Duke Robillard, a founding member of Roomful of Blues and the first great guitarist to emerge from the band, has a long track record of superb guitar work. Unlike his fellow Roomful alumnus Ronnie Earl, Robillard is a colorful singer as well as a guitarist, and Robillard’s music usually frames his vocals, although he has also recorded a number of instrumentals. The Duke Robillard Band’s new release Independently Blue displays well the talent and skill that has garnered Robillard four Blues Music Awards (known then as W.C. Handy Awards) for best blues guitarist and a pair of Grammy nominations.
If Robillard had stopped at creating the jump blues revival outfit Roomful of Blues in the late 1960s, his contribution to blues music would have been sizable. Jump blues, an up-tempo form of blues often featuring horns that was popularized during the 1940s war years, has an old-timey feel that is a refreshing change from more traditional blues forms.
But Robillard didn’t stop at helping to revive jump blues.  Over a career spanning decades, Robillard has explored many avenues of blues and rock both in his solo work and as a member (replacing Jimmie Vaughan) of the Fabulous Thunderbirds in the early 1990s.  Over the course of his career he has also worked with such luminaries as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and Dr. John. To get a flavor of Robillard’s range, check out the snappy After Hours Swing Session from 1990 and Living With the Blues from 2002. There is also his 2005 collaboration with Ronnie Earl, The Duke Meets the Earl, which was the first collaboration between these two great Roomful alumni.
Independently Blue is another solid Robillard album.   Featuring guitarist Mike Welch as a guest artist, the album opens with Al Basile’s bouncy “I Wouldn’t-a Done That.” The blues-rock guitar on the Basile and Robillard-penned “Below Zero” is worth the price of admission.  Welch’s instrumental “Stapled to the Chicken’s Back” has some great playing. Other highlights include Robillard’s own “Laurene,” “Moongate,” and “Strollin’ With Lowell and BB.” Welch’s “This Man, This Monster” features some gorgeous playing by Robillard and Welch. The band features Bruce Bears on keyboards, Brad Hallen on bass, Mark Teixeira on drums, and guest performances by trumpeter Doug Woolverton and clarinetist Billy Novick.
About the author: Bill Wilcox is a roots music enthusiast recently relocated from the Washington, DC area to Philadelphia, PA and back again.