Back in 2005,
Duke Robillard
conceived a maximalist studio album based on jump, Chicago blues, and NOLA-styled R&B. Given commitments to appear alongside
Ronnie Earl
on
The Duke Meets the Earl
and to participate in the
New Guitar Summit
sessions with
J. Geils
and
Gerry Beaudoin
, he abandoned work on the date, but never forgot about the album.
Robillard
's
Roll with Me
is his 37th album and his final one on Canada's
Stony Plain
. His rhythm section includes pianist
Matt McCabe
, bassists
Marty Ballou
Brad Hallen
(the latter appears on two tracks), and drummer
Mark Teixeira
. The horn section includes baritone and tenor saxophonist
Doug James
Rich Lataille
on alto and tenor;
Doug Woolverton
plays trumpet,
Al Basile
plays cornet, and
Pam Murray
Carl Querfurth
play trombones. Guests include harmonicist
Sugar Ray Norcia
on a track and vocalist
Chris Cote
on two. The program consists of four
originals and eight covers of classic R&B and blues tunes associated with
Fats Domino
,
Gatemouth Brown
Big Joe Turner
Howling Wolf
, and
Muddy Waters
.
The set opens with
Eddie Boyd
's "Blue Coat Man," a familiar title in
's live repertoire. Here it swings hard with horns and a smoking piano interacting freely with chunky chord shapes and single-string runs. Single "Just Kiss Me" is a sultry walking blues with glorious turnarounds, finger-popping horns, and a scorching six-string solo.
's "Are You Going My Way" sounds more like an homage to
Professor Longhair
here.
Murray
shines on a reading of
's blues stroller "I Know You Love Me." It and "My Plea" date back to
's illustrious first band,
Roomful of Blues
, and offer
's most soulful singing on the date. He delivers another nugget from
Turner
's songbook, the
Doc Pomus
-composed "Boogie Woogie Country Girl." The guitarist pays righteous homage to
Clarence Gatemouth Brown
's swinging Texas jazz-blues on the set's lone instrumental, "Boogie Uproar," as well as "You Got Money" with vocals by
Cote
.
's slow Chicago-style blues titled ¿Give Me Back My Money¿ recalls the '60s scene of
Otis Rush
Magic Sam
, and others. Over six minutes in length it's the set's longest cut and offers a killer showcase for
's trombone and several meaty solos by the guitarist. The closing track "Don't You Want to Roll with Me" also harkens back to the
era and was originally recorded as a B-side. Led by
McCabe
and the rhythm section, it's a bouncy Chicago blues with driving horns, biting guitar fills, and a raucous vocal.
In sum,
fans can be grateful that he waited nearly two decades to finish this album. While his playing sound and style are still instantly recognizable, his arranging, composing, and production skills have matured to a far higher level. As a result,
is a true highpoint in
's vast catalog. And while this is his final outing from
, he isn't retiring and will continue touring and recording for the foreseeable future. ~ Thom Jurek