Henry Gray & Bob Corritore Sessions Vol. 2: Cold Chills

Henry Gray & Bob Corritore
Henry Gray & Bob Corritore Sessions Vol. 2: Cold Chills
SWMAF Records/ Vizztone

This is the second volume of performances the late Henry Gray made with Bob Corritore, the Phoenix blues promoter, harmonica player, and record producer. It collects 14 performances (and one phone message) recorded over the span of a couple of decades. Gray was a mainstay of Howlin' Wolf's band for over a decade before relocating to Louisiana. He passed away in January 2020 at the age of 95. I wrote about the previous volume, "This is a solid and delightful collection of classic Chicago blues with a touch Louisiana swamp blues mixed in. Given that this is labeled Vol. 1, one looks forward to a further release of Henry Gray's blues sessions with Bob Corritore." That further release has arrived.

Besides Gray's Chicago piano, he sings on eight tracks. Other vocals are provided by John Brim, Jimi' Primetime' Smith, Eddie Taylor Jr., Tail Dragger, and Chief Schabuttie Gilliame. The impressive musicians heard here include guitarists John Brim, Bob Margolin, Eddie Taylor Jr., Robert Lockwood Jr., Johnny Rapp, Illinois Slim, Johnny Burgin, Chris James, and Kirk Fletcher. Chico Chism handles drums on most selections with Brian Fahey, Steve Cushing, and Marty Dodson also are heard. Bassists include Bob Stroger, Troy Sandow, Paul Thomas, Patrick Ryan, Pops McFarlane, and Mario Moreno.

Gray was a husky pianist influenced by the great Big Maceo, but with his own distinctive style and phrasing. The opening selection "Cold Chills' is a strongly performed slow blues he first recorded over a half-century ago. Margolin and Corritore add strong guitar and harmonica in support. There is a rollicking rendition of GL Crockett's "Look Out Mabel" with a hint of "Mystery Train" in the melody. A John Brim phone message telling Bob he should hook up with Gray leads to Gray backing Brim on a terrific Chicago blues "Moonlight Blues." It is followed by Eddie Taylor Jr.'s fine rendition of Jimmy Rogers' "Going Away Baby." Gray's backing on these tracks are terrific. Also, Tail Dragger is heard on the slow Howlin' Wolf styled "Hurt Your Feelings," and the rocking shuffle "Birthday Blues." Chris James and Kirk Flecther enliven this last recording.

Gray provides a robust vocal to "Mother-in-Law Blues" with a choice Robert Lockwood Jr. guitar solo in addition to Gray's choruses. The is plenty of energy in Gray's rendition of J.B. Lenoir's "The Mojo," and even an unusual cover of Hank Ballard's "The Twist." This number was from Gray's last Phoenix session with Corritore. This collection of Henry Gray performances closes with a robust rendition of "Going Down Slow," with outstanding guitar from Johnny Rapp. The performances here are consistently enjoyable with several exceptional ones. As I said about the earlier release, this is a delightful collection of Chicago blues with a touch of Louisiana swamp blues.

I received my review copy from Vizztone. Here is a performance by Henry Gray and Bob Corritore of Jimmy Rogers "Blues Won't Let Me Take My Rest."

Bob Corritore and Friends Don't Let the Devil Ride

Bob Corritore and Friends
Don't Let the Devil Ride
SWMAF/Vizztone

This collection of choice Chicago blues covers and idiomatic originals is the latest from harmonica player Bob Corritore. From a variety of sessions, and with a variety of vocalists and musicians he has put together another choice dozen blues performances. Amongst those present here are vocalists Willie Buck, Oscar Willis, Bill 'Howl-N-Madd' Perry, George Bowman, Alabama Mike, Tail Dragger, and Sugaray Rayford. Among the supporting musicians are such guitarists as Big Jon Atkinson, Junior Watson, Jimi "Primetime" Smith, Chris James and Rockin ' Johnny; pianists Henry Gray, Bob Welch and Fred Kaplan; bassists Troy Sandow, Kedar Roy, Patrick Rynn, and Bob Stroger; and drummers Marty Dotson and Brian Fahey. This is not a complete listing of supporting musicians.

