Search - Duke Robillard :: Living With the Blues

Roomful of Blues founding guitarist Duke Robillard initially signed to Canadian label Stony Plain with the intention of playing more straightforward music, to stick to the blues, instead of the musical mélange that had long been his specialty. But his 2002 outing for the label, Living with the Blues, shows that when Robillard immerses himself in a genre, he still can't help exploring that genre's stylistic variety. This album includes everything from the Freddie King tune "Use What You Got," performed with a taut intensity reminiscent of Muddy Waters, to a delta-inflected Tampa Red song, "Hard Road," to the funk-edged "Goodtime Charlie." Robillard has been highly praised in blues circles for many years, especially after embarking on his solo career in 1990. He performs all the above with the apparent ease that mastery allows. While Living with the Blues is often determinedly low-key, Robillard's enthusiasm and imagination shine through with a soft, consistent glow. --Genevieve Williams