Monday, April 06, 2009

Bob Corritore - Congratulations on 25 Years of Great Blues Radio

I became first aware of Bob Corritore in the '70s when he issued some blues albums by lesser known, but hardly lesser, Chicago artists Little Willie Anderson and Big Leon Brooks. Subsequently he relocated to Phoenix Arizona where he has become a multiple blues-threat, running a blues venue, The Rhythm Room; hosting for twenty-five years a blues show, Those Lowdown Blues, on KJZZ 91.5 on Sunday Nights (from 7:00PM to Midnight Phoenix Time); being a blues harmonica player of some note; and being a producer of many fine blues records.

Recently, Southwest Musical Arts Foundation Records has issued Broadcasting the Blues, a 25th Anniversary Celebration of Bob's excellent Those Lowdown Blues program.
It includes some relaxed informal performances by such blues artists as Billy Boy Arnold, Billy Flynn, CeDell Davis, Dave Riley, Henry Gray, Johnny Dyer, Lazy Lester, Louisiana Red, Lowell Fulson, and Tomcat Courtney, that were done during Bob's show. While one would not call this essential, there are some very memorable moments such Lowell Fulson reprising "Sinner's Prayer," Billy Boy Arnold's solo version of "Shake Your Boogie,"Tomcat Courtney's "The World is Mad," Louisiana Red's gospel number (with nice slide) "Home in the Rock," Henry Gray's "Cold Chills," and Lazy Lester's "Out on the Road."

This is available from KJZZ (http://kjzz.org/music/blues) which gets proceeds from the sales as well as Bluebeat Music (www.bluebeatmusic.com). Having listened over the net to Bob's program, my only regret is that it is not on earlier as he plays nothing but the blues.May Bob have another 25 years of playing the real lowdown blues. Bob's own website is http://www.bobcorritore.com, and is a valuable resource in its own right. As the late Willie Dixon is heard, "Bob, keep on playing the blues." I will keep on listening,

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