Just a few notes on the performances here. Willie Buck contributed the opening Jimmy Reed styled blues, "Woke Up This Morning," with his slightly mush-mouth singing and Corritore's Reed-styled harp playing making for an enjoyable performance. Oscar Wilson handles the singing on a straight cover of Little Walter's recording, "Tell Me Baby," with some real fine harp and Henry Gray pounding away on the piano. Wilson's other vocal is a solid, lazy Corritore original, "Fork in the Road," with Gray present again. It is followed by a lazy, amusing Sugaray Rayford original "The Glide," with a terrific vocal and a clever double entendre lyric. Behind Alabama Mike's moody vocal on a cover of "Laundromat Blues," Corritore plays some blistering chromatic harp. Bill 'Howl-N-Madd' Perry provides a swamp blues feel on his "Willie Mae," with a Gulf Coast rumba groove. On "I Was a Fool," George Bowman's gritty singing is backed by Corritore's big-toned chromatic along with austere backing from Atkinson, Sandow, and Fahey, while on Alabama Mike's "Blues Why You Worry Me?," the backing suggests "Scratch My Back."

Tail Dragger closes out this set for a Muddy Waters' styled blues, "Thundering and Raining," where he sings about a tornado coming and his baby not on the ground. It is not a fancy performance, but sung with heart and ably backed. That pretty much characterizes all the music on this latest album from Corritore. Fans of classic Chicago blues will find much to enjoy here. Recommended.

I received my review copy from VizzTone. This review appeared originally in the July-August 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 379). Here is a performance by Corritore and Sugaray Rayford.

Howlin' At Greaseland

Various
Howlin' At Greaseland
West Tone Records

Some veterans and new names join together for a tribute to Howlin' Wolf that was recorded at Kid Andersen's' Greaseland studio and has a cover inspired by Wolf's Rockin' Chair album. Assembled for this besides Andersen on guitar, bass and piano, are Rick Estrin and Aki Kumar on harp, Lorenzo Farrell, Jim Pugh and Henry Gray on piano, Rockin' Johnny Burgin, Johnny Cat, and Chris James on guitar; Joe Kyle Jr, Patrick Rynn, Robby Yamilov and Vance Ehlers on bass; Derrick Dmar Martin, and Junior Core on drums; and Terry Hanck on sax, with vocals from Gray, Hanck, Alabama Mike John Blues Boyd, Lee Donald and Tail Dragger on vocals.

There are solidly played and sung performances in the manner of the originals, if not quite of the level of the originals. After all, there was only one Howlin' Wolf. Alabama Mike sings with urgency on "Meet Me In The Bottom," with Estrin's harmonica and Farrell's piano featured while "Smokestack Lightning," has the first of Boyd's vocals with Estrin doing a nice evocation of Wolf's harp over the solid vocal. Boyd also recalled seeing Wolf in 1956 visiting a school friend of his before launching into a rollicking "Riding in the Moonlight," with the spirit of Willie Johnson suggested in the guitar backing. After recalling, his father booking Howlin' Wolf in the sixties in suburban Chicago, Terry Hanck handles "Howlin' For My Darling," with a fine vocal and strong sax, while Johnny Cat emulates Hubert Sumlin.

Tail Dragger has a couple of recollections of Wolf here along with performances of "I'm Leaving You," and "Don't Trust No Woman," with his slightly muffled vocals with strong accompaniment from Rockin' Johnny Burgin on guitar, and Aki Kumar on harp. Henry Gray, who spent 14 years in Wolf's band, is backed by Chris James, Patrick Rynn, Ali Kumar (who shares the vocal) and Junior Core, doing a solid "Worried Life Blues." I believe this is the only song here not identified with Wolf. Also, Gray sings and plays "Little Red Rooster, with Kid Andersen's acoustic guitar the only other backing.

