With the confirmation of the participation of founding drummer Fran Christina, the lineup is now complete for a historic musical reunion - Roomful of Blues: Now and Then, Celebrating 40 Years of Roomful at the Garde Arts Center on Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 8 pm.

“We are thrilled to present and further cement the legacy of one of our region’s, and the nation’s, best bands in a gala reunion concert on the Garde stage,” said local producer Ken Kitchings of Kitchings Productions, who along with Caswell Cooke Productions, has been working for months on bringing these artists together on one stage for one special evening.

Roomful of Blues: Now and Then, opens with the current Roomful of Blues eight-piece unit led by guitarist Chris Vachon, with singer Dave Howard, bassist Dima Gorodetsky, drummer Ephraim Lowell and long-time members keyboardist Travis Colby, baritone and tenor saxophonist Mark Earley, and tenor and alto saxophonist Rich Lataille.

The second half of the show will feature many of the original members including guitarist Duke Robillard, keyboardist Al Copley, horn players Rich Lataille, Greg Piccolo and Doug James, bassist Preston Hubbard, and percussionist Fran Christina.

The Alumni
Inspired by blues legends like T-Bone Walker, Charlie Patton and Big Joe Turner, and called "one of the great players" by the legendary B.B. King, Duke Robillard’s guitar work has seamlessly spanned the worlds of jazz, blues, and swing since he founded Roomful of Blues with pianist Al Copley in 1967. Since 1980, Duke has recorded over a dozen acclaimed solo albums and toured the world both with his own band and also as Jimmie Vaughan's replacement in The Fabulous Thunderbirds. In addition to his own recordings, Duke has played on and/or produced albums by Bob Dylan (1997's Grammy-winning Time Out of Mind), Ruth Brown, Johnny Adams, Kim Wilson, Jay McShann, Pinetop Perkins, John Hammond, Jimmy Witherspoon, and many more.

After 16 years and seven albums, Blues pianist and Roomful co-founder Al Copley relocated to Europe where he travels and performs extensively. Strongly influenced by the music of Big Joe Turner, Copley's solo style spans several genres including swing, boogie-woogie and barrelhouse. Live performances are characterized by their energy and Copley's acrobatic approach to piano performance, in the style of Jerry Lee Lewis. Copley has performed and recorded with Lou Rawls, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ruth Brown, Jimmy Witherspoon, and many others. He has opened for Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan in 1998, and the Blues Summit with Etta James and B. B. King in 1993. Copley also performed at the first Montreux Jazz Festival in Japan with George Duke and McCoy Tyner in 1998. His "Glass Boogie" is one of the most inventive boogie-woogie piano solos ever recorded.

Connecticut’s own Greg Piccolo joined Roomful in 1970 and served as band leader, lead singer, and tenor sax man from 1978 until his departure in 1994. His impressive recording history includes over 50 albums including sessions with Pat Benetar, Colin James, Big Joe Turner, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Stevie Ray Vaughan to mention a few. An initial solo album, Greg Piccolo, Heavy Juice on Blacktop Records, (1990), received universal acclaim. His first Fantasy recording Acid Blue (1995) was selected by “CD Review” magazine as one of their top 10 recordings in 1995. Piccolo has been honored with multiple Blues Music Awards nominations.

Baritone sax specialist Doug James moved to Rhode Island in1970 just as guitarist Duke Robillard was adding horns to the original Roomful and held down the bari sax chair until 1998. James was featured soloing on at least a half-dozen albums with Roomful as well as recordings backing such legends as Big Joe Turner, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, and Lou Rawls, and modern music industry heavyweights Stevie Ray Vaughn, Pat Benetar, Colin James, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Since rejoining Duke Robillard in 1998, he has toured numerous times with the "W.C. Handy All-Stars", recorded his debut CD "Blow Mr. Low" in and is also available for both private instruction and clinics.

Rich Lataille, tenor and alto saxophonist of the current Roomful, was one of the legendary original trio of horns, along with James and Piccolo, who joined roomful in 1970. Lataille worked with various local and high-school bands before beginning his long-term relationship with Roomful. His interest in the swinging bands of the ’30s and ’40s led Roomful to forge the distinctive sound that has become the band’s trademark.

Joining Roomful in the early seventies, bassist Preston Hubbard recently recalled those days. “Roomful was my family back then. We were a world class blues band...in the face of disco and corporate rock. We kept it real, long before the LA swing-a-ding-a-do scenesters.” Hubbard created his own jazz band while a student at Rhode Island School of Design and was approached by Doug James to join Roomful in 1970. Preston appeared on four out of Roomful’s first six albums, and then joined the Fabulous Thunderbirds from 1984-1994 with whom he made several best selling albums.

