Press

IndieCan Radio Review
CD Review: David Rotundo Band, NO LOOKING BACK

Not many blues records are about to tackle the problems of the world. Neither does David Rotundo Band's "No Looking Back." But sometimes the seemingly biggest problems of the world aren't half way around the world - they fall in that small amount of holy-land A.K.A. battle-ground between our head and our heart. So if you want to know what's going on around the world and why, buy a news paper. If you're looking for someone to articulate your own sense of impending doom, spin "No Looking Back." The answers are out there.
Where should you start with this offering from Toronto's hooded harpist? Anywhere - pick a number between 1 and 12 and click play. Even "Real Love" the last and the longest out-pouring is a good place to start. For radio programmers the 4:56 may be prohibitive to their attention-span challenged sensibilities but it plays out like a three minute pop song. It's a panty-wetter in every regard as this Sagittarian front man pleas to his listener, "I've been looking in the alley way, I been looking in the street, I've been looking in the eyes of all the people I meet. I've been looking in the church house and on the cross on the wall; I've been looking in the corridor, down every hall. I've been looking for real love, real love reeeeeeeeeeal love."
But if you start at the front like normal folk, you are greeted with "Don't Lie To Me" - a song so big sounding we haven't seen the likes of since Big Sugar was on the scene. This is the most rock-sounding Rotundo offering to date. "No Looking Back" flirts with cross-over audience potential but the blues purest won't cry "sell out" as this albums struts from Delta, Chicago and swing styles as well as "Zeppelin-esque" rocking interpretations of blues-style. Lyrically with the blues it's a delicate balance being true to the art form without sounding cliché but David is able to look at back-stabbing, deception, cheating and the down-and-outs without sounding so five minutes ago. The band behind him is solid with an ensemble cast of Toronto blues usual suspects. This one is a keeper. Buy it and wear it in like a good pair of jeans.

Joe Chisholm, January 25, 2009 - NO LOOKING BACK is on Stone Pillar Productions and is set to release March 13, 2009


Maple Blues Review by John Valenteyn
http://www.torontobluessociety.com/0903johnspicks.

David Rotundo Band - No Looking Back - Stone Pillar

As much as I liked the last, live, album this one is a solid treat! The new songs are uniformly excellent, the performances and the recording top-flight. The interlocking guitars of Dan Dufour & Desmond Brown are augmented by Enrico Crivellaro on several of the songs. Dave Murphy adds organ for a rich, full sound. Shane Scott on bass & vocals and Chuck Keeping on drums round up the band behind Rotundo and his amplified harp. With his gritty vocals and soaring harp, you owe it to yourself to check out this band. The new songs are very much in the style we’ve come to expect from this group, with “Don’t Lie To Me”, “Shake It Down”, “I Don’t Need Nobody” and “That Girl” only slightly better than the others on a very good set list. The CD Release Party is at Roc‘n Doc’s in Port Credit on the weekend of March 13th & 14th.


Blueswax Performance Review
Blues Beat

2009 Montreal Jazz Festival 30th Anniversary
Highlights from The Largest
Music Festival in The World

July 1 to 12, 2009

By Robert Putignano

Happy thirtieth birthday to Festival International De Jazz De Montreal! This year's celebrations were heralded with the opening of their new multi-level offices and gorgeous performance space, too. Attending the largest festival in the world always is one of my annual highlights of each of the twenty-five or so Montreal Jazz Fests I've attended. What makes this festival unique and fun is that there are free shows as well as paid indoors performances. So, if you make the trek to this fabulous city for the festival, you don't have to spend a penny on concerts if you so choose.

The endless quantities of free shows permit you to wander the streets and decide which concerts appeal to you. The programming is consistently high thanks to the excellent work by the Vice President of Programming Laurent Saulnier who year after year sifts through piles of music and ultimately decides who those fortunate musicians will be showing off their wares to a throng of music lovers. The Montreal Jazz Festival attracts more than two million visitors.

...

David Rotundo's group had the good fortune of having his buddy from Italy Enrico Crivellaro on lead guitar. The two sets I witnessed by this very professional band were by far the highlight of my stay in Montreal. First off, this was the first time (and certainly not the last) that I got to see Enrico perform in a group setting, and he did not disappoint! Secondly, David Rotundo and his band were so full of energy and had deep chops. Rotundo's vocals and keen harp playing were a joy to observe, and watching David strut his stuff as a band leader was immediately impressive. Rotundo also allowed Crivellaro ample time to show his wares and often prompted the large somewhat rained-on crowd that stayed to push Enrico on. The enormously talented Crivellaro was not overbearing, yet certainly made his mark in Montreal with his powerful and explosive outbursts that rocketed from his guitar amp. If you are not familiar with Enrico, take a moment to checkout his playing on his new Mojo Zone disc on Electro-Fi records. You will not be disappointed.

Another fine year of great music courtesy of the Montreal Jazz Fest. I'm looking forward to their thirty-first anniversary next year, and you should be too. For updates go to: http://montrealjazzfest.com

Bob Putignano a senior contributing editor at BluesWax. He is also the heart of Sounds of Blues at www.SoundsofBlue.com. Bob maybe contacted at blueswax@visnat.com