Woonsocket's Duke Robillard Returns to Chan's

Woonsocket's own Duke Robillard, an award-winning blues guitarist will be performing at Chan's this Friday, with the new Duke Robillard Band.

His latest CD, "Low Down and Tore Up," has Robillard taking hard rocking songs from the forties and fifties and refitting them with screaming tenor sax solos, guitar solos that shake the walls and gut bucket vocals.

It's no surprise that Robillard has earned four "Guitarist of the Year Awards" from the Blues Foundation and was chosen "Traditional Male Blues Artist" earlier this year. He also recieved two Grammy nominations for his 2006 release. "Guitar Groove-a-Rama" and for "Stomp, the Blues Tonight" in 2009.

In a press release Robillard summed it up by saying, "Basically, I just wanted to go into the studio and record live and capture the real feeling of lowdown blues in an off the cuff sort of way, the way singles used to be made in the blues world for small labels."

Robillard was working for the Guild Guitar Company when he co-founded the band "Roomful of Blues" with pianist Al Copley back in 1967. "Roomful of Blues," where he spent 12 years, gave Robillard his first exposure to a wide audience. He went on to play briefly with rockabilly king, Robert Gordon and cut two albums with the "Legenary Blues Band" former members of "Muddy Waters." Then he replaced Jimmie Vaughan on guitar when he became a member of "The Fabulous Thunderbirds."

Some of the artists that Robillard has recorded with include Jimmy Whitherspoon, Dr. John, Snooky Prior, Jay McShann, Hal Singer, Pinetop Perkins, Joe Louis Walker, Tom Waits and the legendary Bob Dylan.

His band is comprised of Brad Hallen on bass, Gord "Sax" Beadle on tenor and baritone saxs, Mark Teixeira on drums, and Duke Bruce Bears and Mac McCabe on keyboards.

"Low Down and Tore Up" is a rousing and rocking album with powerful vocals and instrumentals. You will be drawn in by Robillard's smooth, intimate and engaging voice and will appreciate his commitment to American music.

Robillard will play two shows on Friday: catch him at 8 p.m. for $20, 10 p.m. for $15 or see both performances for $23.