Duke Robillard And His Dames Of Rhythm

Duke Robillard
And His Dames Of Rhythm
M.C. Records

This new release from Duke Robillard is a bucket item dream come true with him on acoustic arch-top guitar and occasional vocals along with his rhythm section of Bruce Bears on keyboards (with Kelley Hunt subbing on three tracks); Brad Hallen on bass; and Mark Teixeira on drums. There is also a horn section including regular collaborators Billy Novick on clarinet and alto saxophone; Rich Lataille on alto and tenor saxophone and clarinet; Carl Querfurth on trombone; and from Vince Giordano's Nighthawks, Jon Erik Kellso on trumpet and Andy Stein on violin, with arrangements mostly from Novick or Kellso. With these players, Duke has a program of songs form the twenties and the early thirties with the dames of Rhythm, Sunny Crownover, Kelley Hunt, Elizabeth McGovern, Maria Muldaur, Madeleine Peyroux and Catherine Russell handling the bulk of the vocals with Duke adding a couple.

The general tenor of the music here is early and pre-bop swing jazz as opposed to the jump blues of much of Duke's recordings. The music is handsomely played and the ambience is not far from that of Giordano's Nighthawks starting off with Crownover's bright, cheerful vocal, joined by Duke here, on the opening "From Monday On," with some terrific violin from Stein, and followed by Muldaur's wistful handling of "Got the South in My Soul," with Querfurth's growling trombone adding flavor, a lovely clarinet solo from Novick and a brief guitar break. Crownover has a naughty innocence on "My Heart Belongs To Daddy," with its light Latin groove and marvelous Novick arrangement.

Peyroux's is flirty on "Squeeze Me," however she lacks the emotional depth of Billie Holiday on "Easy Living," although she is nicely supported. Similarly, Elizabeth McGovern comes off lightweight on her interpretation of another number associated with Holiday, "Me, Myself and I." Catherine Russell is superb as always on a sublime rendition of Benny Carter's "Blues In My Heart," with John Kellso's superb arrangement and growling trumpet (along with Querfurth's similarly toned trombone) lending this sublime performance an Ellingtonian flavor.

"Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" features singing from Kelley Hunt with sparse backing primarily from Bears and Duke for the first couple verses, before the rhythm kicks in to back Mark Earley's tenor sax solo followed by Kellso's trumpet and then she leads the band on a rousing close. She also has a marvelous take on "Lotus Blossom," a number I am familiar with from Jimmy Witherspoon, and kudos to Rich Lataille for his arrangement. With the combination of Duke's guitar, her piano, Novick's clarinet, and Stein's violin, she does a marvelous rendition of the torch song, "If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)."

Duke's own vocal features include the bouncy "Walking Stick," with Kellso's arrangement showcasing Stein along with Kellso's fiery trumpet, along with the gently swinging lament "What's The Reason (I'm Not Pleasin' You)." The instrumental "Call of the Freaks" closes this out with Duke playing Lonnie Johnson to Kellso's Henry 'Red' Allen on a nice rendition of a tune recorded by Catherine Russell's father, Luis in the early 1930s. If the vocals by Hunt and Russell stand out over the others here, it should be noted that there is appeal to all of the vocals, and does nothing to lessen the delights heard in Duke's revival of some musical gems from the distant past.

I received my review copy from M.C. Records. Here is "Squeeze Me," from the album.

The Duke Robillard Band Ear Worms

The Duke Robillard Band
Ear Worms
Stony Plain

About "Ear Worms," his latest recording Duke Robillard states "“Ear Worms was conceived as an album of songs that I heard and was attracted to growing up. They are not of one particular genre or style, but rather songs I heard in my pre-teens to my later teens." The term 'ear worms' itself refers to "a song you can’t get out of your head because you love it so much, or it can also be a mundane piece of drivel that haunts you like a bad dream." Besides find some choice gems, he also has contributed some originals.

Backing Duke and his guitar is his long-term band of Bruce Bears on keyboards, Brad Hellen on bass and Mark Teixeira on drums. Robillard, Bears, and Teixeira each sing one vocal apiece, with guests Dave Howard, Julie Grant, Sunny Crownover, Chris Cole, Mark Cutler, and Klem Klimek, handling the remaining vocals. Duke himself observes he only sings one tune here as his voice has been giving him trouble. A variety of players add their instrumental talents to various tracks. This is a fun, wonderfully played recording with the liner booklets including Duke's comments on each song.

