The Noise Magazine
By A.J. Wachtel
November 2011
Pulling into the huge parking lot at Patriot Place, I’m thinking, 20 minutes out of Boston and I can eat, drink and be very merry here, and I laugh. Bruce Marshall is just beginning his set when I walk in and he plays a bunch of cuts from his latest CD, Misspent Youth. Marshall is a premier songwriter and his tunes are all hummable with memorable hooks and after many of the melodies you wonder if it was a cover you just heard or if it is an original composition; his radio-friendly music is of the highest-caliber and guitarist David Cournoyer (ex-the Vex) is one of the best unknown six-stringers in the area. “Say A Little Listen A Lot” is one of his typical uptempo power-pop tunes with jazz chords and a bit of swing mixed in and the crowd loves the sound. This is a good opening band for Roomful and everyone in the audience is here to have a good time. Bruce’s band sets the partying mood for the night.
The headliner’s set is so diverse: Jump. Swing. Blues. Rockabilly. R & B. Soul. And the sound system in this club is so good that their eight instruments surround you and sweep you away with them as they crush the room with their musical momentum. “Boogie Woogie Country Girl” by Big Joe Turner. “Jambalaya” by Hank Williams. “T-Bone Boogie” by T. Bone Walker are some of the covers they do and “She Walks Right In,” “Just A Little Love,” and “Time Brings Bout A Change” from their latest CD “Hook, Line and Sinker” showcase vocalist Phil Pemberton’s sweet and personal vocals. Every word he sings sounds like he’s singing it just to you in the audience. Chris Vachon’s great guitar is a treat also. And when trumpeter Doug Woolverton walks through the crowd while soloing in “Jambalaya” the night really catches fire. There is a lot going on during their music. During one song everyone onstage becomes quiet as baritone saxist Mark Earley plays the bass lines for a bunch of measures while alto/tenor saxist Rich Lataille plays the melody. Moments like this really shine the light on how good the musicians in this band really are. A great night just a stone’s throw from downtown Boston.
