Al Copley - Blue Paris Nights

Size: 285 MB
Time: 53:47
File: Flac
Released: 1995
Styles: Blues
Art: Front

1. That's All Right (3:03)
2. In The Night (3:14)
3. Chains Of Love (8:01)
4. Drivin' Wheel (4:10)
5. Chicago Breakdown (3:06)
6. Can't Tell Her That (4:01)
7. Rainy Summer Blues (6:03)
8. There's No More Love (2:55)
9. Watermelon Man (4:38)
10. Blues After Hours (6:08)
11. Hello Little Girl (4:32)
12. Gnawa Rock (3:51)

Pianist Al Copley (b 1952, Buffalo, New York) co-founded the American jump blues band Roomful of Blues with guitarist Duke Robillard in Westerley, Rhode Island in 1967. In 1974 Count Basie called Roomful "the hottest blues band I've ever heard". In 1975 Roomful signed a recording contract with Island Records, thanks to support from Doc Pomus. After 16 years and 7 albums with Roomful, Copley relocated to Europe in 1984, where he still travels and performs extensively. Strongly influenced by the music of Big Joe Turner, Copley's solo style spans several genres and defies categorisation, including (but certainly not limited to) swing, boogie-woogie and barrelhouse. Live performances are characterised 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, Snooks Eaglin, John Hammond Jr., Big Mama Thornton, George "Harmonica" Smith, Otis Rush, Big Walter Horton, Helen Humes, Benny Waters, Hal Singer, Arnett Cobb, Scott Hamilton, Big Jay McNeely, Roy Brown and a host of others

Blue Paris Nights FLAC

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Al Copley - Jump On It

Album: Jump On It
Size: 72,5 MB
Time: 31:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2002
Styles: Piano blues, R&B
Art: Full

1. Last Thing I Needed (3:16)
2. Hoy Hoy Hoy (2:27)
3. The Big Ten Inch Record (2:37)
4. Louie Louie (3:05)
5. Great Balls Of Fire (1:51)
6. Stranger In My Hometown (2:55)
7. Please Send Me Someone To Love (5:54)
8. Someday (3:17)
9. How Sweet It Is (3:12)
10. I Ain't Gonna Do It (2:33)

There's nothing particularly blue about Al Copley's blues - not that there's anything wrong with that. The point of Jump On It is to party, no matter what the tempo. A snappy horn section jabs the rhythm players on classic jump tunes like "Hoy Hoy Hoy" and "I Ain't Gonna Do It," a re-creation of Jerry Lee Lewis's manic crash through "Great Balls of Fire," a medium-tempo sashay over Fats Domino piano triplets on "Someday," a smoky Mose Allison groove on "Stranger in My Hometown," a sly, risqué reading of "The Big Ten Inch Record," and a fresh arrangement of the ultimate good-time track, "Louie Louie."

On each cut, Copley sings with a smile on his face, his voice husky and warm, his phrasing impeccably idiomatic. His piano never misses the mark either, from rumbling two-fisted tremolos to last-call, upper-register tinkles. None of it breaks new ground, nor is it deep emotionally; aside from one brief reflection on hate during a pause toward the end of "Send Me Someone to Love," he pretty much keeps his entertainer hat on throughout the whole album. It is, luckily, a perfect and satisfying fit. /Robert L. Doerschuk, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

Jump On It mc
Jump On It zippy

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Al Copley & Hal Singer - Royal Blue

Album: Royal Blue
Size: 98,0 MB
Time: 42:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1990
Styles: Jazzy blues, piano blues
Art: Full

1. Boogie Woogie On MTK (2:46)
2. Standing By The Highway (4:52)
3. Sittin' In The Barber's Chair (3:14)
4. Please Don't Leave Me, Baby (3:37)
5. Elegie (2:57)
6. That's Hal (4:14)
7. Tater Diggin' (3:30)
8. Morning, Noon, And Night (3:16)
9. Wake Up Dead (4:51)
10. My Bonnie Rocks (2:12)
11. Glass Boogie (3:00)
12. Royal Blue (3:31)

Quite a surprise, this rich, rewarding album that keeps finding its way back into the CD player. Ranging from swing to R&B to boogie to jazz and back again, Al Copley and Hal Singer's joint venture rarely lets down for so much as a measure. The choice of material is excellent, the playing joyful. So, why a surprise? Because of the very flatness of Copley's 1989 Black Top release, "Automatic Overdrive."

On this venture, though, sharing billing with Ellington band alumnus Singer and backed by a solid band including guitarists Snooks Eaglin and fellow Roomful of Blues alumni Duke Robillard, Copley seems able to relax, and the resulting delights are ample. (On his solo "Automatic Overdrive," Copley was featured in a trio setting and seemed to be trying to carry the album by himself.)