"Don't Bother Trying To Steal Her Love" opens this recording with Dave Holland ably handling the vocal. On this Duke channels Ike Turner a little in his rock and roll solo, Duke's only vocal is on the Gerry Goffin and Carole King penned "On This Side Of Goodbye," which he derives from an Eric Burdon recording. It is Baxter Hall doing the guitar rave-up. "Living With The Animals" was the title of an album by Mother Earth with Duke sounding like B.B. King backing Chris Cote's vocal. Duke's instrumental take on "Careless Love," that he opens focusing on the low strings with reverb and tremolo in Duane Eddy's style before moving to his own style with Bears taking a taut solo and the band striking a nice shuffle groove for all the swing dancers. Other instrumentals include his relaxed, trebly rendition of Arthur Alexander's"Soldier of Love," and the burn the town down cover of Link Wray's "Rawhide."

Arthur Alexander's "Everyday I Have To Cry Some" may be most familiar from Dusty Springfield's recording, but was also recorded by another British singer Julie Grant, who Duke met as a booking agent for Connecticut casinos and then discovered her history. She reprises her recording with Sunny Crownover adding her vocal here with terrific backing. Crownover does a marvelous job reworking Brenda Lee's hit, "Sweet Nothin's." Klem Klimek sounds like Levon Helm on Chuck Berry's "Dear Dad," on which one can almost imagine Duke doing a duck walk. Bruce Bears sings a nice rendition of Lee Dorsey's "Yes We Can" while Teixeira does the same on The Neville's "Yellow Moon." These are marvelously played covers of the New Orleans music classics.

A lovely, jazzy instrumental treatment of "You Belong to Me," brings this thoroughly engaging release to a close. I am sure I am not the only one who will have some 'ear worms' from the performances here.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the May-June 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 384) although I have made stylistic revisions. Here is a recent performance of Duke Robillard doing a Tom Waits song.

 

The Acoustic Blues & Roots Of Duke Robillard

Duke Robillard has been fairly prolific on recordings recently and Stony Plain has issued his latest, "The Acoustic Blues & Roots Of." One might be tempted to call this "Duke Unplugged," but the 18 selections cover a wide range of genres, not simply types of blues. Along with some of his regular partners in music, bassist Marty Ballou, pianist Matt McCabe and drummer Mark Teixeira there are guest appearances including vocalists Sunny Crownover and Maria Muldaur, guitarist and vocalist Mary Flower, pianist Jay McShann, harmonica wizard Jerry Portnoy and clarinetist Billy Novick. Along with Robillard originals there are songs from Stephen Foster, Jimmie Rodgers, Big Bill Broonzy, the Delmore Brothers, Tampa Red, John Estes, Hank Williams, Robert Lockwood Jr., and others.

Overdubbing allows him to showcase his mandolin on the brief "Old Kentucky Home," followed by his capturing a pre-war Chicago blues groove on Broonzy's "Big Bill Blues." "Left Handed," with Portnoy contributing the Sonny Boy Williamson I harp comes across as another Big Bill styled performance. Portnoy is also on the cover of Sleepy John Estes' "Someday Baby." There is a pretty straight rendition of "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water," while Novick's clarinet and Robillard's mandolin are heard on a nice"St. Louis Blues."

There are affable renditions of country tunes including Jimmie Rogers "Jimmie's Texas Blues," with a credible yodel"; a lovely duet with Mary Flower on the Delmore Brothers' "Nashville Blues"; and a cover of Hank Williams' waltz, "Let's Turn Back The Years." Sunny Crownover sings "Evangeline," covering a song associated with Emmylou Harris and The Band. With Novick on clarinet, Robillard sings some Tampa Red hokum on "What Is It That Tastes Like Gravy?" Most performances are short (Under 4 minutes), with the longest being a take on Robert Lockwood's "Take A Little Walk With Me," that has outstanding piano from McCabe. A treat is a duet with Jay McShann on the moody Meade Lux lewis composed instrumental "Profoundly Blue."

Robillard acquits himself as a vocalist and the playing is wonderful throughout resulting in an enjoyable change of pace from Duke's other recordings.

I received my review copy from Mark Pucci. Here is Duke Robillard jumping the blues.

