A Blue-Ribbon Blues Band

June 6, 2006

By JOSEF WOODARD
NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

As far as anyone can tell, Roomful of Blues was making its official Santa Barbara debut when it shook the joint, Saturday night-style, at Warren Hall. Records can get a little fuzzy, considering that only one of the band members, saxist Rich Lataille, is a true veteran, having spent 36 years in the band formed in 1967. Blues culture, too, tends to be less persnickety about historical book-keeping than other genres -- unless you have an organization like the Santa Barbara Blues Society around.

And, as it happens, the SBBS' roots go back to 1977, the same year the Roomful released the first of its twenty-or-so albums, up through their dynamic 2005 release "Standing Room Only." Suffice to say, whatever its gigging status in town, Roomful of Blues' show was a rousing success, inspiring a collective feeling of "where you have been all of our lives?"

The eight-piece Rhode Island-based band's tight, rocking and generous show also made for an interesting analogous connection with the hosting Blues Society. Just as the SBBS has taken care to present the genuine pioneers and veteran blues players, and thus help preserve the blues tradition, Roomful is an American treasure which partly sees its mission as torch-keepers of a proud musical culture. They dish out a good time, while delivering object lessons in musical culture.

As such, Saturday's show was a typical in that the band took care to take us on a blues tour of America, stopping at different styles and sub-styles under the blues rubric without ever getting didactic about it. They played Chicago blues, Kansas City style, and the music of T-Bone Walker and Junior Parker. Their ace horn section also was afforded plenty of room to shine, on jump blues workouts and instrumentals such as "Lester Leaps In," in a version more saloon-ish than jazz clubby.

Out of respect for the current focus on the great American city -- and spirit -- of New Orleans, the band also frequently "visited" the musical traditions of the Crescent City, as with the rollicking tune "Every Dog Has His Day."

Vocalist Mark DuFresne has the versatility to don different approaches in his singing, and is an amiable ringleader onstage. At one point, he told the crowd "I know you're ready for the satanic portion of our show," and counted off "Up Jumped the Devil."

Guitarist Chris Vachon, the bandleader by default, has been with the organization for 16 years, and nicely fills some big shoes. The band was founded by masterful guitarist Duke Robillard (another gifted student/practitioner of the blues), and respected guitarist Ronnie Earle filled that chair before Vachon. The current guitarist has chops and taste to spare, knowing when to play it cool, and when to wail.

Young pianist Travis Colby cooks up the requisite menu of blues-related styles, from boogie woogie to swing and more. He put out formidable keyboard energy on his vintage-sounding original tune "Jona Lee," heard on the band's new album.

Before heading out on another N'Orleans groove, the band put on some vintage garb for the jazzy sashay of saxist Mark Eerley's witty original "Flip Flap, Jack." Vocalist DuFresne broke out a special antique microphone for the occasion, lending some faux archival fuzz to his voice. It was another reminded of the myriad ways in which this band respects its tradition's elders and old school glories.

As was confirmed on Saturday, Roomful of Blues continues to carry forward as a passionate and studied blues outfit, playing with hearts informed by brains. Let's hope they know the way to Santa Barbara now.

Reprinted By Permission From The Author