Roomful of Blues – Steppin’ Out!
14 tracks/44 minutes
Six decades of rich and beautiful music. That’s what Roomful of Blues is all about. Formed in 1967, they released their first record in 1977.
Alto and tenor sax player Rick Lataille has been the director of this primo band. He and his horn section are legends in the music business for swing and contemporary blues. Chris Vachon on guitar has produced their last eight records, another long term stalwart of this fine music. The horn section is rounded out with Craig Thomas on baritone and tenor sax and Chris Pratt on trumpet. This New Yorker and Rhode Islander add their decades of experience to the mix, creating a fantastic backdrop for the band’s sound.
On drums is Mike Coffey and on piano and B3 is Jeff Ceasrine. They are respectively from Rhode Island and New York and bring their decades of amazing experience to the table to help flesh out the sound of Roomful of Blues. That leaves D.D. Bastos on vocals. Singing since age 5, D.D. is the Choral Director of her local school system and bandleader of her band D.D. and the Road Kings. Her work linked her up with Roomful of Blues, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, The Broadcasters and the many other groups who have emerged from these bands. She is par of the New England blues scene and the people from those three bands are on D.D. and the Road Kings’ album Lover Bird.
What emerges from this is a completely new sound and vibe for the band. After 19 albums featuring male vocalists, here they get to showcase songs made famous by female blues greats along with other forgotten classics, fourteen in all on this outstanding collection of music.
“Satisfied” starts things off. This is a Billy “The Kid” Emerson cut from 1955 and D.D. and the horns shine as does Vachon’s guitar. Then it’s Z.Z. Hill’s 1964 “You Were Wrong” with a great groove and more stellar horns. Vachon solos strongly again as he and band nail another one. “Steppin’ Up In Class” is a Jimmy McCracken 1965 piece that D.D. delivers with passion. Vachon picks out some pretty licks, and the alto sax blazes on a super solo, too. Next is “Slippin’ and Slidin’” which is a 1957 Little Richard hit. Great sax and guitar solos and support by all the players is just solid and cool.
The torch song “Please Don’t Leave” is up next, an old Lee Diamond R&B tune that got resurrected for this album for Bastos to nail. Big horn work and deeply emotive vocals sell this one. Next is “Tell Me Who,” a Billy Myles cut made famous by Bib Maybelle. It rocks! Big Mama Thornton’s “You Don’t Move Me No More” is the next great cover with a slick piano solo and jumping and jiving guitar. Then it’s time for Etta James and “Good Rockin’ Daddy,” another swinging and cool number. Some dirty sax and later pretty trumpet make this one special.
Things slow down with “Tend To Your Business.” This one is a different take on James Wayne’s original which is more up tempo. D. D. turns it into a slow and lament-filled blues. Her vocals. the cupped trumpet and restrained guitar make this a somber and thoughtful piece. Then it’s “Well Oh Well,” a swinging and jumping cut with killer sax. It’s a Tiny Bradshaw number that Roomful makes their own. “Why Don’t Cha Stop It” follows, a Buddy and Ella Johnson cut. Nice dual sax work is featured here along with a grooving beat.
It’s time for more Big Maybelle with “I’ve Got A Feelin’” and we get more great saxophone to savor along with a howling lead by D.D.. Then we have Smiley Lewis’ “Dirty People” with some honky-tonk piano and then guitar solo to enjoy here. They conclude with “Boogie’s The Thing,” a song with varied credits. All I can saw is that whomever wrote it created a great jump blues and roomful delivers the good here. So many great solos, a jumping vocal performance and just a super finish to a superb album of tunes!
So with 19 priors done by male singers, number 20 is really cool and special with D.D. Bastos leading the charge. It is a nice change up and the album is a hit. Bastos understand the music and give it her all. The band is, well, Roomful of Blues and they can truly do no wrong. Together, we have an exemplary album of jumping and swinging blues that I intend to give lots and lots of listens to– it is a great album! Go get it now!