Sunny Crownover Is Right Here Right Now

Boston based vocalist Sunny Crownover has come to attention of music listeners through several swing-oriented albums produced by Duke Robillard. Now Duke has recorded her first contemporary blues album, Right Here Right Now (Shining Stone Records). In one sense it should not be surprising that they have put together a straight blues recording as Duke first saw her performing with 2120 South Avenue, a Boston based blues band led by Harvard University professor Charles Sawyer. 

Duke on guitar anchors the backing band that includes the keyboards of Bruce Bears, Brad Hallen’s bass and Mark Teixera on drums and percussion. There is a horn section including Doug James present on several songs, while Sugar Ray Norcia’s harmonica enhances several tracks. Songwriter Gary Nicholson collaborated with Duke on a number of songs. There is a strong consistency to the performances throughout.

Having heard Sunny Crownowner more restrained approach from an earlier recording that featured her, I was struck from her opening vocal on the Memphis soul-based Oh Yes I Will! how much more of a presence she displayed singing on this. The material is quite varied and includes some Chicago-style blues with Norcia on harp and one more traditional jazz-blue with the clarinet of Billy Novick. Robillard’s jazzy guitar fills and solo with restrained backing frame her singing on Brenda Burns’ One Woman Man, as she sings “no more love for free, you gotta do some work before you get it from me.” In addition to her soulful vocal on Love Me Right, there is rollicking piano from Bears and strong harmonica from Norcia. Robillard’s trebly guitar, Norcia’s harp and the lazy groove lend a swampy feel to Robillard’s Roll Me Baby. 

Cook In Your Kitchen gets the groove rocking and rolling with Bears outstanding as he channels Johnny Johnson. The strutting horns on Warned take the blues uptown, whereas on Al Basile’s,I Might Just Change My Mind, the horns and buoyant rhythm section sound more in a jump blues vein. Billy Novick’s clarinet on Hi-Heels and Home Cookin’, lends a old-school jazz flavor behind her delightful vocal as she sings about about all that a lady needs to do to keep her man satisfied. Duke’s slide guitar channels Elmore James on Trust Your Lover while Norcia adds his fat tone harp playing while Sunny sings about having to let go of one’s suspicions and trust one’s lover so one doesn’t worry one’s mind. 

A swampy and soulful rendition of Joe Tiven’s Can’t Let Go, is the final selection on this excellent album. Sunny Crownover’s earlier recordings displayed talent and promise. On Right Here, Right Now, she has certainly arrived.

I received my review copy from a publicist.

Sunny Crownover and Her Joy Boys

Sunny Crownover is a Boston based vocalist that grew up[ as a military daughter, although spending much of her life from high school in Austin, Texas, honing her chops in various blues groups, and since moving to Boston sang with the 2120 South Michigan Avenue, a blues band led by Harvard professor Charles Sawyer. She becomes the axis around which guitarist Duke Robillard gets to put together a project to salute some of the women song stylists of the 30s to 50s. Duke added saxophonist and clarinetist Billy Novick, bassist Jesse Williams and rhythm guitarist Paul Kolesnikow to form Sunny and Her Joy Boys, with an album Introducing Sunny and Her Joy Boys on Stony Plain Records. 

With the exception of one track on which Duke plays conga drums, it is interesting that this swing-oriented album was made with a drummer, although the bass and rhythm guitar do provide a foundation for the engaging swinging performances. Sunny possesses an attractive voice with nice diction and phrasing. Although some of the material is more novel like the opening Strictly From Dixie, there are a number of well known standards of the era such as You’re Driving Me Crazy, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sing, Today I Sing the Blues, and Duke Ellington’s I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good).” The performances are enhanced by the swinging accompaniment and Novick’s traditionally oriented reed work is exemplary as are Robillard’s fills and solos. While having a very attractive voice, Sunny is not convincing as a bluesy ballad singer on Today I Sing the Blues, or I’ve Got It Bad, but her voice and delivery suits upbeat lyrics like Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams. 

For those looking for an engaging pop-jazz revival album of swing tunes from the classic era of American songs, this should fill the bill. 

This review originally appeared in the April 2009 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 325). I have made some minor edits to the review. Duke has produced a new album by Sunny Right Here, Right Now, on Shining Stone Records that I will be posting a review of in a day or two. This new album is in a straight blues vein. Here is a video that was made to promote Sunny and Her Joy Boys.