Roomful of Blues

Roomful of Blues, according to DownBeat magazine, “are in a class by themselves.” On record and on stage, the band—first formed in 1967 and led by master guitarist Chris Vachon for over three decades—delivers a toe-tapping mix of jump, swing, blues and proto rock ‘n’ roll. USA Today says they play “high voltage, swinging jump blues and R&B.” With longtime tenor and alto sax player Rich Lataille leading the horn section since 1970, Roomful of Blues’ impeccable musicianship has earned them five GRAMMY Award nominations and seven Blues Music Awards. Twice, the prestigious DownBeat International Critics’ Poll has selected them as Best Blues Band. And now, even after 19 previous releases and thousands of live shows, Roomful of Blues, one of the premiere blues ensembles in the world, continue to break new ground.

With the new album, Steppin’ Out!, Roomful of Blues introduces the soulful, emotive, full-throated vocalist D.D. Bastos. With D.D., the band is celebrating an historic milestone. For the first time in their history, Roomful of Blues have recorded an album featuring a female vocalist. Bastos brings fresh, dynamic energy, passionately singing each song as if she’s lived them all, all the while honoring Roomful’s rich traditions and signature “little big-band” sound.

Produced by Vachon, Steppin’ Out! features 14 rollicking, house-rocking performances. Bastos’ and the musicians’ emotional connection to the material is palpable from the first note to the last. The album opens with the supercharged, guitar and horn-storming cover of Billy “The Kid” Emerson’s Satisfied. The track list includes timeless reinterpretations of mostly obscure songs originally recorded by legends including Big Mama Thornton (You Don’t Move Me No More), Big Maybelle (I’ve Got A Feeling and Tell Me Who), Etta James (Good Rocking Daddy), and Buddy & Ella Johnson (Why Don’t Cha Stop It). Jimmy McCracklin’s Steppin’ Up In Class, Tiny Bradshaw’s Well Oh Well, Z.Z. Hill’s You Were Wrong and Smiley Lewis’ Dirty People, like all the songs on the album, are unearthed treasures.

Bastos could not be more aware of the significance or more proud of this album. “I am so excited to be the first female singer to record with the band. They are such an amazing group of musicians, such a well-oiled machine. I am thrilled to ride this wave.”

And Vachon is a huge fan of Bastos, always happy to sing her praises, saying, “D.D. Bastos does everything right. She knows exactly what she’s doing and she’s very good at entertaining people too.”

The current lineup of Roomful of Blues features guitarist and bandleader Chris Vachon, who first joined in 1990 and has been leading the group since 1998. The band has maintained its instantly identifiable sound through great musicianship and a stellar horn section—featuring tenor and alto saxophonist Rich Lataille, who first joined in 1970. Lataille’s masterful 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. Along with Vachon, Lataille, and lead vocalist D.D. Bastos, Roomful of Blues features the talents of keyboardist Jeff Ceasrine, bassist John Turner, drummer Mike Coffey, baritone and tenor sax player Craig Thomas and trumpeter Christopher Pratt.

The original Roomful of Blues began in 1967 when a group of southern Rhode Island teenagers with a shared passion for the blues formed a straight-ahead Chicago-style electric blues band to explore the music of their Windy City heroes. In 1970, Rich Lataille joined Roomful while still in his teens and was one of the creators of what has become the most legendary horn section in contemporary blues. It was Rich’s interest in the swinging bands of the ’30s and ’40s that led Roomful to forge the distinctive sound that has become the band’s trademark. Roomful of Blues released their self-titled debut album in 1977 on Island Records (reissued on Hyena Records), which brought them to the attention of fans and critics around the world.

Recording for Rounder Records’ Bullseye Blues and Varrick labels between 1980 and 2001, Roomful of Blues cut nine albums that won them international fame and major rock radio airplay. They’ve gigged with stars ranging from bluesmen B.B. King, Otis Rush and Stevie Ray Vaughan to rockers Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana. The band has performed in cities from coast to coast, and traveled abroad to 22 countries including Lebanon, Poland, Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey and Russia. The New Yorker says the band brings “thunderous performances that get feet stomping and hands clapping.”

Since Roomful of Blues joined the Alligator Records family, their popularity continues to soar. Their first Alligator CD was the Grammy-nominated That’s Right! in 2003, followed by Standing Room Only in 2005, Raisin’ A Ruckus in 2008, Hook, Line & Sinker in 2010, 45 Live in 2013, In A Roomful Of Blues in 2020 and Steppin’ Out! in 2025.

Joyous and rambunctious, Roomful of Blues is a band built to deliver the goods night after night. Their winning combination of horn-driven jump, swing, blues, rock ‘n’ roll, R&B and soul remains their calling card, as does their ability to fill the dance floor. “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.” Now, with Bastos and her richly expressive, swaggering vocals leading the charge, the band is captivating audiences old and new everywhere they perform. With Steppin’ Out!, Roomful of Blues remain a defining musical force in the blues world, with their sound rooted in tradition, but their sights reaching far into the future.