Roomful of Blues

Old school, East Coast, jump and straight-blues aficionados have come to regard the hard-hitting Providence-born R&B act Roomful of Bluesto be a legitimate contender even among some serious heavyweights. Formed in 1967 by the prodigiously talented but then-unknown young guitarist Duke Robillard, the group's reputation grew quickly over the next decade. Solidly suited to pull stints as the touring and studio backing band for such artists as Big Joe Turner, Earl King and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Roomful of Blues was jumpin', jivin' and wailin' while Brian Setzer was still in grade school. After 35 years and countless personnel changes (the band no longer features any of its original members), Roomful might appear to be a mere shadow of its former self. Yet the band has earned its biggest accolades, including being twice voted the Blues Band of the Year by Down Beat magazine in the past six years. Its latest release, That's Right!, which features Kansas City-born vocalist Mark DuFresne, proves Roomful of Blues still packs a punch.