ROOMFUL OF BLUES

Raisin’ A Ruckus

Alligator ALCD 4919

By Tim Holek

Anyone who has listened to a Roomful of Blues CD knows that their music is hard to classify. That doesn’t matter to the band’s members. All they are concerned with is whether it sounds good, whether you can dance to it, and whether you can feel it. With suave horns that swing off the big band dancehall floors of the ’30s and ’40s, Raisin’ A Ruckus is one of Roomful’s most swinging CDs. Since 1967, the multiple award-winning group’s combination of swing, rock ‘n’ roll, jump, blues, and soul has earned it just praise. Forty-six band members have come and gone since then without a negative impact on the band’s exciting music.

            This disc features a new bass player and a new drummer, but the most obvious newcomer is singer Dave Howard who replaces Mark DuFresne. Howard hails from Rhode Island, the band’s home state, and his expressive voice contains a hint of Louis Armstrong. Listen as Howard reveals a state of feeling disturbed on Black Night then uses his voice as the band’s fourth horn on Talkin’ To You Eye To Eye.  

            The chosen covers are vintage blues and R&B tunes. You’ll swear someone has just put on one of your parents records from the 1950s when you hear their nostalgic version of Big Mamou, the R&B hit by New Orleans artist Smiley Lewis. The Crescent City connection continues on the often covered New Orleans and Eddie Bo’s Every Dog Has Its Day, which contains as much fun as a summer beach party. Boogie Woogie Country Girl is loaded with exhausting boogie woogie piano. The song’s legendary writer, Doc Pomus, helped land the band their first record deal in the ’70s.

             Five band members prove they are capable of writing enticing songs that mesh perfectly with the band’s extensive repertoire. Each of the eight original songs is a flashback to the big band era (e.g. In The Mood) that influenced Roomful. On Talkin’ To You Eye To Eye, the three-piece brass section trade licks like guitars do in guitar driven bands. The infectious horn arrangement of Solid Jam will remain etched in your memory. Horns as lively as a New Orleans street funeral procession appear on saxophonist Rich Lataille’s instrumental title track. The song, which depicts Lataille’s big band and jazz roots, is one of the highlights of the CD. In fact, it should be included on the soundtrack of the next ’30s and ’40s gangster film to come out of Hollywood.

            The rhythms of all 14 songs are so exhilarating that most of the light-hearted lyrics get lost or overshadowed. Life Has Been Good stands out as its lyrics are emotionally heavy and quite touching. It is about expressing true feelings toward your spouse and thanking them for making life so wonderful.   

            The CD’s strength, and in fact the group’s greatest asset, is how well the band performs as a cohesive unit. Throughout, the horns hop, the keyboards sway, the vocals enthuse, the guitar rocks, and the band jumps. This record swings more than a number three wood on a golf course. You must experience it for yourself. Put this record on and watch as your house transforms into a building made of horns.   

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