I am not familiar with Lee Donald, who is the strong vocalist on "Forty Four," and Boyd sings robustly on "Spoonful" that closes "Howlin' At Greaseland." While there is nothing earthshaking here, this is a fine, straightforward homage to one of the icons of the blues.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is John 'Blues' Boyd singing a Wolf classic not on this album, "Back Door Man."

Tail Dragger - Stop Lyin'

A surprising new release on Delmark makes available the first recordings byJames Yancy Jones, better known as Tail Dragger, Stop Lyin’. It was recorded at the time Tail Dragger had been been performing with various bands, but had yet to make to make music his career. He had been working as a truck mechanic and a log distance hauler (including traveling down south to haul back catfish from Mississippi for the Delta Fish market) On Stop Lyin’, he was backed by a band that included Johnny B Moore and Jesse Lee Williams on guitar, Eddie ‘Jewtown’ Burks or Little Mac Simmons on harmonica, Willie Kent on bass and Larry Taylor on drums with Lafayette Leake

adding piano on two selections. 

Tail Dragger’s music is very much in the vein of Howlin’ Wolf that Justin O’Brien, in the liner notes, observes was an “over-the-top take on Wolf’s delivery.” Two of the nine songs here So Ezee and My Head Is Bald were issued on Jimmy Dawkins’ Leric label and the others appear on a recording for the first time. Tail Dragger’s songs here are all originals although some modeled on Wolf’s recordings so the groove of Where Did You Go might evoke Smokestack Lightnin’ or Commit a Crime, whereas the use of the Dust My Broom riff on Alabama Bound similarly suggests Wolf’s Highway 61. Their is some nice slide guitar on the latter number. Tail Dragger was, and is, an appealing singing although his vocals lack the articulation of the Wolf's singing.

In addition to the blues performances, this cd is filled out by the lengthy spoken Tail’s Tale, a fascinating and frank bit of oral history that provides some sense of the time and place of this recording. The songs are nicely played and performed and this will appeal to fans of old school Chicago blues.

I received my review copy from Delmark. Here is a video of Tail Dragger with Rockin' Johnny doing My Head Is Bald.

Tail Dragger And Bob Corritore Are Long Time Friends

Chicago blues performer, Tail Dragger has a new release in collaboration with Bob Corritore on Delta Groove, Longtime Friends In The Blues. Tail Dragger has built a career on his Howlin’ Wolf inspired style while Corritore is not only a fine harmonica player, but also a terrific producer of classic Chicago styled blues recordings. Corritore and Tail Dragger met the day after Wolf passed in 1976 at a tribute to Wolf and became friends, hence the album title. Corritore has assembled a terrific band here that includes former Howlin’ Wolf pianist Henry Gray; guitarists Kirk Fletcher and Chris James with patrick Rynn on bass and Brian Fahey to help evoke the spirit of the great Wolf.

Tail Dragger certainly does a credible job in suggesting the music of the legendary Wolf and the solid band provides performances firmly in Wolf’s style. The guitarists Fletcher and James certainly along with pianist Gray, Corritore’s harp embellishments and the rock solid rhythm provide of pastiche of Wolf’s recordings . The sound of Wolf is evoked from the opening moments of I’m Worried and Sugar Mama (the latter includes Gray sharing the vocal); through the relentless Through With You; the driving shuffle of Done Got Old; the rollicking Boogie Woogie Ball that spotlight’s Gray two-fisted piano; and the closing Please Mr. Jailer, where Tail Dragger pleads to the judge let his woman go free when she is accused of murder but she wouldn’t hurt a flea.

Tail Dragger is not quite as powerful a singer as Wolf was, and his diction is a bit slurred, but like his prior recordings on Delmark, has provided us with solid and idiomatic recordings backed by a thoroughly idiomatic and sympathetic backing band. There are mostly originals in a Wolf vein that are nicely performed. This certainly will appeal to fans of Tail Dragger as well as lovers of traditionally oriented Chicago blues.

I received a review copy from Delta Groove Productions. Here is a video of Tail Dragger and Bob Corritore.

