mostly from the pre-rock era. Robillard made two albums with Roomful, before starting his own band The Pleasure Kings in 1984, in the early 1990s, he became the guitarist with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, replacing Jimmy Vaughan. He has also worked as a sideman for many a project, and toured and recorded with Bob Dylan, appearing on Dylan’s 1997 album Time Out of Mind.

Robillard has kept remarkably active over the years. Roll With Me is his 37^th album as a leader, not counting his work with Roomful and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. He has also worked in the jazz world, making a duet album with jazz guitarist Herb Ellis, and also made several recordings with jazz luminaries such pianist Jay McShann, and fellow Rhode Islander and saxophonist Scott Hamilton.

Robillard’s new album had its genesis some 20 years ago when 2005, he was planning to do an album of large group classic rhythm and blues drawing on New Orleans influence, jump blues and early Chicago style. But he had several other projects come along, including a guitar summit album with J. Giels and others. But now, he has come around to realizing the project on Roll With Me, with its collection of old songs by the likes of Fats Domino, Muddy Waters and Doc Pomus, along with a bunch of originals. The material on album includes some tracks recorded some 20 years ago that were unfinished, plus new material written and recorded for this release. Some of the original compositions on Roll with Me also date back to Robillard’s days with Roomful of Blues, and his subsequent bands such as the Pleasure Kings, and some are remakes of material from that era that he had previously recorded with those bands.

He is joined by some of his long-time musical associates, including horn players from Robillard’s time with Roomful of Blues, and some of his long-time current associates such as drummer Mark Teixiera, bassist Marty Ballou, and pianist Bruce Bears. Robillard is in great form both on guitar and vocals, though there area couple of guest vocals by Chris Cote. The whole project is classic and authentic early-style rhythm and blues, from before the days when that meant soul or hip hop, with the guitar being about the only electric instrument.

Opening the 12-song album is a track that sets the rhythmically infectious pace for the record. It’s a tune by Eddie Boyd called Bluecoat Man, about a police raid on a rocking party. It’s classic jump blues, heavy on the horns with opportunities for some solos. <<>>

The first of the originals is called Just Kiss Me, another track that is a reminder of why the early R&B sound is so timeless. It’s a kind of New Orleans and Chicago blues mix that really cooks, though at a slower pace. <<>>

Solidly in the New Orleans R&B school is the Fats Domino song Are You Going My Way which also strongly hints at the style of Professor Longhair. The lyrics, though, are a bit cringe-worthy in this day and age. <<>>

Also in a New Orleans groove is I Know You Love Me by Big Joe Turner, that is one of the new tracks on the album. It’s a great performance with Matt McCabe featured on piano and the full horn section. Robillard is also in top vocal form. <<>>

There is one instrumental, an original by Robillard called Boogie Uproar which he says is a tribute to Clarence Gatemouth Brown. The horns get a chance for some short solos. <<>>

Vocalist Chris Cote, who is part of Robillard’s current band, does the lead vocal on Muddy Waters Look What You’ve Done which also features Sugar Ray Norcia on harmonica. <<>>

One of the new tunes written for this album is a slow blues called Give Me Back My Money. The track features some prominent trombone work from either Carl Querfurth or Pam Murray. <<>>

The album ends with a great shuffle blues, essentially the title track, called Don’t You Want to Roll With Me which was one of Robillard’s early compositions and was recorded by Roomful of Blues, released as their first single in the early 1970s. The performance here cooks and captures the spirit of the classic rhythm & blues bands of the 1950s. <<>>

Though he may not be as well-known as other figures in the blues world, guitarist and vocalist Duke Robillard has been making great blues now for well over 50 years, showing a special affinity to the early rhythm and blues scene of the 1950s, through groups like Roomful of Blues, which he co-founded, the Pleasure Kings, his own band, and numerous other projects on which he appeared. On Roll with Me, his 37^th album under his own name, he revisits some old songs, covers some classic blues tunes, and finished up some tracks that he started in 2005. But it’s all very musically and sonically coherent, marked by his first-rate musicianship and the grooves he creates with some of his long-time colleagues. The word “classic” is definitely appropriate.

Our grade for audio quality is about an A-minus, with the mix keeping things in good proportion, but the vocals sometimes sounding a little over-driven, and with too much volume compression robbing the recording of some of its dynamic range in an effort to be loud all the time.

In his long career, Duke Robillard has made a lot of very good records. On Roll with Me he has definitely scored another winner.

(c) Copyright 2024 George D. Graham. All rights reserved.
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<<>> indicates audio excerpt played in produced radio review

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