Roomful Of Blues has turned out yet another fine album of jumping, swinging blues that has worked well for them over the years. “Hook, Line, & Sinker” gathers up Roomful interpretations of 12 cover songs with their new singer Philip Pemberton belting aggressively and emoting soulfully through out.
Opening track “That’s A Pretty Good Love,” spearheaded by guitarist Chris Vachon and his flinty yet fluid phrases, gets a good vocal workout from Pemberton during its chorus. A large framed man, Pemberton also has a large musical presence, running the show like a chairman of the board of some huge international conglomerate.
The Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown classic “She Walks Right In” gets a quick, swinging groove that makes you want to do the jitterbug. Horns blare and mix it up like a kalediscope, all the colors falling into perfect configurations of pleasantness.
Title track “Hook, Line, & Sinker,” a send up of all those oldies infatuation songs, displays how Roomful perfectly balances the powerhouse forces in their band. Tenor and bari sax blend into an almost wall of sound feel. Pemberton, meanwhile, uses his lung power to blast out his ebullient enthusiasm and yet manages to stay out of the way of those horns. The horn section is made up of A-list blowers Rich Lataille(tenor and alto sax), Mark Early(tenor and bari sax), and Doug Woolverton(trumpet).
“Kill Me” has to be sung really well or the two word song title would sound really weird without the perfect inflection. Pemberton gets a A+ for that. Vachon plays incisive and scintillating guitar leads against horns and organ fills to give this song the trademark Roomful quality of busy blues and fulsome R&B. “Gatemouth” Brown’s instrumental “Gate Walks To Board” gets a first class treatment here. It moves with the speed of swing jazz from the Glen Miller period. The guitar, while recorded on modern equipment, has all the flash and tempo of an earlier decade. The horns and piano dance around the piano in such speedy, fluid motion that I want to see what they can do with this piece live. It would definitely burn calories for those folks on TV ‘sweatin’ to the oldies.’
Pemberton gets to have some fun on “Juice, Juice, Juice.” His alternate timbre makes him sound almost like a completely different singer, bringing it lower and singing the notes more compactly. It is these touches that work for Pemberton who prefers to eschew vocal gymnastics in favor of serving the song and filling it with feeling. This is another reason why he fits Roomful like a glove. As good as they all are, they don’t ever go overboard in their solos and bridges, and instead focus on solid musicianship with professional attitudes and mature tastefulness.
“Ain’t Nothin’ Happenin’” swings right in with fantastic horn blasts before Travis Colby livens it up even more with his elegant piano tinkling. Switching up is a Roomful ingredient and it is a kick to hear those horns suddenly thicken and swell, tickling and tugging the ear with phrases thick and fluid. “Win With Me Baby” gives Vashon a chance to strut his stuff with some nifty guitar licks that range from lower end rhythm to lighter, higher, more brittle notes. With band slowed down, Pemberton gets to showcase his emotive, husky vocal in the center of grinding guitar, swirling horns, and the steady, involving groove from bassist John Turner and drummer Ephraim Lowell.
The Lieber and Stoller number “It” has some rock and roll tumble that smacks of the late 1950s. Lowell’s carefully managed beat and stick work gives this rendition that quality of hit factor and Turner’s low end upright bounce makes it danceable. The band slams the pedal to the floor on “Come On Home” which is totally powered by Pemberton’s throaty shout-singing over Lowell’s rolling beat.
Pemberton switches gears on R&B classic “Time Brings About A Change.” Its mellow groove-restrained tempo gives him space and time to emote all over this broken-hearted feeling, a soulful thing that percolates in Colby’s B3 Hammond organ, well-paced horn lines, and a very articulate, sorrowful piano.
Roomful close out with “Just A Little Love” that brings Pemberton down into that lower register that makes it, once again, sound almost like another singer took over. As the song pleads for “just a little love before I go,” it leaves no doubt that Roomful is confident we will all be back for more when they release the next CD they have in the works.