Tail Dragger Live at Vern's Friendly Lounge

James Y. Jones, the Chicago blues singer took his stage name, Tail Dragger, from a Howlin Wolf song. This was fitting insofar as Wolf was a mentor and heavy influence on him as reflected in his singing, stage act and his music which employs some of the grooves and melodies associated with some of Wolf’s classic recordings, even tossing in a yodel-like Howl on several tracks. A few years back he had a CD and DVD on Delmark is My Head is Bald, Live at Vern’s Friendly Lounge, Chicago. He benefited from a terrific band that has Billy Branch on harmonica, Lurrie Bell on Guitar, Kevin Shanahan on guitar, Bob Stroger on bass, Kenny Smith on drums and Willie Young on tenor sax. Jimmy Dawkins replaces Shanahan on My Head is Bald.

Tail Dragger contributed all the songs except Jimmy Dawkins’ So Ezee. One song, Cold Out Doors, is a DVD bonus track not on the CD. While one would be hard-pressed to call the Tail Dragger a major artist, he entertains with a program that evokes the Wolf. His vocals are slightly slurred and don’t have Wolf’s crispness nor is he as forceful as Wolf was, but still is a very enjoyable singer with the band rocking behind him. Billy Branch is typically outstanding while Lurrie Bell’s stinging lines and riffs evoke Hubert Sumlin’s playing with Wolf. The rhythm duo of Stroger and Smith provide a solid foundation for everybody else. Songs like Tend to Your Business, My Woman is Gone, and the title track, are typically of the solid evocation of Wolf’s music present throughout and its entertaining to watch the DVD to see Tail Dragger singing for the woman, working the crowd and egging his musicians on.

I was also impressed by the camera work and production on the DVD which really gives a sense of that evening at Vern’s Friendly Lounge. This is certainly welcome as an entertaining release that should appeal to fans of classic Chicago blues.

I received my review copies from Delmark and this review originally appeared in slightly different form in the February 2006 DC Blues Calendar which was then the DC Blues Society’s newsletter. It also appeared in the July-August 2006 Jazz and Blues Report (Issue 284). I previously posted a review of his Live at Rooster's Lounge.

If my review interests you, here is Delmark's Trailer promoting this DVD.

Tail Dragger's New Live Album

Its been a few years since Delmark issued a live performance by Tail Dragger on CD and DVD. The prior release, “My Head Is Bald, Live At Vern’s Friendly Lounge, Chicago,” was well received and reportedly one of Delmark’s better selling releases. Three years later they follow with “Live at Rooster's Lounge,” with the Howlin’ Wolf inspired James Y. Jones performs straight Chicago blues in the vein of his mentor and friend as he redoes some of Wolf tunes along with some similarly structured originals and a few tunes associated with Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter and John Lee Hooker, although played in a Wolf-style.

This is a well-played performance with a solid band that includes Rockin’ Johnny Burgin and Kevin Shanahan on guitars, Martin Lang on harp, Todd Fackler on bass and Rob Lorenz on drums with Jimmy Dawkins added to one track. Jones is an expressive singer who suggests Wolf but whose slurred diction does detract a bit from the forcefulness of the performances and the band plays idiomatically. Shanahan and Dawkins are the only ones returning the earlier CD/DVD which benefited greatly from Lurrie Bell’s mercurial guitar. There is certainly nothing wrong with Jones’ covers of “Louise,” “Baby Please Don’t Go,” or “I’m in the Mood’, his own “Stop Lyin’,” and “Bought Me a New Home,” but also nothing amazing about them either. The DVD has additional performances and Delmark’s usual straight-forward video qualities.

On its own, an enjoyable, if unexceptional, recording. If you have the prior live recording, I find little here to call this a must purchase. This one may be easier to find and one might be fan of this viewing Tail Dragger as a Wolf tribute artist, but he is not such a compelling performer that the general blues fan would need everything he has recorded.

Since I wrote this, I received a email from Kevin Johnson at Delmark who reminds me this CD marks return of Rockin Johnny to recording and performing after almost a decade disappearance! Johnny has been one of the better young guitarists in Chicago at playing in a more traditional Chicago blues vein and its welcome that he is back in circulation.

For purposes of FTC regulations, I received a review copy of this from Delmark.