|
contents | blues | |||||||||||||
| Duke Robillard's World Full of Blues Stony Plain Records announces a June 26 release date for Duke Robillard's World Full of Blues, the latest CD from the Grammy-nominated legendary blues and roots music guitarist. The two disc set is being retailed at a special single CD list price of $16.98, and contains almost two hours of blues-worthy music from one of the genre's most honored musicians. Duke Robillard is one of this era's most acclaimed guitar players, having won four W.C. Handy Awards as “Blues Guitarist of the Year,” and receiving a Grammy Award nomination for his 2006 release, Guitar Groove-A-Rama. On June 2, Duke will receive the 2007 Rhode Island Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts (named in honor of Senator Claiborne Pell), which recognizes artistic excellence in that state and on the national level. Additional award winners honored that night will include Academy Award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis. Previous Pell honorees include actors Jason Robards, Robert Redford, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, as well as Stephen Sondheim and Beverly Sills from the music world. In addition to his Grammy nomination, 2006 also saw Duke Robillard playing guitar on Tom Waits' national tour, as well as touring to support his own album. Over the years, Duke has recorded with Bob Dylan, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Ruth Brown, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Jay McShann, Herb Ellis, Jimmy Witherspoon and many others, including the legendary Roomful of Blues, which he founded at the age of 17. “When I conceived of this project and convinced Stony Plain to let me record a double disc CD, my intention was to record a set of music that touched upon nearly all the areas of blues and blues related music that make up my sound,” writes Duke Robillard in the album package liner notes. “Now, with a double CD and over 115 minutes of music, I feel like I have made a statement that is true to what I am about.” Indeed, Duke Robillard's World Full of Blues salutes gut-bucket blues, swing, funk, soul and gospel, among others, on a musical tour with stops in Memphis, New Orleans, Texas, Mississippi and a host of other signposts along the blues highway. In addition to a number of original tunes, he gives his guitar imprint to songs by blues icons Memphis Slim (”Steppin' Out”), Jimmy Reed (”Bright Lights, Big City”), T-Bone Walker (”Treat Me So Lowdown”) and Bo Diddley (”Who Do You Love”), and more recent heroes such as Booker T. and the MGs (”Slim Jenkins Joint”), Bob Dylan (”Everything Is Broken”), Tom Waits (”Low Side Of The Road”) and Eric Bibb (”Too Much Stuff”). Included in the well-annotated album package are Duke's notes on each track, indicating the influences and even the guitars he uses on each song. On Duke Robillard's World Full of Blues, he's backed by a number of players from his regular recording and touring lineups, including Mark Teixeira on drums, John Packer on bass, Doug James on sax, Marty Ballou on bass, Bruce Bears on keyboards and “Sax” Gordon Beadle on sax. Special guests include “Sugar” Ray Norcia on harmonica and Al Basile on cornet, among many others. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page |