Roomful of Blues

Roomful of Blues
Performing at the 2012 Rawa Blues Festival
Performing at the 2012 Rawa Blues Festival
Background information
OriginWesterly, Rhode Island, United States
Genres
Years active1967–present
LabelsAlligator, Bullseye Blues, Black Top, Varrick Records, Muse, Mango, Island
MembersRich Lataille
Chris Vachon
Phil Pemberton
John Turner
Chris Rivelli
Rusty Scott
Carl Gerhard
Alek Razdan
Websiteroomful.com

Roomful of Blues is an American jump blues and swing revival big band based in Rhode Island. With a recording career that spans over 50 years, they have toured worldwide and recorded many albums. Roomful of Blues, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, "Swagger, sway and swing with energy and precision".[1] Since 1967, the group’s blend of swing, rock and roll, jump blues, boogie-woogie and soul has earned it five Grammy Award nominations and many other accolades, including seven Blues Music Awards (with a victory as Blues Band Of The Year in 2005). Billboard called the band "a tour de force of horn-fried blues…Roomful is so tight and so right."[2] The Down Beat International Critics Poll has twice selected Roomful of Blues as Best Blues Band.

Roomful of Blues is currently an eight-piece unit led by guitarist Chris Vachon and featuring long-time tenor and alto sax player Rich Lataille. In 2010, singer Phil Pemberton took over the vocal duties, replacing Dave Howard. Recent members are trumpeter Carl Gerhard, bassist John Turner and drummer Chris Rivelli, joining long-time member baritone and tenor saxophonist Mark Earley. Keyboardist Travis Colby left the band at the end of 2012 to continue his music career in a different direction and Rusty Scott is now on keyboards. Over the years there have been at least 48 Roomful of Blues members.[3]

  1. ^ Wisser, Jeff. Chicago Sun-Times, March 23, 2003
  2. ^ Van Vleck, Phillip. Billboard, January 22, 2005
  3. ^ "Roomful of Blues : The Band". Archived from the original on March 31, 2009. Retrieved December 11, 2009.