Review: Roomful of Blues 'Steppin' Out'

Review: Roomful of Blues ‘Steppin’ Out’

By Jim Hynes

Roomful of Blues is an institution, the blues genre’s equivalent to the Count Basie Band and Duke Ellington Orchestra. Roomful is much smaller, comprising only an octet, yet considering its longevity of 58 years, the comparison holds. Basie and Ellington’s bands had a tenure of 50 years under each’s leadership. Granted, Roomful continues without an original member, although saxophonist Rich Lataille has been aboard since 1970. However, we now have a new development. For the first time, a female vocalist fronts Roomful of Blues, the gifted and powerful DD Bastos. While Ellington and Basie had both male and female lead vocalists, Roomful now can claim the same with their twentieth album, Steppin’ Out.

Guitarist Chris Vachon has been leading Roomful of Blues for over three decades, delivering their signature blend of jump, swing, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll, while garnering multiple awards along the way. Bastos is a blast of fresh energy. While she is a new name to most, she has been a fixture in New England as the Choral Director in the New Bedford, MA public school system for over two decades, and has been leading her own band, D.D. & The Road Kings. At some point, she fell into the fraternity that included Duke Robillard (founder of Roomful), Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters, and splinter groups who have branched off from those New England bands.

A band that runs this long has a cast of revolving members. The current lineup, beyond those mentioned, is: John Turner (upright and electric bass), Jeff Ceasrine (piano and organ), Mike Coffey (drums), Craig Thomas (baritone and tenor sax), and Christopher Pratt (trumpet).

The generous repertoire of 14 songs doesn’t allow for much stretching out, as all are in the three-minute range. Most are obscure tunes, but we do see writers such as Z.Z. Hill, Don Robey, Big Mama Thornton, Albert Collins, and Smiley Lewis. Yet, even the more obscure tunes are associated with great singers. Big Maybelle sang “I’ve Got a Feeling” and “Tell Me Who” while Etta James sang ”Good Rockin’ Daddy.” That may suggest a track list geared toward Bastos, but other tunes were originally rendered by the likes of Hill, Jimmy McCracklin, Tiny Bradshaw, and Smiley Lewis.

Bastos and Roomful blast out with the guitar-fueled “Satisfied” from Billy “The Kid” Emerson, with the only riveting solo owing to Vachon’s blistering guitar. The three horns play mostly in unison throughout, with economical turns as they trade off with Vachon’s expressive guitar. Hill’s “You Were Wrong,” which, like all the material, has Bastos in a commanding presence. She improvises some verses in “Steppin’ Up In Class,” a vintage 40s-50s R&B tune. “Slippin’ and Slidin’,” which was penned by Albert Collins and Little Richard along with two others, is one of the most familiar tunes in this set, a feature for pianist Ceasrine. It’s not until the fifth track, Wilbert Smith’s “Please Don’t Leave,” that the tempo eases somewhat. Bastos unleashes her powerful pipes, and the band sinks into some deep blues.

You’ll likely find similarities to the big hit for Elvis Presley, “You’re Nothing But a Hound Dog,” in Big Mama Thornton’s “You Don’t Move Me No More.” Yes, Thornton penned both. Standout “Good Rockin’ Daddy” swings to the point where you may just irresistibly start dancing alone. Thomas’ baritone sax commands the low end, and Lataille steps up as well. Surprisingly, Roomful delivers a quasi-ballad, Fats Domino style, with “Tend to Your Business,” a great feature for trumpeter Pratt as well as crisp, bluesy guitar from Vachon. Arguably, Roomful’s greatest strength is in jump blues, rendering Buddy Johnson’s “Why Don’t Cha Stop It,” a ‘30s tune as a prime example, and a feature for both saxophonists.

Smiley Lewis’ “Dirty People” takes us back to the early days of ‘50s R&B with Ceasrine and Vachon delivering the tight solos. Roomful concludes the party energetically with “Boogie’s The Thing,” writer unknown. The album just bristles with remarkably tight playing and unbounded energy and enthusiasm. Bastos sparks a fire that burns brightly throughout the entire set.

“You Were Wrong”