Biography

Go Back Home to the Blues is the second Knickerbocker All-Stars record, building on the enthusiastically received Open Mic at the Knick. Once again the deep pool of New England blues talent has provided knockout versions of blues and R&B classics, this time adding some new songs which are perfect fits stylistically. The Knickerbocker All-Stars are celebrated veterans and masters of their craft. Original Roomful of Blues members and other Roomful alumni, members of the Duke Robillard Band, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, and vocalists Willie J. Laws and Brian Templeton all make a powerful blend, and among them they've garnered literally dozens of BMA and Grammy nominations. The songs are characteristic of the ones played in the heyday of the Knick, first done by early Roomful influences Bobby Bland, Freddie King, Guitar Slim, Cleanhead Vinson, and many others, and this crew reanimates them with authority. The tenor battle on “Hokin'” could have been played at the Knick in 1953 – or 1973 – but the excitement is freshly minted, and there are new songs which could have been done by Louis Jordan and Albert King. What better place than this to celebrate a robust yet undervalued American musical genre? It may have started years ago, but its spirit is timeless, and it's found a home at the Knick.
This recording is sponsored by the Knickerbocker Music Center, a non-profit formed to preserve, cultivate, and grow the “Knick’s” unique brand of blues, as well as expand access to music of all kinds by transforming the Knick into both an exciting performance venue and an exceptional center for music education. By Al Basile