Guitar great Duke Robillard—a founding member of Roomful of Blues and a former Fabulous Thunderbirds guitarist—has announced a new album, Duke Robillard & His Dames of Rhythm. The disc will be released October 13 via M.C. Records.
The album is an eclectic collection of jazz/swing tunes from the Twenties and Thirties.
Best of all, Robillard invited some swinging and sultry ladies to the party, including Maria Muldaur, Catherine Russell, Kelley Hunt, Sunny Crownover, Elizabeth McGovern (yes, that Elizabeth McGovern—the one from Downton Abbey) and Madeleine Peyroux.
"This recording marks a serious bucket list dream come true for me," says Robillard, whose distinctive and elastic lead lines have been paired with Bob Dylan, Herb Ellis, Big Joe Turner, Kim Wilson, Jay Geils and John Hammond, to name just a few.
"When M.C. Records owner Mark Carpentieri and I started talking about doing an album, we tossed around quite a few concepts and finally decided on a plan that put me with my rhythm section and a fabulous horn section, with me playing acoustic archtop guitar. The concept was to have several guest female vocalists joining me on a collection of tunes from the Twenties and Thirties.
"I've always loved this period in music and wanted to dig deep into Tin Pan Alley and the American songbook for tunes that weren't too overdone in recent years. Also I wanted the material to be simple, swinging and bluesy."
Speaking of which, be sure to check out Robillard's "swinging and bluesy" rendition of "Walkin' Stick" below. It's one of the few tracks on the album that features Robillard on vocals.
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You can find the album's complete track listing—plus Robillard's upcoming tour dates—below. For more information, visit dukerobillard.com.
Duke Robillard & His Dames of RhythmTrack List 1. "From Monday On," Featuring Sunny Crownover 2. "Gotthe South in My Soul," Featuring Maria Muldaur 3. "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone," Featuring Kelley Hunt 4. "Squeeze Me," Featuring Madeleine Peyroux 5. "Walkin' Stick" 6. "Blues in My Heart," Featuring Catherine Russell 7. "Lotus Blossum," Featuring Kelley Hunt 8. "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," Featuring Sunny Crownover 9. "What's the Reason (I'm Not Pleasing You)" 10. "Me, Myself and I," Featuring Elizabeth McGovern 11. "Easy Living," Featuring Madeleine Peyroux 12. "Was That the Human Thingto Do," Featuring Maria Muldaur 13. "If I Could Bewith You (One Hour Tonight)," Featuring Kelley Hunt 14. "Readyforthe River" 15. "Call of the Freaks"
Selected Duke Robillard Tour Dates 09/23/2017 - Courthouse Center for the Art - West Kingston, RI –Duke Robillard Band, Sunny Crownover and Billy Novick 09/28/2017 - The Bull Mansion - Worcester, MA -Duke Robillard Band, Sunny Crownover and Billy Novick 10/12/2017 - Cabaret-Théatre du Vieux St-Jean - St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qc Canada 10/13/2017 - Cabaret BMO - Ste-Thérèse, Qc Canada 10/14/2017 - Grand Théatre de Québec, Quebec City, Qc Canada 10/19-2017- 10/28 – Tour of Northern Europe 11/25/2017 - POP Gallery and Museum of Pop Culture - Providence, RI - performance by the Swing version w/ special guests vocalist Sunny Crownover & Billy Novick 12/08/2017 - The Turning Point - Piermont NY
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
