Corey Dennison Band

Corey Dennison Band
Delmark Records

Corey Dennison has been playing and singing soul and blues for sometime around Chicago. He played eight years behind Carl Weathersby, but also got to know folks like Howard Scott, Chico Banks and Walter Scott. Around 2007 he met multi-instrumentalist guitar and organ) Gary Hundt and they are the core of the Corey Dennison Band who also consist of Nik Skilnik on bass and Joel Baer on drums. The band has just issued an eponymously titled release on Delmark that certainly will wake up some listeners with the dynamic and riving soul-blues stew.

Dennison's singing has a pinched quality but come out so soulfully and matched by his biting guitar and the insistent, punchy backing by the band that superficially might be likened to the swamp rock of a Tony Joe White meeting Magic Slim & the Teardrops starting with the opening track about moonshine, "Getcha' Pull." with a swampy feel to the closing Jimmy Reed-styled shuffle "Good Enuff" played with the drive of Magic Slim and the Teardrops with penetrating guitar.

The mix of tempos and moods on the 13 originals make for entertaining listening. There is the funk groove of "The Deacon," with terrific, and unpredictable, guitar while "Room To Breathe" is a solid southern soul styled blues ballad and "She's No Good" is a easy rocker with the melody suggesting the Valentino's "It's All Over Now." Another strong number is "Don't Say You're Sorry," with its country soul feel followed by a terrific slow, early in the morning, slow blues, "A Fool's Goodbye" with echoes of Albert King in Dennison's guitar playing. It is followed by the instrumental, "Jasper's Hop."

The consistency of performances from Dennison's guitar and vocals to the fine support his band provides makes for a sterling Delmark Records debut by the Corey Dennison Band.

I received a review copy from Delmark. Here is a video of the Band.