Duke's playing here sounds like T-Bone meets SRV or maybe Anson Funderburgh. Nice volume swells... very hip. I saw Duke live years ago, and it was a great show. Wish I'd known about him back in the 1980s, when this clip was done. He's the real deal, and has been for a long time.
I've been listening to this for 29 years. A blues solo that deserves to be transcribed and studied - so many memorable melodic licks. Seen him do it live many times. Duke single handedly resurrected my interest in electric guitar in about 1980.
I've listened to this quite a few times now. Duke had great Classic Fender Tone with lot's of well executed dynamics (bringing it up and down). If you notice there is no one talking in the background. The only 2 ways you can pull that off is to have a well seen sniper on stage ready to 86 the first person that moves their lips. Or the 2nd way is to perform on a level that captivates your audience. That is what happened here and no matter who you are, famous or not. It is hard to do what Duke did no matter how fast you can play in a slow blues song.
One of the best blues instrumentals ever! Tone, Emotional Dynamics, Slow Precise Note Bends to Well Executed Note Flurys and some of the best Blues Chords in the business. The thing that tops it off is the entire ending. The mark of a "True Professional." I love the harmonic volume swell at the end then to top it all off he picks up the guitar and blows across the strings for a unique final ending note like no other. What more could you ask for as an audience member? Duke gave them their money's worth and more on this one. For me it would have been worth the entry fee just to hear and watch him do this one song. The rest would have been a bonus.
Michael Robillard AKA Duke Robillard: 10/4/1948 - Blues rock musician and bandleader who in 1967 co-founded the blues and swing revival group Roomful of Blues. He would depart from the group in 1979 to perform with Robert Gordonas well as his out outfits. In 1990 he replaced Jimmie Vaughan as the guitarist of The Fabulous Thunderbirds and continued to perform as a solo artist. He has toured with both Tom Waits and Bob Dylan and recorded with the likes of Pinetop Perkins, Snooky Pryor, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Ronnie Earl.
Back in 1974-75 Roomful used to shoot down I-95 from Westerly to New London CT to Connecticut College, I saw them 6-7 times, standing about 8 feet right in front of Duke, the whole room behind me drinking and dancing, and I was in heaven. All the guys were fantastic soloists, piano and 3 saxophones, but I just loved watching Duke take off for 10-12 minutes at a time! Just a bottomless bag of moves and phrases. Fortunately I knew how lucky I was to be standing there, that this was once in a lifetime. Great to see him still doing it.
Good TBONE cover! Plus his own stuff. This is the first time I have ever heard this man and OH MAN HES THE MAN! What soul playing. I have been playing blues on the harp for about 30 yrs and hearing this once unknown for the first time let me to realize the touch is still be carried and it's on fire & bright!
I used to watch the blues masters turn their noses up at the celebrities that would show up at Antone's to "jam" onstage with them. Duke Robillard was held in the highest esteem as one of them...the blues masters. He and Lou Ann Barton both played with a Roomful of Blues. He is a master of the blues!
Saw and heard him in Colorado a few years back, what a great person, his music is what I call blue and true, hope to see and of course hear him again, in person, I spin his works always.
i just bought a guys cd collection for my store, Bad Apple in Boise, and he had about 10 of his CDs. had never heard of Duke before but much to my enjoyment I'm glad i did
The first time I saw Duke was on german tv in the late 80's. It may have even been this broadcast, and he blew me away. Awesome. Been a fan ever since.
Duke was the featured guest at The National Guitar Workshop when I attended. I think it was the year they closed down 1988. I'm not sure so if I'm incorrect, please forgive me. I'm a drummer but I went after talking to another drummer who had gone earlier. It was great despite being over my head on the guitar stuff. Pat Martino gave a class in playing across the neck as opposed to up and down. My only regret was not being able to play along in the jam with Duke. Had a great time and met up with some old friends too. I played a protracted jam with 15 of the students which was a lot of fun. I also forgot to mention I was 62 at that time but the kids didn't mind. I love playing regardless. Rock on Duke, RIP Pat.
I suppose the side-effect of aggressive marketing and privacy theft from big internet companies is that you end up listening to a load of cool music. I would never have heard of a lot of the great artists I've watched on youtube without seeing the suggestions. So thanks, I suppose..
@MrWoodreaux Thanks! I always suspected as much. I was a student of his in the early 80’s. He was universally known as Duke by then, but let me know that his name was really Michael. He used to say that I was getting stuff in an hour (an hour and a half actuality, cause he always gave extra time) that had taken him 10 years to work out. But, I had a feeling it was really spun into his DNA.
10-4-2009. He's havin' fun at 61. Happy Birthday, Duke. Hey, maybe you can come to Columbia, SC and perform sometime (Colonial Life Arena or the Township Auditorium). Maybe Augusta, GA (James Brown Arena or the Bell Auditorium). Plus there's the nearby USC-Aiken Convocation Center. Think about it.
