By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Greg Piccolo
Greg Piccolo is a long-time music veteran – a versatile vocalist and sax player who spent 25 years as a key member of the world-renowned Roomful of Blues.
Since leaving Rhode Island-based Roomful of Blues in 1994, Piccolo has spent more than 30 years working on his vocals and horn playing. He has also been leading his band, Heavy Juice.
Even though he is closing in on octogenarian status, Piccolo is still active in the recording studio and still playing concert venues across the country.
“I’m 75 now,” said Piccolo, during a phone interview last week from his home in Westerly, Rhode Island.
“I can speak. I can still play. I get achy feet when I’m standing on the stage for an hour-and-half but — so far, so good.”
An acclaimed roots and blues musician, Piccolo (and Heavy Juice) will be taking the stage, for the first time, at Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, www.st94.com) on Wednesday September 30.
Piccolo is riding the wave of his acclaimed new release, “Who Knows What the Future Holds” (MoMojo Records), which has been earning rave reviews.
“This is my first solo album with my band Heavy Juice,” said Piccolo. “It’s all original material. Unlike with House of Blues albums, on this one I got to do what I wanted to do.”
Musically, “Who Knows What the Future Holds” presents introspection with infectious energy. The songs indicate personal reflection, but they also move — being rooted in groove.
The new tunes are rich in clever storytelling and alive with a spirit that has carried Piccolo through more than 60 years on the road. Now, Piccolo has entered a new and deeply personal chapter. Throughout his career, Piccolo has earned multiple Blues Music Award nominations and induction into the New England Music Hall of Fame.
He has shared stages and studios with an extraordinary range of artists, including Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Pat Benatar and Big Joe Turner, further solidifying his reputation as a world-class musician.
“I’ve learned a lot from all the great musicians I’ve played with – all the wonderful artists I have fallen in love with over the years,” said Piccolo.
“I joined Roomful of Blues when Duke Robillard left. Duke played the right thing every time. He was our encyclopedia of blues.”
Founding member Robillard left the band in 1980, and guitarist Ronnie Earl replaced him. Singer Lou Ann Barton joined the band at this time, sharing vocals with sax man Piccolo.
“When Duke left, Ronnie came in,” said Piccolo. “He had totally his own sound. One note and you know it’s him.
“I left Roomful of Blues in 1994 – after Ronnie left. They were paring the band down and I was getting tired of guys who didn’t know how to swing. I knew my days were numbered.”
Piccolo’s first solo album was “Heavy Juice” in 1990 followed by “Acid Blue” in 1995.
“I really like ‘Acid Blue,’” said Piccolo. “The songs are really good.”
The next albums were “Red Lights” in 1997, “Homage” in 2001 and “Who Did This?” in 2018. Six years later, Piccolo was in the studio working on “Who Knows What the Future Holds.”
“We recorded the album in 2024 and finished in November that year,” said Piccolo. “We cut the album at Sonic Ranch in Texas.”
Sonic Ranch, the world’s largest residential recording studio, offers a quiet space in the desert with studios, equipment and staff to give musicians the tools they need to work.
Sonic Ranch is a working farm in Tornillo on 1,700 acres hugging the Rio Grande and Texas’ border with Mexico, some 40 miles east of El Paso. There is open desert on all four sides, broken up by rows and rows of pecan orchards.
But Sonic Ranch’s true commodity is the prized music that has emerged from its quiet, no-pressure environment. The ranch and nearby homes have enough rooms to accommodate artists.
The six studios, pool, basketball court, and well-stocked kitchen add to the capacity and create something of a creative commune that musicians from around the world have come to love.
Sonic Ranch owner Tony Rancich relaunched it as a recording haven in 1989. Since then, musicians and engineers have found a seemingly endless array of musical instruments in studios where vintage gear sits alongside modern recording equipment — connecting musicians to past and present.
“It was just a mystical experience being at Sonic Ranch – just being there,” said Piccolo.
“There were three Mexican ladies who crossed the border each day to cook for us. We were there for a week.
“The horn section came on later. Then, we had to do vocal overdubs later.”
The vocals presented a problem.
“Being in the dry desert, I knew I was going to lose my voice,” said Piccolo. “So, I waited a few months to do the vocals.
“I went to a studio in Connecticut – Power Station – to patch up a few vocals.
“I worked on it all last year. It finally came out in June this year.”
The album is a showcase for Piccolo’s songwriting.
“The songs are all originals,” said Piccolo. “I’m very proud of my songwriting. This album shows I can be a songwriter. I mostly stayed away from instrumentals this time.
“When I write a song, it could start with a riff, a melody or a story. When I start a song, I know which direction words are going.”
When Piccolo and his band hit the studio this time, it was a very productive effort.
“We recorded 15 songs,” said Piccolo. “But it didn’t feel comfortable. It was much easier to do it with 11.
“The songs were written from 1984-2010. My style of writing hasn’t changed at all over the years. The songs are different – but they fit together.”
“Who Knows What the Future Holds” was produced by Terry Manning.
Manning was an American recording engineer, record producer, musician and photographer.
In a career spanning more than 50 years, he worked with an impressive line-up of musicians, including Led Zeppelin, Shakira, Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Iron Maiden, ZZ Top, Booker T. & the MG’s, Johnny Winter, Shania Twain, Joe Cocker, Joe Walsh, and Lenny Kravitz.
“Terry was a great producer – and a great guy,” said Piccolo. “We were lucky to have worked with him before he passed away. He died of an aortic aneurism last year.”
On March 25, 2025, Manning died following an accidental fall at home, at the age of 77.
The players on the album included Shinichi Otsu (Hammond B3, Piano, Wurlitzer, Synthesizer), Bobby Ruggierio (Drums), Paul Tomasello (Bass), Dean Shot (Guitar), Kaz Kazanoff (Baritone Sax), Al Gomez (Trumpet) and Piccolo (Vocals and Tenor Sax).
Video link for Greg Piccolo and Heavy Juice — https://youtu.be/7lj5iilXqYc?si=NXwBrGYlrtbffwce.
The show at the Sellersville Theater on September 30 will start at 8 p.m.
Ticket prices start at $35.
