THE KNICKERBOCKER MUSIC CENTER
35 Railroad Avenue, Westerly, RI 02891 (Misquamicut) | (401) 315-5070
Closed Today
The club thrived as one of the leading entertainment centers in southern New England, hosting regional and national bands with an emphasis on the blues. Some of the greats that played on the Knickerbocker stage included, Big Joe Turner, Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, Johnny Nicholas, Leon Russell, Eric Burdon and Stevie Ray Vaughan. In 1967, Roomful of Blues was born in Westerly, when guitarist Duke Robillard and pianist Al Copley started a band that played tough, no-holds barred Chicago blues. Making the Knickerbocker Café their home club, it did not take long before they started exploring swinging, jumping blues and added a horn section. Roomful would pack the house every Sunday and still plays their great brand of blues today.
Fast forward and the Café has become the Knickerbocker Music Center, a non-profit organization formed in partnership with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School. The mission of the Knickerbocker Music Center is to preserve, cultivate and grow the “Knick’s” unique brand of blues, as well as expanding access to music of all genres, by transforming the Knick into both an exciting performance venue and an exceptional center for music education.
Knickerbocker All-Stars®
8pm
Friday, September 10, 2021 at 8:00pm
The Knickerbocker Music Center. 35 Railroad Avenue, Westerly, RI 02891
Live Music
The Knickerbocker All-Stars, sponsored by the Knickerbocker Music Center and the United Theater, will be featured guest artists in the Chorus of Westerly Summer Pops Concert.
Knickerbocker All-Stars®
SPECIAL PRE-SUMMER POPS EVENT AT THE KNICKERBOCKER FEATURING Sugar Ray Norcia, and special guest Darcel Wilson
Sugar Ray Norcia, a three time Grammy Nominee joins Darcel Wilson, who sang with the Knickerbocker All-Stars on their most recent album, "Love Makes a Woman" which was nominated for soul blues album of the year by the Blues Foundation.
The Knickerbocker All-Stars are a group of extremely talented blues musicians who have been in the business for decades. Members of the band have played with such notable performers as Freddie King, Robert Cray, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Roomful of Blues as well as their own bands.
Sunday nights at the Knickerbocker Café in Westerly, RI featured the Roomful of Blues in the 1970’s and early 80’s. It quickly became the hottest social event in the area. Duke Robillard, the legendary blues guitarist and leader of the Roomful, would invite many up and coming musicians on stage to get their licks in as well as featured artists, the list of which is too long to mention.
Every song on their CD was carefully selected to emulate the great blues front-men, backed by a full horn section with bluesy and boogie woogie piano. The band includes blues heroes Sugar Ray Norcia, Darcel Wilson, Ricky King Russell, Doug James, Matt McCabe, Doc Chanonhouse, Sax Gordon, Brad Hallen, Carl Querfurfh and Mark Teixeira.
If you play their songs loud enough and close your eyes you can envision the band blasting away while dancers on the floor twist, swing, jitterbug and slow dance real tight. All of this is what was and still is the hallmark of the Knickerbocker Café. 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 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.
Show: 8p | Doors: 7p
Tickets: $20 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges. Seats are on a first-come, first-serve basis, and seats are not guaranteed with ticket purchase.)
