The tune you're listening to is "Slam Hammer" from Duke Robillard's "World Full of Blues" with "Sugar" Ray Norcia on Harmonica and yours trully pounding the ivories... Enjoy!

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Duke Robillard's Jumpin'Blues Review "Stomp The Blues Tonight" Stony Plain Debuts at #7 on the Billboard Blues Chart

Here's what people have been saying:

"It's no secret that Duke Robillard is one of the best -- if not the best -- jump blues players on the planet. And he's no slouch in a variety of other styles as well.

From the opening title track, a hard-swinging introduction to Robillard's free-and-easy lyrical style, and Johnny Guitar Watson's straight-up "Three Hours Past Midnight" to classic shouter Wynonie Harris' "Playful Baby" (with Robillard invoking Harris' warm, sandpaper vocals), it's all there. No matter what the song or setting, each guitar solo offers up a primer any guitarist should pay close attention to -- not because Robillard is a speed merchant but because he understands melody and rhythm. And, like many top-shelf guitar players, he's taken cues from the great saxophonists." Michael Lipton

"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." A review written for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange by Mark S. Tucker

"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

STONY PLAIN
DUKE ROBILLARD/Stomp! The Blues Tonight: "What's cool about Robillard's journey through the past on this tour de force of 40s jump blues that inspired him is that there?s nothing here that has been beaten to death by other people. With a bunch of characters around him from all facets of his career, a good time is had by all? Robillard really did go to the well for this baby. Hot stuff!"

Midwest Records.com
We had to post this great note we received recently concerning threadbear fynn's CD sneaky child:

Hey, Bruce, John and I met you at Di Luna's in Sandpoint last year. We encouraged you and Mark to buy a place in Cocolalla (where we live), remember? Anyways, we bought your "sneaky child" CD and I just wanted to let you know that ever since that evening we've pretty much worn it out! It's played most days, often many times. It's definitely, hands-down-and-without-a-doubt, John's favorite CD of all time. (Superceded, seasonally only, by the Bela Fleck & the Flecktones' brilliant new "Jingle All the Way" CD - check it out, if you haven't yet)

Best Wishes for the holiday,

Karen & "Neighbor" John

Touring and playing with blues and jazz master Duke Robillard , Mississippi bluesman "Big Jack" Johnson, uptown blues and soul queen of Boston Ms. Toni Lynn Washington and many others; and having worked in the past (and hopefully future) with gospel star Mavis Staples, masterful songwriter and soulful singer Martin Sexton and singer-songwriter Mark Erelli... Bruce's skills as a keyboardist and musician are as diverse as they are in demand.

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