Dave Riley & Bob Corritore Travelin' the Dirt Road

Dave Riley & Bob Corritore
Travelin' the Dirt Road
SWMAF Records/ Vizztone

Blues can be a very simple music. Simple guitar riffs and crying harmonica accompaniment for heartfelt vocals can get to the listener's heart. This simplicity forms the core of the music by the duo of Dave Riley and Bob Corritore. A Mississippi native, Riley grew up in Chicago, played in a family gospel group, and showed stuff on guitar by Pops Staples. After serving in Vietnam and playing in soul circles, he met Jimmy Reed, who helped shaped his musical outlook. But even more important was meeting Frank Frost after moving back down south. He then started playing with Frost and Sam Carr as well as having associations with John Weston, Pinetop Perkins, and Arthur Williams. This post-war delta style forms the basis of Riley's music. He is joined by his partner, Bob Corritore, a solid harmonica player who has been a blues hero as a record producer, blues radio announcer, concert promoter (at Phoenix's The Rhythm Room), and an extremely adept harp player.

"Travelin' the Dirt Road" is a reissue of their first album that initially came out in 2007 on the Blue Witch label. Two previously unissued selections have been added. Riley's guitar and vocals and Corritore's harmonica are supported by guitarist Johnny Rapp, drummer Tom Coulson, and either Dave Riley Jr. or Paul Thomas on bass. Matt Bishop adds piano to three selections. This album is a straightforward recording of Chicago to Mississippi juke joint music in the manner of Frank Frost, the Jelly Roll Kings, and Jack Johnson.

Riley's sings with a horse delivery. If his vocals lack subtlety, he compensates with honest delivery. The backing band is tight behind him. There are touches of Jimmy Reed boogies; Howlin' Wolf shuffles; and familiar themes as the vibrant title song whose melody evokes "Rock Me Baby," with Corritore wailing on harmonica. "Overalls" is a lively acoustic duet between the two. "Let's Have Some Fun Tonight" is an engaging reworking of Little Walter's "Everything's Gonna Be All Right." I suspect the guitar fills are from Johnny Rapp on this selection.

Other selections of note include the nicely paced shuffle, "Way Back Home," the brooding hoodoo blues "Voodoo Woman, Voodoo Man," and the boogie "Friends (one of two previously unissued tracks)." There is also the Muddy Waters' styled "Doggone Blues," Riley's old partner John Weston wrote. Matt Bishop's piano contributes to the appeal of this performance. There may not be anything fancy about the solid juke joint blues on this recording, but it is most welcome to hear this music played so well and with so much feeling.

I received my review copy from Vizztone. Here is a clip of Dave Riley and Bob Corritore performing.

Big Jon Atkinson's House Party

House Party At Big Jon's, a new Delta Groove release by Big Jon Atkinson & Bob Corritore is a rollicking traditional blues recording featuring the 26 year old Atkinson, who plays and sings with an authority of someone much older, and veteran harmonica master Bob Corritore, who was producing classic blues recordings before Atkinson entered this world. The two are supported by a variety of players including guitarist Danny Michel, bassist Troy Sandow, and drummers Malachi Johnson, Brian Fahey, and Marty Dodson. Recorded at Big Jon's home studio with vintage equipment, these originals and choice covers capture the sound of vintage recordings from Chess, Excello and Trumpet. Adding spice are guest appearances by Dave Riley, Willie Buck, Alabama Mike and Tomcat Courtney, providing their well seasoned voices.

Thee are many pleasures to listen to here, from the swamp blues meets Sonny Boy Williamson ambience of Atkinson's opening "Goin' Back To Tennessee," and his own evocation of a classic Jay Miller recording on another original "It Wasn't Easy," followed by a rocking swamp blues penned by Miller, "She's My Crazy Little Baby," that almost sounds like an unissued Lonesome Sundown recording. Corrritore's "Here Comes My Baby," sounds like a Sonny Boy Williamson Chess recording although retro-traditional with Little Walter styled harp. Dave Riley's down-home rendition of Charles Johnson's gospel number "At the Meeting," is followed by a rearrangement of Lightnin' Hopkin's "Mojo Hand" with biting guitar from Atkinson and vocal from Alabama Mike. Tomcat Courtney follows with his own Muddy Waters' styled down-home blues "Mojo in My Bread." 

Atkinson's "Mad About It," is a Muddy Waters styled blues, musically reminiscent of "Tiger in My Tank," with hot slide guitar and some strong Corritore harp while the pair channel the Second Sonny Boy Williamson on "Empty Bedroom." Also nice is a cover of Slim Harpo's "I'm Gonna Miss You Like The Devil," followed by Willie Buck channeling Muddy Waters in his vocal on his "You Want Me To Trust You," and then Dave Riley is more in a Memphis meets Chicago mood on "Mississippi Plow." "El Centro," a harmonica feature set against a Tex-Mex groove, is followed by Willie Buck taking the vocal on a cover of Slim Harpo's "I'm a King Bee," with the band capturing that Baton Rouge groove. 

The recording closes with Alabama Mike channeling Muddy Waters singing Casey Bill Weldon's "Somebody Done Changed The Lock On My Door," as Big Jon evokes Muddy's slide style, and Big Jon letting us know "My Feelings Won't Be Hurt," taken a medium tempo and sung and played with the authority characteristic of the entire House Party at Big Jon's. It was indeed quite a party as they evoke the classic blues sounds of the fifties and the sixties with these excellent performances.

