Money's Getting Cheaper by The Duke Robillard Band

Stomp! The Blues Tonight - The Duke Robillard Band

Credited to Duke Robillard's Jumpin' Blues Revue, "Stomp! The Blues Tonight" is a lively, high-energy collection of rhythm-infused blues and R&B, not dissimilar to what Robillard used to perform with Roomful of Blues back in the day. The disc opens with the guitarist's original title track, a performance so stylistically spot-on that none but the expert (or the hardcore fan) could carbon-date the sucker any decade later than the 1950s. With a raucous, ramped-up opening and swinging horns, Robillard's hepcat vocals and fine guitar tone are matched by the horn section's timely blasts of cold air. A cover of blues legend Lowell Fulson's "Do Me Right" is elegant and well-dressed courtesy of the deep groove provided by Robillard's jazzy fretwork, which itself is accompanied by Doug James' honkin' sax and Bruce Bears' filigree pianowork.

- Reverend Keith A. Gordon, About.com

Robillard has assembled a top notch rhythm section (Marty Ballou and Jon Ross on bass, Mark Teixeira on drums) and a set list that includes a perfect blend of cover tunes and originals. The band provides excellent support (Bruce Bears' piano is a highlight) throughout. Any new Duke Robillard release is a guaranteed pleasure from start to finish, and "Stomp! The Blues Tonight" ranks up there with his best recordings.

- Graham Clarke

Instrumental contributions are uniformly excellent. Duke's own knowledge is encyclopedic, and the supporting cast is as good as it gets. Bruce Bears sparkles on piano, Doug "Mr. Low" James contributes baritone and tenor sax, fellow Roomful alumnus Rich Lataille adds tenor and alto and Al Basile contributes cornet... as a cohesive collection covering all the bases, Stomp! The Blues Tonight is sheer delight.

Be sure to catch Duke's dizzying whammy bar antics on Ike Turner's "Tore Up" "Stomp The Blues Tonight should easily garner votes as the best dance recording of the year and it wouldn't come as a surprise if it took home a few more honors at next year's Blues Music Awards. A hands-down winner on all counts.

- Craig Ruskey

Robillard outdoes himself everywhere here. The Stony Plain label features heavyweights (Ian Tyson, Ronnie Earl, Jeff Healey, etc.) but Robillard is becoming their flagship, squaring most of the corners of what this label is about. At various times during the rave instrumentals (Frankie and Johnny, for one) and honkin' horn sessions, I expected Wolfman Jack to start howling. As Robillard states, this is a return to roots, not just the genre's but his own, when he started up the Roomful of Blues gig exactly through a love for what's so exquisitely showcased here. 'Jumpin' Blues Revue' is the perfect sobriquet, as the 10 players swing their brains out in a slinkwalkin', hipswayin', buttshakin' menu that's damn near concert length. And, boy, running through the tri-fold CD package, am I ever glad such product is turning the way it is, finally reflecting gatefold LP releases and all the glorious notes, photos and artwork. Thus, all in all, we have one hell of a package here.

- Mark S. Tucker (for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange)

Duke Robillard's long and amazingly fruitful relationship with Stony Plain Records has produced some astonishing music - and his latest for the label adds horns and digs deep into the riotous, raunchy, rockin' '40s and '50s R&B that helped launch rock and roll. One of the most versatile and accomplished guitarists playing today, Robillard has always been fascinated by the roots of American popular music - and he's tackled everything from blues to the classic American songbook to jazz guitar duets, rock-influenced trios, small and big band swing recordings. Stomp! The Blues Tonight is certainly different from anything else Robillard has recorded for the Edmonton, Alberta-based label. Adding a strong horn section on many of the tracks - anchored by long-term colleagues Doug James on baritone and tenor, and Rich Lataille on tenor and alto - makes sure that tunes like "Stomp the Blues Tonight", "Do Me Right", "Look and Don't Touch", "Tore Up" and "Playful Baby" roar out of your speakers. A rock solid rhythm section, and Bruce Bears' inspired piano playing gives the tunes the lift they need.

- Amazon.com