Shufflin' sounds

Roomful of Blues play musical chairs

by Michael Caito

Al Copley

When Roomful of Blues gather to record within the hallowed chambers of Normandy Sound at month's end, they'll be coming off one of the most chronologically-concentrated lineup changes in their storied history. You knew several weeks ago that singer/harmonica player Sugar Ray Norcia and trombonist/producer Carl Querfurth left, with some maintaining that Ray was looking to reclaim the magic conjured up by his former band the Bluetones. (Of course, that would be difficult at the moment since some of them now tour with Ronnie Earl as Broadcasters.)

But personnel changes kept a-coming as veteran bari saxist Doug James subsequently gave his notice, with pianist Matt McCabe already having ceased touring by summer's end due to health woes. Thankfully, according to longtime Roomful spokesman Bob Bell, McCabe's health has since rebounded, and though they've not yet officially tabbed the keyboardist's replacement, James' spot in the Roomful horns has been claimed by Kevin May. May's strengths lie in both the tenor and baritone sax realms, quoth Bell, and indeed this marks a bit of a homecoming for the Wichita native May, who toured briefly with Roomful in '94 when they were on the road with Colin James. Fans get their first crack at hearing the new lineup post-Normandy on February 15 at the Doubletree on Goat Island, and then (surprise!) Roomful hit the road again.

But this week, coincidentally or not, marks the arrival of two Roomful co-founders:Duke Robillard, whose band headlines at Chan's on Saturday, and pianist Al Copley, jetting in from his Swiss home on a mini-tour opening for B.B. and Lucilleon Friday at the Heartbreak Hotel.

Al Copley's family moved to Westerly when he was in first grade, and by high school he'd already hooked up with Greg Piccolo in The Groupe, which Piccolo began after splitting away from Robillard in the Variations. Copley and drummer Chuck Riggs subsequently irked Piccolo by jamming with Duke during an afternoon gig (then reserved for amateurs) at Newport Folk. The year was 1967, bassist Larry Peduzzi rounded out this new band -- dubbed A Roomful of Blues -- and shortly afterwards Riggs left, replaced by Fran Christina.

OK, so where's this going? To the Netherlands, where, 25 years later, the paths of Robillard, Copley and Fabulous Thunderbirds Christina, Kim Wilson and Preston Hubbard crossed in the wee, wee hours, the only time when none of them were supposed to be on a stage somewhere. What took place was released as Al Copley &the T-Birds' Good Understanding, a one-off overnighter of a session recently reissued by Bullseye Blues. A T-Bird at the time, Robillard and his frighteningly tasteful guitar are found in perfect synch, issuing wave after wave of lush blues tone poems around the fluid harpwork of Kim Wilson and Copley's playful and sure-handed ivory work. Any band in search of swing would do well to absorb the effortless phrasing of the several masters herein, whether it's through the suppleness of the Hubbard/Christina bottom end or, well, anywhere else on Good Understanding. It's an almost too-perfect milieu -- a posse of acknowledged blueshounds in an impromptu summit laying tracks at five in the morning. (Kudos to Bell as well, whose articulate liner notes pinpoint the genesis of the Austin-Providence blues pipeline -- like the time Jimmie Vaughan's little bro' was asked onstage during the traditional Roomful Thanksgiving blowout in Westerly, or the first Roomful/T-Birds encounter in Cambridge.) You can almost hear the between-take reminiscing about some back-in-the-day Bud-fueled Knickerbocker nights on Good Understanding, yet the vibe is never musty or stolid, and hits as quickly as a winter morning chill, predictably so given the caliber of the players and the songwriting panache of Copley, whose compositions comprise five of these nine tracks. Some uptempo, some slinky-sleek, leads expertly distributed with the grace of that pass Gretzky feathered through to Messier to win the All-Star Game Sunday. Yeah, it would take a very large tome to chronicle the full saga of what these players' players have done for the rep of our tiny, weird little state, through their culling of musical inspiration from Chicago to Kansas City to New Orleans (to Westerly to Lupo's). If you're searching for an opening chapter starting in media res, this reissue will provide, all punning aside, a good understanding.

Al Copley opens for B.B.Friday; Duke hits Chan's Saturday.

BLUE SUEDE BLUES. Though latter-day punkabilly sideburners will be swingin' and flingin' with the Amazing Royal Crowns at the Met Cafe all weekend (Pegboy and area mashers Double Nuthins open in an enticing Friday lineup), if it's thoroughness and old-school veracity you crave in your bedrock musical idioms you may wanna witness Jack Smith andthe Rockabilly Planet Saturday at the Call. I'm guessing it'll be as close to a wake as this Planet can throw for a worthy music hero while still maintaining the feistiness of the man who, in this odious columnist's opinion, kicked Presley's pale ass on the hipness scale on a fairly regular basis. With all due respect.

Viva Carl Perkins.

Meanwhile, Les Savy Fav have made inroads in N'Yawk (where the N'Yawker magazine deems them "locals") and Highway Strippers downstroke like mofungo's in advance of their soon-out debut vinyl on Saturday at the Safari. Cost:end view of pipe.

Huge rack:promised recorded reviews next week, but in the interim ears open for these: Grüvis Malt celebrate their EP release at the Mist Friday; we're hoping the dancers from Prospectors on a Mission (POAM) again join forces with Grüvis by the shoreline. Century Lounge boasts a slick triple dip with the swagger 'n' stagger of Mother Jefferson, the angry foam of Ether and the hairpin-curve pop of Fly Seville tonight (1/24); Delta Clutch offer songs from their quality Hard Luck Machine (Blackberry) Saturday with the ever-improving Alley Sway opening, and heads up for VMajestic/Amoebic Ensemble plus Tennessee's quirk express, the Hosemobile, on February 4. VMajestic and Medicine Ball have been invited to April's Terrastock II fest in Frisco; congrats to both bands on the callback; here's to hosting Terrastock Trois.