Not only does the style of music range broadly on "Royal Blue," but so does the style of Copley's piano playing. For instance, on a cover of Art Tatum's "Elegie," Copley's work has a classical sound, much like Tatum's own approach. Not to be ignored, either, is the gumption needed to approach a song by as talented a virtuoso as Tatum. Copley's version of this richly textured piece is near-flawless, and may be the musical hallmark of this album if just for the sheer technical skill required.

Singer steps forth on a Copley original, "That's Hal," a straight-ahead jazz piece apparently inspired by the Lester Young-penned Basie band standard "Lester Leaps In." Both songs feature the piano and tenor sax trading leads, with Copley capturing Basie's Kansas City sound. The above two cuts are all the more impressive when one considers that Copley didn't need to take the chance. He could have stuck to the shaking boogie pieces his reputation was built on with Roomful of Blues.

If there is a weak link in all of this, it is Copley's singing. Still, his voice is passable, the delivery impassioned, and the enthusiasm contagious. Only a real curmudgeon would complain about an album this good. /Jim Trageser

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

Royal Blue mc
Royal Blue zippy

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Al Copley & The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Good Understanding

Size: 98.6 MB
Time: 42:12
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1993/1997
Styles: Electric Blues, Louisiana Blues
Art: Full

01. Doin' It (4:44)
02. Sunshine Moonlight (7:47)
03. Another Woman (3:07)
04. Bad, Bad Whiskey (3:59)
05. Run Riot (Rog's Romp) (2:59)
06. What Do I Do? (4:05)
07. A Man And The Blues (5:26)
08. Love Will Heal Me Too (3:12)
09. Good Understanding (6:48)

Personnel:
Al Copley: Piano, Vocals
Kim Wilson: Harmonica
Duke Robillard: Guitar
Jose Avila: Bongos
Preston Hubbard: Double Bass
Vincenc Kummer: Double Bass (tracks: 7, 8)
Drums – Fran Christina

Some things refuse to die, they just morph endlessly. While few of the original members of the Fabulous Thunderbirds are present for this effort, two founding members of Roomful of Blues are leading the charge. The results are commendable. Duke Robillard's expert guitar lines ride along on Al Copley's true-blue piano and smoky vocals for a very fine trip. The trademark Texas blues of Jimmie Vaughan is replaced here with some of the swampiest Louisiana R&B you can find. You'll boogie, you'll stroll, you'll pass out in your whiskey, but you'll have a good time. ~Tim Sheridan

Good Understanding MP3
Good Understanding FLAC

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Adrianna Marie & Her Roomful Of All-Stars - Kingdom Of Swing

Size: 177,1 MB
Time: 76:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jump Blues, Blues Jazz
Art: Front

01. Kingdom Of Swing (4:26)
02. Better Beware (4:02)
03. Sidecar Mama (4:13)
04. Mood Indigo (8:54)
05. 3 Am Blues (6:53)
06. Gimmie A Roomful (4:36)
07. Memphis Boogie (4:45)
08. Drive Me Daddy (6:02)
09. Baby I Got You (4:21)
10. Jump With You Baby (4:23)
11. The Blues Are Brewin' (7:58)
12. One Sweet Letter (4:38)
13. T-Bone Boogie (3:41)
14. Blues After Hours (7:13)

Sophisticated, sultry, playful, and she knows how to put the jazz in blues and the blues in jazz. Adrianna Marie was made to sing this music and in her sophomore release, KINGDOM OF SWING, she is back with her dream team band. Produced by Duke Robillard, this cast is undoubtedly a roomful of blues, featuring Al Copley, L.A. Jones, Duke Robillard, Doug “Mr. Low” James, Rich Lataille,Mark Earley, Doug Woolverton, Carl Q, Junior Watson, Brian Fahey, Kedar Roy and Bob Corritore. It’s a romping, swinging and crafty album of originals and a few re-imagined covers that features Adrianna Marie singing every bit as sultry, sassy and smart as the vintage songstresses she adores so much.

