Although America lost one of its relatively unsung Devilles in 2009 -- New York scene legend Willy DeVille died in August -- but Milwaukee music fans got one more DeVille this year.
Earlier in the summer our own veteran blues outfit Perry Weber & The DeVilles released its latest recorded effort on its own Stumpydog Music label.
"The Riot Act" features 12 tunes fueled by Weber's guitar and gritty voice.
Also on board are bassist Tom Menzer, harmonica player Benny Rickun and versatile drummer Victor Span.
According to Span, the disc is making some waves beyond Brew City now, too.
"The CD was recorded in April 2009, and was released in June," says, noting that, "It's currently No. 15 on the 'Living Blues' charts, and is receiving national and international airplay, thanks to a great radio promoter we've hired."
But what also helps is that the band has a soulful edge and a sometimes cosmopolitan sound that one rarely finds among blues bands.
"We're not the typical Stevie Ray Vaughan, 'Mustang Sally' blues band," says Span.
While tunes like the opener, the instrumental "Got My Room," are fully rooted in barrelhouse blues, "Riot Act" recalls the great early '70s Albert King Stax Records and "Hot Little Mama" has a soul and (gasp!) almost pop gloss that conjures Little Milton's mid-'60s Chess sets.
"Bernie's Bounce" has got a rockabilly drumsticks intro and "My Cake" feels almost like classic '50s rock and roll. "Big Jim" is pure 1960s organ-fueled garage rock with a blues guitar infusion.
It's no secret that the Stax house band was rooted in the blues and a song like "Slam Hammer" makes that connection even more plain.
The DeVilles get a little help from some friends on the record, including guitarist Jim McCarthy and the warm, simmering Hammond organ of Jimmy Voegeli. But one friend stands out just a little more.
"One of the highlights of the CD is that we were able to get Barrelhouse Chuck to record with us," enthuses Span, "and subsequently, join the band!
"Barrelhouse Chuck is a legend in the blues world. He's the piano player on the 'Cadillac Records' (film) soundtrack, and performed with Beyonce at President Obama's inauguration. He also tours nationally and internationally under his own name, and with The Fabulous Thunderbirds."
Span says that Perry Weber & The DeVilles are on pace to do anywhere from 130 to 150 shows "throughout the Midwest, including many showcase rooms & festivals."
That's more than a gig every three days; pretty impressive for a Milwaukee band.
In September the band -- founded in early 2007 -- has taken or will take the stage in Madison, Milwaukee, Verona, Sun Prairie and Middleton, here at home in Wisconsin, adding dates in Rochester, Minn., Kansas City, Mo., Springfield, Ill., and Cedar Rapids and Sioux City, Iowa.
You can see the band when it officially rolls out "The Riot Act" at the Milwaukee Ale House and Friday, Sept. 18. The show starts at 9:30 p.m.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