I received a review copy from Delta Groove. While written several months ago, this review was just published in the November-December 2016 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 369), although I have made corrections to the version that appeared there.  Here is a video of them in action.

SAM CARR’S DELTA JUKES Let The Good Times Roll

SAM CARR’S DELTA JUKES 
Let The Good Times Roll
SPV BLUE

Son of the legendary Robert Nighthawk, Sam Carr is in his seventh decade as a musician. Drummer for the Jelly Roll Kings, Sam Carr’s Delta Jukes is a continuation of the delta juke sound that he has always played. Fred James has just put together this disc comprised of outtakes from two prior albums and tracks from a sound check at the Lucerne Blues Festival.

Carr is joined here by James, Dave Riley (guitar and vocals), John Weston (harmonica and vocals) and Andrew ‘Shine’ Turner on some enjoyable performances. Riley (who has an excellent album with Bob Corritore) sounds fine with originals, a nice Jimmy Reed medley and an energetic take of Little Red Rooster. Weston sings and plays strongly on two originals and Turner gives a fresh take on Crawling King Snake. The weakest tracks are Carr’s two vocals with Big Boss Man being quite forgettable. Not a bad disc overall although the sound could have been be a bit brighter. 

This review appeared in the June 2008 issue of Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 305) and I believe I received my review copy from that publication. Here is Dave Riley and Sam Carr in performance.

 

Dave Riley and Bob Corritore - Hush Your Fuss!

Mississippi born guitarist Dave Riley and harmonica wizard Bob Corritore have just issued their third CD, the traditionally rooted Hush Your Fuss! (SWMAF Records/ VizzTone). Some duo sides, such as the opening title track based on some old traditional gospel themes, are mixed with some Delta to Chicago styled juke joint blues with Dave ‘Yahni’ Riley, Jr., on bass and Brian Fahey.

There is nothing fancy here such as the easy rocking shuffle Baby Please Come Home, with Riley pleading for her to return where she belongs with some nice harmonica. No Cussin’ has an usual lyric where out Dave singing about finding he was cussing folks too much and he made up that no more cussing for him set against a low-key chugging rhythm with some fine harmonica. 

John Weston’s Snuff Dippin’ Woman, with Corritore on chromatic harmonica, is a moody slow blues about a woman with snuff juice running down her chin. In addition to the strong harp, Riley’s guitar is spot on here. It is the CD’s longest performance and only one of two songs not composed by Riley or Corritore. Gloria Bailey adds organ on Harvey Watkins’ Mississippi Po Boy, where Riley sings about not having much money but he is still so glad the Lord has been good to him. 

Home in Chicago is a shuffle with a theme that one can take Dave out of the Country but can’t take the country out of Dave. It is followed by Dave’s tale of a Hard Headed Woman who acts like she don’t care about him. This gentle rocker is set against a backing that sounds like it was derived from Junior Parker’s Mystery Train It is perhaps not the most striking lyric, but an amiable performance that is typical of most of this recording.

“Hush Your Fuss!” is a solid, amiable recording of blues without any frills with no blues-rock trappings. The songs may be standard blues fare, but they are sung and played with heart and humor. 

I received my review copy from VizzTone. I previously reviewed back in September, 2009 Riley & Corritore's Lucky to Be Living.  Here is a clip of the two performing together

Dave Riley & Bob Corritore's bluesy partnership

The following review has been submitted for publication and in the interim, I run it here.

Blues at base can be a very simple music. Simple guitar riffs and crying harmonica accompaniment for heartfelt vocals can get to the listener’s heart. This forms the heart of the music by the duo of Dave Riley and Bob Corritore. A Mississippi native, Riley actually grew up in Chicago, played in a family gospel group and showed stuff on guitar by Pops Staples and after serving in Vietnam and playing in soul circles, met Jimmy Reed who helped shaped his musical outlook. But it was meeting Frank Frost after moving back down south, and then started playing with Frost and Sam Carr as well as having associations with John Weston, Pinetop Perkins and Arthur Williams. This post-war delta style forms the basis of his music joined by his partner, Bob Corritore, a solid harmonica player who has been a blues hero as a record producer, blues radio announcer, concert promoter (at Phoenix’s The Rhythm Room) and a extremely adept harp player.

The duo has a new CD on Blue Witch, “Lucky to Be Living,” which displays the duo’s strong blues rooted in the simple Jimmy Reed boogie grooves and solid juke joint sounds that Frost pioneered with the Nighthawks (later known as the Jelly Roll Kings). Dave Riley Jr joins on bass on half the selections, while guitarist Chris James adds his idiomatic playing for three selections on which former Howlin’ Wolf pianist, Henry Gray. Several songs are by the late Frank Frost, including the opening “Jelly Roll King,” which Riley makes into a tribute about Frost, Carr and Weston. “Lets Get Together,” is a solid shuffle by Riley with Gray pounding outs some nice boogie piano as part of the driving accompaniment, while Gray also enlivens another Frost blues, the rocking “Ride With Your Daddy Tonight,” which also has a lively rocking solo from guitarist James. Frank Frost also wrote the title track, a stone Muddy Waters styled slow blues with Riley contributing some nice guitar fills and Corritore wailing on hap in support of Riley’s singing. Riley’s straightforward, somewhat hoarse singing is direct and if lacking in subtlety, it compensate with his honest delivery, while Corritore shifts from a full Little Walter styled harp tone to a more crying Rice Miller attack as appropriate. There is nothing new here but Riley and Corritore have produced a set of honest Delta to Chicago blues that should delight many.