"Roomful of Blues" the perennial blues band of the last half century and now into the new millennium was started in 1967. Their first album was released ten years later and now on January 11th 2005 they will release their 18th album, their second on Alligator Records called "Standing Room Only".

Their alumni is like a who's who of second generation blues, including founders Duke Robillard and Al Copley, and past members Ronnie Earl, Ron Levy, Lou Ann Barton, Sugar Ray Norcia, Fran Christina, Greg Piccolo, Doug James, Porky Cohen, Curtis Salgado, and thirty-two others.

Currently they are led by guitarist Chris Vachon and alto-saxophonist Richard Lataille, the one remaining member from the original recording. Bob Enos, trumpet; joined in 1981 and I remember seeing him with them at The Lonestar Café when, because there wasn't enough room on the stage, he stood and played on a milk crate. Mark DuFresne has taken over the vocal/harp chores while the other members are Travis Colby, piano and hammond B3; Mark Earley, baritone and tenor sax; Brad Hallen, bass; and Jason Corbiere, drums.

The album begins with the first of two Little Milton songs they reprise as they honor their influences. "She Put a Spell on Me" is followed by the Jimmy Nolen authored "I Can't stand you no More"; Jimmy Nolen was the guitar player with James Brown. Other re-worked classics include Teddy "Cherokee" Conyers "Sufferin' With The Blues", Lowell Fulson's "Love Grows Cold", the other Little Milton authored song "My Mind is Troubled", and Roy Brown's "Up Jumped the Devil". A total of five members contribute the remaining eight original tracks. Chris Vachon contributes four (two co-authored with his wife Beth) and four other members contribute one each, Mark DuFresne, Rich Latille, Travis Colby, and Mark Earley. The originals are strong throughout the recording, and the fact that there are that many members contributing to the songwriting is realization that this band is composed of talent that will sustain "Roomful of Blues" for the next decade.

On Thursday, February 3rd "Roomful of Blues" will be playing at Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St, NYC. If you're a fan and haven't seen them lately, treat yourself right, go see "Roomful of Blues".

Richard Ludmerer
Director, The New York Blues & Jazz Society
ricdale2@yahoo.com

(c)2004 Richard Ludmerer