Duke Robillard & Herb Ellis - Conversations In Swing Guitar (1999) & More Conversations In Swing Guitar (2003)

► The album is available at the usual place...

Cool, elegant and gently swinging

Very jazzy, a little less bluesy, extremely cool, gently but surely swinging, the guitar adventures of Herb Ellis and Duke Robillard were recorded during the same session at the Lakewest Studio in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, in the early months of 1999 and released on two different albums : “Conversations…” in 1999, and “More Conversations…” in 2003. But both albums would deserve to be re-released as a double CD pack.

When jazz (Ellis) meets his old cousin blues (Robillard), and when the two heroes of the meeting are both superb guitarists, the result of the encounter is necessarily appealing.

Ellis was always a pure jazz musician, so that the real surprise comes from Robillard. The founder of Roomful of Blues is precisely known as an excellent blues musician but he was obviously discreet about his jazz guitar skills. The two six-stringers are backed by a minimalist threesome elegant enough not to overshadow their leaders : Marty Ballou on bass, Marty Richards on drums, and Terry Holmes on acoustic rhythm guitar.

The first album, “Conversation…”, is globally a bit quieter and less openly swinging than its follow-up, as if the label mangers had selected the tracks they considered as most accessible to a wider public as a test before deciding to release the six remaining titles four years later on “More Conversations…”, probably reassured by the fair sells of the first volume.

Duke...

Nevertheless, even if each album can of course be listened separately, both should be considered as a whole. They are incredibly laid-back, and Ellis and Robillard sound so relaxed that their fingers seem to be running on the strings with such lightness that the swing comes out in a totally natural way.

The two guitarists are also quite complementary, Ellis with his faultless jazz technique, Robillard with his subtle bluesy touch. But they're also able to exchange roles on some tracks, apparently with great pleasure. If Robillard's unusual jazz costume fits him quite well, his talents as a composers are also shining with with a total of five originals on both volumes (“Easin' In” and “Jivin' In Rhythm” on “Conversation…”; “Train To Texas”, “Blues For Terry” and “End Of Session Jump” on “More Conversations…”), plus his participation to the collectively written tune “Blue Brew” (on “Conversation…”).

...Herb...

Along with these, both men give their renditions of cool jazz classics from musicians with whom Ellis has often played : “Flying Home” (Benny Goodman-Lionel Hampton), “Just Squeeze Me” (Duke Ellington), “Avalon” (Jolson-De Sylva-Rose), “Stuffy” (Coleman Hawkins) on “Conversations…”; and on “More Conversations…”, “Moten Swing” (Benny Moten), “Robbin's Nest” (Bob Russell-Illinois Jacquet-Sir Charles Thompson) and “Just You Just Me” (Jesse Greer-Raymond Klages).

Both album mix intelligently up-tempo swing numbers and cooler mid or low-tempo titles. Fast swing lovers will certainly appreciate “Flying Home”, “Jivin' In Rhythm”,  Avalon” and “Stuffy” on “Conversations…”; and on “More Conversations…”, they will stomp their feet on the outstanding “Train To Texas” -- the most swinging track of these conversations, featuring an exciting guitar duel ―, and on “Just You Just Me”. Cool jazz fans might prefer “Easin' In”, “Just Squeeze Me” on “Conversations…”; “Moten Swing”, “Robbin's Nest” and “End Of Session Jump” on “More Conversations…” Blues aficionados will have a sweet spot for “Blue Brew” (“Conversations…”) and “Blues For Terry” (“More Conversations…”).

... and Gibson

In any case this two-part recording is totally relaxing, the kind of music which is perfect for a late lazy Sunday afternoon, comfortably seated on your sofa in front of the fire-place with in hand a cup of tea or a glass of old-age Scotch whiskey whose warm amber color reminds that of both guitarists sunburst vintage instruments shown on the cover of “Conversations…” Close your eyes and let Ellis and Robillard take you in their cool dreams… ☺


A short video is better than a long speech...

