Bob Corritore & Friends - Spider in My Stew

Bob Corritore & Friends - Spider in My Stew - Vizztone/SWMAF Records

This album is yet another compilation from Bob Corritore with the veteran blues harmonica teamed with some of today's most outstanding blues artists for many wonderful traditional Chicago blues. Among those heard, with Corritore's harp backing, are Sugaray Rayford, Lurrie Bell, John Primer, Alabama Mike, Diunna Greenleaf, Francine Reed, Johnny Rawls, Oscar Wilson, Willie Buck, and Bill & Shy Perry. Bell, Primer, Rawls, and Bill Perry also contribute guitar. Other guitarists on this album include Bob Margolin, Junior Watson, Kid Ramos, L.A. Jones, Jimi 'Primetime' Smith, and Jimmy Rapp. Among the keyboard players are Fred Kaplan, Shea Marshall, Doc Holiday, and Bob Welsh. Bob Stroger, Adrian Marie, Kedar Roy, and Troy Sandow are among the bassists, while the drummers include Brian Fahey, Andrew Guterman, Marty Dodson, and June Core. Shea Marshall and Doug James are heard on saxophone.

With this contemporary group of blues all-stars, one should not be surprised with just how good some of these performances are, starting with Oscar Wilson's robust singing on a cover of Fenton Robinson's "Tennessee Woman." Sugaray Rayford's "Soul Food" is one of the few originals here. It sounds like a hot 50's Memphis shuffle as he exuberantly shouts about going to get Big Mama's Soul Food. Corritore's fat wet tone evokes Papa Lightfoot here while drummer Marty Dodson channels Fred Below. Alabama Mike transforms Chuck Willis' "Whatcha Gonna Do" into what it might have sounded if Jesse Fortune had recorded it in Chicago. Junior Watson is outstanding on guitar. Mike also updates Harmonica Slim's "Drop Anchor."

Koko Taylor sang the original rendition of Willie Dixon's "Don't Mess With The Messer." Diunna Greenleaf makes this song her own on a recording that evokes Willie Dixon's productions. Here Corritore playing more in a Sonny Boy Williamson II manner. Add Doug James' rousing baritone sax solo and one has a gem of a performance. Willie Dixon also wrote the title track, which Lurrie Bell pours his heart into with fervent singing and white-hot guitar while Corritore shines on chromatic harmonica. Johnny Rawls contributes a soulful B.B. King-styled "blues, "Sleeping With the Blue." 

With trebly guitar from Kid Ramos and Johnny Main, Francine Reed powerfully updates the Staples Singers "Why Am I Treated So Bad" and Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released." Another standout selection is Willie Buck's channeling of Muddy Waters on "Soon Forgotten." Jimi 'Primetime' Smith's guitar, Fred Kaplan's piano, and Corritore's harp contribute to evoke the Chicago blues legend on this stellar cover. Everything on this album is wonderfully played, and again Bob Corritore has put together a collection of first-rate Chicago-styled blues with so many outstanding selections.

I received my review copy from VizzTone. Here is Bob Corritore and Sugaray Rayford.

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.