The Rockit 88 Band

In 2003, vocalist and pianist Bill King pared down his dream band, the Saturday Nite Fish Fry, to guitarist Neil Chapman and the rhythm section and allowed it to feast on its own vices.  A steady Friday night gig at RD’s Barbeque & Blues in Toronto helped the four-piece group find their name, attitude, distinct personality and new repertoire.  The sound was classic blues with a bit of New Orleans and Southern rock sprinkled on top for seasoning.  The group went on to capture a Maple Blues award for ‘Best New Artist’ and their debut album Too Much Fun captured a Juno nomination for ‘Best Blues Album.’  It’s now 2010 and King and Chapman are back and joined by musical heavyweights Lionel Williams on bass and Jim Casson on drums.  The band has revamped its sound and has produced new material for their second release ‘Sweet Sugar Cane.’  Although blues remains at their core, the band has now added a touch of country rock, Appalachian and electric folk to the mix.  The music of ‘Sweet Sugar Cane’ is all about storytelling, the kind that happens in the Deep South – civil rights, dignity, passion and desire, life, loss and celebration of the human spirit – and the songwriting style on the album has been called Van Morrison meets Bob Dylan.  At the core of the band’s sound is a blend of rockin’ piano, heavy slide guitar, thundering bass and pounding drums - a sound made to order by great American bands like the Allman Brothers and Little Feet.  Rockit 88’s own Bill King serves as artistic director and emcee for the Beaches International Jazz Festival.