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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZROOMFUL of BLUESA big blues band based in Providence RI, formed in 1967 by pianist Al Copley and guitarist Duke Robillard, and still making waves over 30 years later. The lineup in the late 1980s was Greg Piccolo, vocals, tenor sax (b 10 May 1951, Westerly RI); Rich Lataille, alto and tenor sax (b 29 October 1952, Westerly); Doug James, baritone (b 21 August 1953, Turlock CA); Porky Cohen, trombone (b 2 June 1924, Springfield MA); Bob Enos, trumpet and vocals (b 4 July 1947, Boston MA); Ronnie Earl, guitar (b 10 March 1953, NYC); Paul Tomasello, bass and vocals (b 17 November 1951, Boston); John Rossi, drums (b 13 November 1942, Providence); Junior Brantley, keyboards (b Carthage MS). They had broken up briefly in 1970, re-formed with Piccolo and Lataille; Rossi replaced Frannie Christina (who went to the Fabulous Thunderbirds) and James joined '71. They gigged with Sil Austin, Red Prysock, Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson, B. B. King, Maria Muldaur '73 (gave her 'It Ain't The Meat'), played the Ann Arbor Blues Festival, first long residencies at Brandy's in Boston, Knickerbocker Cafe in Westerly. First gigs with Count Basie were in '74; he paid them high compliments and came to see them whenever possible; their 'swing era' began as they met critics Helen and Stanley Dance, who introduced them to Helen Humes, who came out of retirement to sing with them. They played the Roseland ballroom with Basie in '77. Doc Pomus helped get a record deal: first LP was Roomful Of Blues on Island. They opened for Professor Longhair '78 at the New Orleans Jazz Festival; released album Let's Have A Party '79 on Antilles; Robillard left (see his entry); Earl and Cohen joined: Cohen had played with Tony Pastor '42, then Charlie Barnet, Casa Loma Band, Boyd Raeburn, Lucky Millinder (including a tour of South as one of three white sidemen), also Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw '49-50, with Max Kaminsky, Bob Wilber, etc; played dixieland in Providence '55-79: after joining Roomful he played in almost every state in the Union. Lou Ann Barton sang with Roomful '79-80, then Piccolo took over the vocals. The band backed Lou Rawls on a track for his Shades Of Blue '81; their own Hot Little Mama that year on Blue Flame was voted among the top ten blues albums in the W.C. Handy Awards. They brought Roy Brown to the East Coast for a tour; Enos joined; the first national tours began; they played the San Francisco Bread and Roses Festival '82 with Etta James and Tracy Nelson and club gigs with Jimmy McCracklin, Cleanhead, Big Joe Turner led to LPs Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson And Roomful Of Blues '82, Blues Train '83 with Turner (and guest Mac Rebennack) '83, both on Muse; the Turner LP was nominated for a Grammy '84, named among top LPs in the Handy Awards. Keith Dunn was hired to sing as Piccolo had throat surgery, replaced by Curtis Salgado (played on first Robert Cray LP); bassist Randy Simmons replaced Preston Hubbard (who went to the Thunderbirds); Copley was replaced by Ron Levy, who also played organ and sang. LP Dressed Up To Get Messed Up was on Rounder's Varrick subsidiary. In Texas in 1985 Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top followed the band and gave Earl a custom-made guitar. |