New blood

The fresh faces of Roomful of Blues

by Michael Caito

Roomful of Blues

"We didn't have a hell of a lot of time to regroup," Roomful of Blues guitarist Chris Vachon explained on the telephone from somewhere in America's Corn Belt. "Two people dropped out at the same time, then a little bit later a few others dropped out."

Overall, Roomful's new There Goes the Neighborhood (Bullseye Blues & Jazz) finds five new faces among the storied band's nine-piece lineup. With a slender slice of time set aside for recording with co-producer Phil Greene at Normandy, not to mention the recent departure of several heavyweight members including frontman / writer Ray Norcia, bad timing could have realistically proven fatal for a band which started 30 years ago.

Prodded by Greene to explore the possibility of bringing veteran Providence-based singer McKinley "Mac" Odom into the mix, there were pros and cons inherent to the remaining players' search. One problem was the calendar -- tours were already booked and studio time assigned. On the plus side, they had a list of talented players like Odom with whom they'd worked and even toured over the years -- folks familiar with the band's history of encompassing numerous facets of the blues, R&B and jump-blues diadems. Not to mention having advance knowledge of the band's road rigors.

"I worked a little with Mac at his house on material for the show," Vachon continued, "and right after that we did one rehearsal with the rest of the new guys and went right out [on the road]. They were at the top of the list and they worked out. We were lucky."

From jump, as it were, the new lineup prove it on record. The first track and first single, Odom's "Backseat Blues," is a randy tune that puts the "lay" back in Chevrolet, and they roll from there, with the variegated pizzazz that has been the band's forte for three decades. "Aim the beat at their feet" has long been a Roomful mantra, and armed (legged?) with vintage material from the likes of Ellington ("Rocks In My Bed") through the closing number (Memphis Slim's entirely apt "The Comeback"), the band are in fine form, led by the soulful work of Odom, who adds a lot. "They already have" was Vachon's response to a question about whether fans would question the replacement of the immensely popular and likable singer/harmonica player/songwriter Norcia. "We've gotten a good response with Mac," he continued, "and had very few people say anything adverse at all."

Odom is no musical neophyte, nor are the other newcomers to the lineup. The vocalist, a Jersey native, started hitting the Apollo Theatre at age eight with his prescient parents, and soon after his driver's license arrived he was playing professionally, moving from Canada to Florida, where he releases two records for Funky and Tough on TK Records. Later he worked in Boston's Skyline, but it was only in the '90s that his bass-centered session work was augmented by vocals. Sure don't sound that way.

Other new faces include Voluntown, CT's Steve Kostakes on piano, veteran of the Debbie Davies Band, and bassist Greg Silva, an Ocean State native who worked with James Montgomery, Motor City Rhythm Kings, Chris McDermott and Boston Baked Blues. While Kostakes and Silva both joined after the recording of There Goes the Neighborhood, Vachon described the band's recent tour through Canada and western Europe as "typical, and good," not making it sound like faint praise for the veterans or the other newcomers (trombonist John Wolf, tenor/bari player Kevin May). It's the road, and the road's a bitch when a "light" year means only 200 gigs.

"We haven't been home for most of the summer," the soft-spoken guitarist said. "That takes a toll on your home life. But Istill think it's worth having the band that we have. It's a lotta mouths to feed, but Ireally like it."

And there are ample magical moments to ward of homesickness . . . besides those happening when nine veterans lock in and just know they've nailed it. "It's pretty amazing," Vachon -- guitarist, co-producer and organizer -- laughed quietly. "A lot of people in Europe have the whole catalog of Roomful, and come up and ask us to sign records. It's surprising that some of them know more about the band than I know. Overall, Europeans seem interested in blues and swing, and people definitely turn out for it."

Oooh, that "s" word surfaces, just as latter-day Cab Calloway enthusiasts pour out of the woodwork. A working blues musician's comments on swing and jump-blues may shed a little light.

"They call it West Coast swing and East Coast swing," Vachon says before leaving the hotel for another festival. "But I really don't see that much difference. Kansas City is known for [jump-blues]. To be honest, I haven't seen that many bands doing it. Maybe there are more now. It usually requires a larger band, and there really aren't that many big bands out there. We've been one of the few able to sustain ourselves as a large band."

So no one's keeping a watchful eye on the neo-swing movement?

"Not really. There was some mention of it last year, but I haven't really listened to any of it. Maybe in the beginning of this band there might have been a lot of swing, but we've always mixed it up with blues. To be honest, for us to try to jump on any kind of bandwagon isn't gonna happen. Look at the reality of where we are. With new guys in the band recording new material, we're gonna pick the songs we like and do it the way we did it. Other than jeans commercials, I haven't followed the whole thing."

Roomful headline Warwick Musical Theater next Saturday (8/15) with Steve Smith & the Nakeds, and play the Spring House on Block Island on Sunday, August 16.

Freak Show: Live at Lupo's 7/31: Best keep a close watch on these guys, as years of practice and vocal interplay between Jay Reddington and Mike Hamel continues to make leaps and strides and confidence waxes. It's a beautiful thing to hear the dynamic shift in their vocals, and the Freak's heavy, minor-chord dominated sound has always packed a good wallop -- even with reduced occasion of Reddington's Rollins-esque screams. Besides, they just became the best band in the Head Chunk Records arsenal, inked to a deal which sees the Dave-Deschenes-run label release their next single. Deschenes, longtime Holy Cow bassist, will find a coupla old hearties in New Bedford August 15 in a CD release party for A Stove Boat at the New Wave Café. On the bill: Thick Records' Season to Risk and Heart Hangs Soul, a newish trio featuring Baylies Band's Eric Baylies. Eric's "side project," Heart Hangs Soul recently released an eight-song cassette. This marks a return of sorts, as Baylies recently took time off to help two members of his immediate family battle cancer and he went back to school. Also on the bill: Joy Division tribute band Day of the Lords, who include former Cow frontman Chris Means. A Stove Boat also features Holy Cow / Glazed Baby alum Dale Cunningham, one of the fiercest drummers you'll ever hear. They'll hit the road, with four September shows with Six Finger Satellite, whose latest, the 66-minute Law of Ruins (Sub Pop) is out Tuesday. "Whole lotta [guitarist/synth player John] MacLean," Jay Ryan muttered cryptically last week before vanishing into the dark and stormy night. Six Finger hit the Middle East August 22, no Providence dates at the moment.

We'd review the Itchies show properly except we're outta room; suffice it to say openers Double Nuthins proved it was no fluke at the Living Room a few weeks ago when they tore it up. Jesso at the helm for Itchies vocal duties was better than expected, and their rockabilly / trash / garage thang works. Meanwhile, Itchies guitarist Brian Dardeen and drummer Jen Yakes are in a side project called the Poor Kids, playing at the end of August with the new Dennis Kelly / Theo Regan outfit the Pull Tabs. Bring your boss, drink some fuel. Shows in brief: Pataphysics with JT and chums at AS220 Saturday, Clarence Clemons hits the Mist same night. Three words: Newport Folk -- go.

Nomar rules.