Westerly, RI native Fran Christina began his nearly five decades in music as the founding drummer for Roomful of Blues. He subsequently joined The Fabulous Thunderbirds as well, during which time he recorded on such hits as “Tuff Enuff” and “Wrap it Up”. Christina also performed on movie scores including Martin Scorsese’s The Blues, Bull Durham, Gung Ho, Tuff Guys, and My Cousin Vinnie. He can also be heard on critically acclaimed multi-platinum albums by Carlos Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Bonnie Raitt. Today Christina continues to create art and music from his home in Marfa, Texas with painter Julie Speed.

Roomful of Blues History
Rhode Island-based Roomful of Blues, founded in 1967, has won five Grammy Award nominations and a slew of other accolades, including seven Blues Music Awards, with their masterful combination of jumping, horn-heavy, hard-edged blues and R&B.

Hailed by Count Basie as "the hottest blues band I've ever heard," Roomful of Blues was born in Westerly, Rhode Island when guitarist Duke Robillard and keyboardist Al Copley started a band that played tough, no-holds-barred Chicago blues. They soon began exploring the swinging, jumping blues, R&B and jazz of the 1940s and 1950s, and added a horn section (including Rich Lataille) in 1970. In 1974, they performed with Count Basie, and a few years later legendary songwriter Doc Pomus helped them land their first record deal. In 1977, Roomful of Blues' self-titled debut album on Island Records (recently reissued on Hyena Records) brought them to the attention of fans and critics from coast to coast.

Over the years there have been at least 46 Roomful of Blues members, each bringing his or her own unique talent and vision to the mix. When founding member Duke Robillard left the band in 1980, guitarist Ronnie Earl replaced him. Singer Lou Ann Barton joined the band at this time, sharing vocals with Greg Piccolo. In 1994 they released Dance All Night, their first featuring guitarist Chris Vachon (who joined the band in 1990) and harpist/vocalist Sugar Ray Norcia. Their 1995 album, the Grammy-nominated Turn It On! Turn It Up!, was a remarkable mix of big band swing and rock 'n' roll, bringing the band its greatest radio and sales success to date, and giving them credibility with the rock radio audience.

In addition to their band recordings, Roomful of Blues often backed legendary musicians like Jimmy Witherspoon, Jimmy McCracklin, Roy Brown, Joe Turner, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson and Earl King, stars of the 1940s and 1950s blues scene. Roomful recorded albums with Turner, Vinson and King during the 1980s, and all three recordings received Grammy nominations. They played with rocker Pat Benatar on her 1991 album True Love, and backed many other artists including Canadian star Colin James and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Over decades, Roomful of Blues has toured virtually non-stop, hitting cities from coast to coast, and traveling abroad to Spain. They have played many major festivals, including The San Francisco Blues Festival, Kansas City Blues Festival, and Monterey Blues Festival, and overseas at The North Sea Jazz Festival, The Stockholm Jazz Festival, The Montreux Jazz Festival, Notodden Festival and the Belgian Peer Festival.

The band, with a non-stop performance schedule for almost 40 years, has continued to change and evolve over the years and still boasts great musicianship featuring a stellar horn section. Their latest recordings with Alligator Records include the Grammy-nominated That's Right! in 2003, followed by Standing Room Only in 2005 and most recently Raisin' A Ruckus.

The Producers
The concept for Roomful of Blues: Now and Then is the brainchild of New London-area resident Ken Kitchings, owner of Kitchings Productions, an independent talent production company, founded in 2006. For this event, Kitchings Productions was assisted by Westerly music entrepreneur, radio host, and festival producer Caswell Cooke, as well as the Garde Arts Center.

The mission of Kitchings Productions is to deepen and broaden the appreciation and educational impact of national and regional jazz, blues, folk, rock, and contemporary musical artists in Southeastern Connecticut. A presenting partner with the Garde Arts Center, Kitchings Productions also works with other area non-profit organizations and schools.

Tickets for Roomful of Blues: Now and Then are $36 for orchestra and loge, $48 for Garde Circle (first twelve rows of the orchestra), $30 for front balcony, and $24 for rear balcony. Tickets are available at the Garde Arts Center Box Office, 325 State Street, in New London, at 860-444-7373 or on-line at the Garde Arts Center website at www.gardearts.org.