The songs arrive in a variety of grooves, with subjects ranging from romance and fun (naturally) to reflections on the music itself. This album is “big” as in big band; complete with lush layered instrumentation and genre perfect chords and head arrangements, sublime solos and driving riffs. Prepare youself to be transported to a time of fast cars, strong drinks, posh night clubs and well dressed men and woman either in love or playing at it. ~by Tom Hyslop

Kingdom Of Swing

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ROOMFUL OF BLUES - With Joe Turner / With Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson

Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Jump Blues
Recorded: 1982/1983
Released: 1997
File: mp3 @ 320 k/s
Size: 179.84 MB
Time: 38:18/38:43
Art: Full

ROB With Big Joe Turner - Blues Train

1. Crawdad Hole (3:26)
2. Red Sails In The Sunset (3:05)
3. Cocka-Doodle-Doo (2:54)
4. Jumpin' For Joe (4:00)
5. I Want A Little Girl (4:14)
6. Blues Train (3:50)
7. I Know You Love Me (7:01)
8. Last Night (4:45)
9. I Love The Way (My Baby Sings The Blues) (5:03)

ROB with Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson

1. House Of Joy (3:19)
2. He Was A Friend Of Mine (3:22)
3. Movin' With Lester (7:00)
4. No Bones (5:55)
5. That's The Groovy Thing (4:27)
6. Past Sixty Blues (4:25)
7. Street Lights (6:28)
8. Farmer's Daughter Blues (3:47)

Personnel: Big Joe TURNER - Vocals
Eddie 'Cleanhead' VINSON - Alto Saxophone, Vocals tr.2,6,8
Greg Piccolo - Tenor Saxophone
Rich Lataille - Alto Saxophone
Doug James - Baritone Saxophone
Bob Enos - Trumpet
Porky Cohen - Trombone
Al Copley - Piano
Ronnie Earl - Guitar
Preston Hubbard - Bass (on Turner)
Jimmy Wimfheimer - Bass (on Vinson)
John Rossi - Drums
with guest: Dr. John - Piano (tr.5 on Turner)

Notes: In their early days, Roomful of Blues recorded some seminal LPs for the Muse label, which were bought by 32 Jazz, and two of them are available on this two-disc set. Blues Train with Big Joe Turner and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson & Roomful of Blues are the recordings included, and they offer some of the very best, and certainly seminal, early-period work of the Rhode Island-based horn-fired blues/jazz band. Dr. John also helps out on the first recording, which features Turner's signature takes on "Crawdad Hole" and "I Want a Little Girl," while the sessions with alto saxophonist/vocalist Vinson serve up evergreens "He Was a Friend of Mine" and "Past Sixty Blues," among many others. This one is also out of print, but will surely come back. The music is too keen, vital, and precious to be off the market. Find it as best you can.

                             Roomful Of Blues with Joe Turner/Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson
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Various - Jump And Swing With Black Top

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 37:22
Size: 85.6 MB
Styles: Jump blues, West Coast blues
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[3:29] 1. Al Copley & Hal Singer - Tater Diggin'
[2:25] 2. Rick Holmstrom - Hit It
[2:41] 3. Big Joe & The Dynaflows - That's It
[4:35] 4. Gary Primich - Ain't You Trouble
[2:39] 5. Earl King - I'll Take You Back Home
[3:00] 6. Greg Piccolo - Mushmouth
[3:35] 7. Rusty Zinn - Stand By Me
[2:33] 8. Guitar Shorty - I Never Thought
[4:01] 9. Grady Gaines - Jumbo
[4:57] 10. Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers - Low Down Dog
[3:22] 11. The Tri-Saxual Soul Champs - Go Girl

A fine midline-priced introduction to the contemporary West Coast blues sound, Jump and Swing With Black Top features artists including Rod Piazza, Guitar Shorty, Greg Piccolo, James Harman playing in the tradition of the music of the 1940s. ~ Jason Ankeny

Jump And Swing With Black Top

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Al Copley - Automatic Overdrive

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 33:11
Size: 76.0 MB
Styles: Piano blues
Year: 1989
Art: Front

[4:12] 1. Goshen By The Ocean
[3:40] 2. Ooh Wow!
[3:21] 3. Didn't Want To Do That
[3:20] 4. Get Gone Bluesey
[3:06] 5. Blue Monday
[4:04] 6. Friday Night Strut
[5:29] 7. The Bad Guy In The Blues
[2:12] 8. Big Ten Inch Record
[3:42] 9. Boogie At Midnight

Pianist Al Copley (b 1952, Buffalo, New York) co-founded the American jump blues band Roomful of Blues with guitarist Duke Robillard in Westerley, Rhode Island in 1967. In 1974 Count Basie called Roomful “the hottest blues band I’ve ever heard”. In 1975 Roomful signed a recording contract with Island Records, thanks to support from Doc Pomus. After 16 years and 7 albums with Roomful, Copley relocated to Europe in 1984, where he still travels and performs extensively.

Strongly influenced by the music of Big Joe Turner, Copley’s solo style spans several genres and defies categorisation, including (but certainly not limited to) swing, boogie-woogie and barrelhouse. Live performances are characterised by their energy and Copley’s acrobatic approach to piano performance, in the style of Jerry Lee Lewis.

Bass – Thomas Durst; Drums – George Greene; Piano, Vocals – Al Copley.

Automatic Overdrive

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