➨ Herb Ellis
■ Interviews :
→ by Dr. Michael Woods, Los Angeles, CA, 1995 : https://youtu.be/y4Oolrj_yXM
→ by Monk Rowe, Scottsdale, AZ, 2000 : https://youtu.be/XKjc_kAL-tg
■ With Oscar Peterson, Brussels, 1957 : https://youtu.be/gXod0APGKM0
■ With pianist Oscar Peterson Trio & Friends (Ray Brown, Stan Getz, Roy Eldrige, Ed Thigpen), 1961 : https://youtu.be/OOc2UhpPB-0
■ With Barney Kessel & Charlie Byrd, Maintenance Club, 1979 : https://youtu.be/i95Zey9QsB4
■ At the International Jazz Festival, Antibes-Juan-les-Pins, France, with Marshal Royal (sax), Snooky Young (trumpet), Ross Tompkins (piano), Michael Moore (string bass) & Jeff Hamilton (drums), 1979 : https://youtu.be/8lvintRUWGo
■ With Barney Kessel & Charlie Byrd, 1982 : https://youtu.be/qvr8hBkYEFo
■ With Dave Maslow, Minneapolis, MN, 1986 : https://youtu.be/0vcH94J2iRU
■ A rare video from the 1980's : https://youtu.be/3O41U8MG6gQ
■ With Allen Kwela & Johnny Fourie, Johannesburg Guitar Summit, 1993 : https://youtu.be/7xygZLjEJ94
■ With Tal Farlow and Charly Byrd, Manchester Craftsmen, Pittsburgh, PA, 1997 : https://youtu.be/9QQCh3cV1Gk

➨ Duke Robillard

■ With Albert Collins & Debbie Davies, Ohne Filter German TV program, probably in the 1980s : https://youtu.be/jr5-9UImcTE
■ The Duke Robillard Band, Ohne Filter German TV program, 1994 :
→ #1/2 : https://youtu.be/YiBqlHvqOZM
→ #2/2 : https://youtu.be/6DFn491lr5Q
■ Duke Robillard, MCM TV, Paris, France, 1996 : https://youtu.be/w2OvTHwTW6E?t=68
■ The Duke Robillard Band, New Morning, Paris, France, 2004 : https://youtu.be/iwEyW8zpkRA
■ The Duke Robillard Band, Terrassa Jazz Festival, Catalonia, Spain, 2004 :
→ Part 1/2 : https://youtu.be/V562ienZpzA
→ Part 2/2 : https://youtu.be/-rozEF1nzkk
■ “This Dream“, Bryant University, RI, 2006 : https://youtu.be/sOE3YsTYkds
■ The Duke Robillard Band, BluesCazorla Festival (Spain), 2006 : https://youtu.be/MRmuLgUmyEg?t=10
■ Duke Robillard's “Blues A Rama” tribute to great bluesman, 2006 : https://youtu.be/1_qfhu1URFY

■ The Duke Robillard Band (with Doug James on sax), Las Vegas, NV, 2009 : https://youtu.be/y_H3Pn8OyOc
■ Nice blues, Ospel, Netherland, 2010 : https://youtu.be/lipeeFqNVrs
■ Duke Robillard, La Trastienda, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2011 :
→ Part 1 : https://youtu.be/9-20v2cQ4Vw?t=403
→ Part 2 : https://youtu.be/hrmRxk6ZHY8
→ Part 3 : https://youtu.be/QLoyKEjyFyE
■ Duke Robillard with a Latvian Blues Band, Frederikshavn Blues Festival, Denmark, 2014 : https://youtu.be/ffwXrDnV_UI

■ The Duke Robillard Jazz Trio, 2015 : https://youtu.be/hJ69sZnkMGw
■ The Duke Robillard Band, Internationale Jazzwoche Burghausen, Germany, 2015 : https://youtu.be/ws8xE-R5rGM
■ The Duke Robillard Band, Zingem, Belgium, 2015 : https://youtu.be/e4psjI3yjpc
■ "Hi-Heel Sneakers", Sportsman Tavern,  Buffalo, NY, 2016 : https://youtu.be/bZSdMoSagpU
■ Auerhahn, Linz, Austria, 2016 : https://youtu.be/_1Ri9D2324g
■ With Ronnie Earl, Regent Theatre, Arlington, VA, 2019 : https://youtu.be/IklAZ8SBX_k
■ Rhythm and Roots Festival, Charlestown, RI, 2020 : https://youtu.be/UcZrhqDe0NY
■ With Scott Hamilton (sax), Jon-Erik Kellso (trumpet), Bruce Bears (piano), Marty Ballou (bass) & Mark Teixeira (drums), Birdland Club, New York City, 2022 : https://youtu.be/DaMGOs2Thj0