NORFOLK –Roomful of Blues, the Rhode Island-based band hailed by DownBeat magazine as being “in a class by themselves,” will bring its mix of blues, jump, swing, boogie-woogie and soul to Infinity Hall in Norfolk on Friday, April 17, at 8 p.m.
The long-running group, formed in 1967, is touring behind its Alligator Records album Steppin’ Out!, released in late 2025.
“They kick out the jams and take us higher and higher, swinging and swaying with pulsing horns and pulsating guitars. Richly textured, raucous and rambunctious - we’re dancing from the first track to the last,” according to a review by Living Blues magazine.
Performing non-stop for 55 years, the band is led by master guitarist Chris Vachon, who has played with the band for three decades. “We always keep things fresh, and we keep the excitement level high,” says Vachon. “Playing this music is an immense amount of fun for us. And it’s just as much fun for our audience.”
Roomful of Blues has performed with B.B. King, Otis Rush, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, and Carlos Santana, garnered five Grammy nominations, received seven Blues Music awards, and was chosen Best Blues Band twice by the prestigious DownBeat International Critic’s Poll. The band has performed in 22 countries.
Since 1970, tenor and alto sax player Rich Lataille has led the band’s horn section. His playing can “evoke either the fat-toned, honking sax of the glory days of early rock or the cool elegance of big band swing jazz,” according to their liner notes. The band features a new keyboardist, Jeff Ceasrine, bassist Lou Bocciarelli, drummer Mike Coffey, baritone and tenor sax player Craig Thomas, and trumpeter Christopher Pratt.
Still breaking new ground after thousands of live shows and nineteen previous releases, the band’s album “Steppin’ Out!” marks another milestone. It is their first recording to feature a female lead vocalist, showcasing the sweet and soulful voice of D.D. Bastos. The late great Count Basie once called them the “hottest blues band I’ve ever heard.”
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