ALLIGATOR PREPARES DOUBLE RELEASE

Alligator Records has set a January 15, 2008 street date for Low On Cash, Rich In Love from California-born, New Orleans-schooled singer/songwriter Eric Lindell, and Raisin’ A Ruckus from Providence, Rhode Island’s horn-driven, guitar-fueled -- and 40-year veterans -- Roomful of Blues. This is Lindell’s second Alligator release, and follows his critically acclaimed debut, Change In The Weather. Raisin’ A Ruckus is Roomful of Blues’ third CD for the label, the 14th of their carrrer, and the first to feature vocalist Dave Howard.

With musical roots planted in Northern California, Lindell's talent blossomed in New Orleans. His combination of sweet, blue-eyed soul with foot-stomping R&B, swamp pop, funk and blues have won him critical and popular acclaim across the country. His compositions are filled with solid grooves and insightful, emotionally rich lyrics.

Recorded at Piety Street Studio in New Orleans, Low On Cash, Rich In Love will delight his fan base and will capture the attention of music lovers all over the globe. Lindell's sinewy and soulful vocals recall 1970s Van Morrison, while his guitar and harmonica work are uniquely his own. With sweet saxophones punching in all the right places and grooves building on top of each other, Eric Lindell has created a timeless collection of songs.

Born in San Mateo, California in 1969, Lindell grew up listening to the music of The Impressions, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Jimmy Reed and Albert King before drifting toward the R&B sounds of Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway. After learning bass and guitar, Eric formed his own group in 1993 and quickly gained a loyal California audience thanks to countless performances and many late-night jam sessions.

Lindell headed to New Orleans in 1999, where he quickly discovered the roots music scene. Some of New Orleans’ finest players, including keyboardist Ivan Neville and drummers Harold Brown and Johnny Vidacovich, often joined him on stage. Word of Lindell’s immense talents quickly spread around the city. He played the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festival numerous times, and even appeared on the cover of OffBeat, all before he had a record deal.

Lindell’s 2006 Alligator Records debut, Change In The Weather, delighted and surprised music fans hungry for a truly original artist. Critics across the country went wild, with reviews and features in Relix, OffBeat, The Chicago Sun-Times, Harp, Guitar Player, Down Beat, The New Yorker, The New York Press and many other national and regional publications. The New Orleans Times-Picayune said, “Eric Lindell has arrived with his irresistible soul...not a moment is wasted.”


Even though Roomful of Blues’ lineup has changed over the 40 years they have been together, the band has always been one of the tightest, most joyful blues ensembles in the world. Since 1967, the group’s deeply rooted blend of swing, rock ‘n’ roll, jump, blues and soul has earned it five Grammy Award nominations and a slew of other accolades, including seven Blues Music Awards (with the nod for Blues Band Of The Year in 2005).

Roomful of Blues is an eight-piece unit led by guitarist Chris Vachon. In 2007, Dave Howard became lead vocalist, bringing his gritty and soulful voice and adding another bright new dimension to their jazzy, jump-blues music. With tenor and alto saxophonist Rich Lataille (the longest-standing member of the group), long-time trumpeter Bob Enos, keyboardist Travis Colby, and baritone and tenor saxophonist Mark Earley, along with new bassist Dima Gorodetsky and drummer Ephraim Lowell, Raisin’ A Ruckus swings with ferocity and rocks with urgency and purpose.

Roomful of Blues was born in Westerly, Rhode Island in 1967 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 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. Founder Duke Robillard and Ronnie Earl both preceded Chris Vachon as the band's guitarists. Vocals have been handled by luminaries like Lou Ann Barton, Greg Piccolo and Sugar Ray Norcia. Roomful recorded three successful albums for the Varrick label during the 1980s before landing with Rounder, where they released six critically acclaimed albums. The group joined Alligator in 2003 and released the Grammy nominated That's Right and followed in 2005 with Standing Room Only.

Roomful of Blues has played countless gigs and many major festivals, including The San Francisco Blues Festival, The 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 tours virtually non-stop, hitting cities from coast to coast, and traveling abroad to Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey and Russia.

With Raisin’ A Ruckus and their extensive touring schedule, long-time fans and new converts alike can see for themselves why The Chicago Sun-Times said, “This is a band on top of its game, sliding easily from big-band jazz-blues to guitar-drenched urban blues….let the party begin.”