Customer Reviews

First Album

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Roomful of Blues has demonstrated throughout the years to be one of the best blues bands around. However I believe that their "First Album" is their best album ever. This is just a magnificent collection of great blues, jazz tinted songs. There is something about this album that no matter how hard you try you will never be able to replicate. The atmosphere and the feeling are so, how to say, they are so "unique" that they make this work stands out. Duke Robillard guitar playing and singing are simply outstanding and Al Coply piano playing has probably never been so good. So if you know and love the band's sound and you don't have this one you should rush and buy it, if you never heard about them this his the right CD to start with and I bet...in a matter of weeks you will be ending having the full collection!

If you know Roomful, you know how the band has gone through stylistic changes over the years. This album, the first Roomful album, seemed to define their style through the upcoming Ronnie Earl days as well - a blues band that swings, is not limited to Chicago or Texas styles, embraces Kansas City, and has that great big horn section. Seems like the current lineup (see the new 2003 album) is returning to this style (it swings!), but extends it further (following a years-long post-Piccolo interlude with other front men and musical styles). The first Roomful album also contains a cameo one-song appearance by Duke's hometown tenor sax man Scott Hamilton, a jazz player of significant note. Check out Hamilton's many albums - he's a monster player in his chosen style. The first Roomful album was my introduction to Roomful, and I recommend it to you as a first introduction, or to broaden your appreciation of the band (if for some reason you haven't hear it yet). Nothing outlandish, but all solid. Get it.

What a gem of an album. This is well crafted, horn-backed blues with hollow body guitar in the lead. Duke Robilliard is at his best on both vocals and guitar. Al Copley is sensational on blues piano as well. All ten songs work well together and move from fast to slow, moody to upbeat. I have never had someone listen to this and not buy it for themselves...now here's YOUR chance!

This is the stuff Duke and the boys played at the 'Knick' in Westerly RI in the early '70s. Best time I ever had! Great to dance to and great to listen to.

I love this band and I have several of their CDs - I just wanted to add to my collection - GREAT music!

I bought this 2o or so years ago when it first came out on LP. What an amazing recording! It was one of my first blues albums and one of the few non-jazz albums with horns that I liked (although it draws very heavily on jazz and swing). It was the first time I'd heard of Duke Robillard too. Wonderful guitar, singing and arranging. This is blues that really swings. Now, 20 odd years later, I've discovered T-Bone Walker and come to find that one of my all time favorite records was borrowed nearly note for note from this guy who had invented pretty much the same music back in the very early 50s! Roomful does a bit of updating for a more rock oriented audience, but if you like them you've got to check out T-Bone (and visa versa). The similarity is amazing.

What a gem of an album. This is well crafted, horn-backed blues with hollow body guitar in the lead. Duke Robilliard is at his best on both vocals and guitar. Al Copley is sensational on blues piano as well. All ten songs work well together and move from fast to slow, moody to upbeat. I have never had someone listen to this and not buy it for themselves...now here's YOUR chance!

This is an incredible big band blues album. From the very get go Roomful were a force to be reckoned with. Its leader Duke Robillard is red hot! And the band follows in kind. A cornerstone modern blues album for sure.