Roadhouse Album Review: Duke Robillard launches “Blast Off!” into a swinging blues orbit

Jim White

Duke Robillard and his All-Star Band — “Blast Off” — Nola Blue Records

I am grateful — and old enough — to have seen Duke Robillard perform with his first band, Roomful of Blues, at the legendary Decade club in Pittsburgh. And a few times since.

More than half a century later, I’m grateful that the Duke is still making great music, and that I’m still here to enjoy it.

And Robillard’s latest album, “Blast Off,” is a thoroughly enjoyable set of the blues, swing and R&B that he’s mastered over the years. He’s accompanied by his All-Star Band, a crackling good roster including Bruce Bears, keyboards; Marty Ballou, bass; Mark Teixeira, drums and percussion; Doug James and crackling good Mark Earley, sax; Billy Novick, clarinet and Doc Chanonhouse, trumpet. Robillard handles the guitar work, with vocals by Chris Cote.

Robillard is a master of many musical styles, and he celebrates some of them here. The album opens with Cote’s muscular vocal on a rousing Floyd Dixon jump blues, “When I Get Lucky,” setting the tone for all the great music that follows.

“I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead (You Rascal You)” revives a 1930s taste of hot, horn-filled jazz with a New Orleans flavor, first made popular in 1931 by Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway. Robillard makes a rare vocal appearance, swapping vocals with Cote.

“Feel My Cares” is a torchy blues written by Robillard when he was 17. I actually wrote a lot of blues songs when I was around that age,” Robillard says, “because I started Roomful right after high school and realized early on that it was important to make my own music.” Then “Lowdown” rumbles into view, a hard-driving Tom Waits song, filled with tough rock ‘n’ roll vibes.

“Play Boy Hop” is an instrumental from the Rocking Brothers, its 1950s spirit flavored by greasy sax lines. “Confusion” is New Orleans R&B by Allen Toussaint;” then “Blast Off!” itself launches another Robillard original instrumental featuring Robillard’s guitar throughout. “Stand By Me,” a churning shuffle by Guitar Slim, gets a rugged blues shouter treatment from Cote, complete with swampy sax.

“The King” is a swinging Count Basie instrumental, leading into Cote at his most achingly soulful vocal on “Warm and Tender Love,” a Percy Sledge classic. “Galactic Grease,” another original instrumental, adds a pulsating organ and stinging guitar that speaks highly of Booker T. & the MGs. “That was a nod to Steve Cropper, of course,” Robillard says. “Look a There Look a There” is a classic post-war Chicago blues from the influential slide guitar wizard Tampa Red that swings the session to a glorious close behind Cote’s rollicking vocal.

Duke Robillard has made much great music over the course his long and illustrious career, all of it pure enjoyment. “Blast Off!” is saying that even the sky may not be his limit.

Here’s “Lowdown” from the album:

Tracklist and Credits

  1. When I Get Lucky – Floyd Dixon, El Camino Music Publishing
  2. I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead (You Rascal You) – Sam Theard, EMI Mills Music Inc.
  3. Feel My Cares – Duke Robillard, Blue Duchess Music
  4. Lowdown – Tom Waits & Kathleen Brennan, Jalma Music
  5. Play Boy Hop – A.M. Brunner, Screen Gems-EMI Music Ltd.
  6. Confusion – Allen Toussaint, Sony/ATV Publishing
  7. Blast Off! – Duke Robillard & Marty Ballou, Blue Duchess Music
  8. Stand By Me – Eddie Jones, Sony/ATV Songs LLC
  9. The King – Count Basie & Jon Hendricks, Wc Music Corp.
  10. Warm and Tender Love – Bobby Robinson & Irral Berger, Warner-Tamerlane Pub.
  11. Galactic Grease – Duke Robillard, Marty Ballou & Mark Teixeira, Blue Duchess Music
  12. Look a There Look a There – Hudson Whittaker, Boot House of Tunes

Duke Robillard – guitar (all tracks), vocal (track 2), background vocal (track 12)
Chris Cote – vocal (tracks 1,2,3,4,6,8,10,12), lead guitar (track 10)
Bruce Bears – piano, organ (all tracks), background vocal (track 12)
Marty Ballou – electric and acoustic bass (all tracks), background vocals (tracks 6,12)
Mark Teixeira – drums and percussion (all tracks), background vocals (tracks 6,12)
Doug James – baritone and tenor sax (all tracks except 7,11)
Mark Earley – tenor sax (all tracks except 7,11)
Billy Novick – clarinet (tracks 2,9)
Doc Chanonhouse – trumpet (track 2)

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