In 1967, with the “Summer of Love” in full bloom, The Beatles released their groundbreaking album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” The album ushered in a neoteric period of psychedelia. This era became a social phenomenon that found its way into main stream consciousness, turning the art, music, and fashion world on its head. 

That same year, across the Atlantic, in direct contrast to the musical tastes ‘du jour’ that so enamored the fickle general public, a big band from the smallest state in the union broke their own musical ground with its initial founding and formation.  

The concept was simple and unpretentious — a group of like-minded Rhode Island musicians joining talents to pay tribute to, and play the music of, the 1940’s and 1950’s artists who originated the American songbook of swing, blues, R&B and jazz. The bands devotion to this bygone musical genre and its musicians was as steadfast and indefatigable then, as it remains today, 58 years after its inception. 

The ensemble in question is, the legendary, Roomful of Blues. 

In its long, esteemed career, the band has received numerous accolades, including five Grammy nominations and seven Blues Music Awards, as well as Blues Band of The Year in 2005. The band was also twice selected as Best Blues Band by the Down Beat International Critics Poll. In 2012, Roomful of Blues was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame. 

Touring extensively, they have performed at music festivals in Stockholm, Belgium, Notodden, and beyond, while thrilling audiences in France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Switzerland, and Russia. They have also toured broadly in the United States., performing in every state except Hawaii. 

Revered and respected by some of the greatest luminaries in music, they have shared the stage with the likes of Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Fats Domino, Carlos Santana, BB King and Count Basie, to name but a few. 

On Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, Roomful of Blues will release their latest album entitled “Steppin’ Out!,” on Alligator Records. The album can be considered a milestone, for the band is debuting a new singer, D.D. Bastos, who is the first female to ever record with the band in their nearly 60-year history.  

“Steppin’ Out!” is a 14-track excursion into what makes Roomful such a cherished entity. With covers like “You Were Wrong,” “Good Rockin’ Daddy,” and “Boogie’s The Thing,” this album jumps, jives, swings and stings in all the right places. The rhythm and horn sections are as crisp and as tight as it gets, adeptly produced and led by long time bandleader/guitarist Chris Vachon.  

Throughout this effort, Bastos shows the boys the way, leading them with a voice that has more colors and hues than Crayola. She’s a rocker, a chanteuse, a soul sister and a storyteller who rightly testifies that she has been to the Crossroads and back. As Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer said in a press release for “Steppin’ Out!,” “Roomful of Blues is clearly inspired by D.D.’s voice and magnetic presence. It’s a wonderful combination.” 

Hanging out with the members of the band

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with guitarist Vachon, and singer Bastos for a chat. I found them to be astute, unassuming, engaging and affable. Interestingly, while both of these artists have logged many years and miles in the music trade, I observed no signs of the classic stereotype “road weary musician” in either of them.

In fact, they spoke of, and displayed in their demeanor, the exciting and joyous side that is the life of a performing artist.  

Vachon has been with the band for 36 years this October. He said, that although at least 60 players have come and gone through various positions, he is only the fourth musician to command the guitarist’s seat. I asked him how a band can continue to do what they have been doing for so long.  

“We won’t go away,” laughed Vachon. “I don’t know, we just love doing it. We enjoy the music. The travel part of it, well, that’s one part of it but when you’re up on the stage is the part that we all really love, that’s what we do it for. To entertain people and to entertain ourselves. We love the music.” 

“For many reasons it’s been a very positive thing to have D.D. fronting the band. Lots of females in the audience hail the move and of course the guys like to look. She’s a great singer and a great fit,” said Vachon. “When Roomful hires a new member, we don’t change the band. We’ve never strayed from what we are. We have guardrails. But D.D. has added her style and dynamic to what we do. So, we decided to make an album to showcase the band with its new singer.”

As a young girl D.D.Bastos began singing gospel in church. Classically trained, she studied voice in college where she also acted and sang in Broadway musicals. Learning to sing properly from the diaphragm in operatic fashion has afforded her the vocal health and stamina required to meet the demands of her touring and recording schedule.  

But opera or Broadway were not in the cards for Bastos. One evening, while watching The Midnight Special television program with her brother, she saw B.B.King perform. It sparked a passion and a fire in her that changed her musical trajectory. 

“When I saw B.B.King on television I became hooked. I had no idea who he was. The next day I went to the library and took out the album ‘Cook County Live’ and that was it for me,” said Bastos. “My interest and love for the blues then took me to female singers such as KoKo Taylor, Etta James, and Big Mama Thornton and from there, for me, things just snowballed  — and here I am.” 

What does the future hold for Roomful of Blues, I wondered. 

“Our first single from ‘Steppin’ Out!’ is ‘You Were Wrong.’ At last count it has had more than 18,000 hits on Spotify’s ‘Got Blues’ channel, debuting at number two,” said Vachon. “You can also hear it on Sirius radio’s ‘B.B.King’s Bluesville.’ The next record we make will be all originals. People are asking for it. So that’s the plan. We gig every week and there has been some interest lately in having us go back to the Netherlands for some shows — we’ll see how that goes. Meanwhile we keep playing, traveling, recording, and putting people in the seats.”

For more information, visit roomful.com.

Michael Khouri is a Barrington resident writing occasionally about the Rhode Island music scene. Reach him at mkhouri@cox.net.