Reviews from these publications are listed below in chronological order. Scroll to see all reviews.
ABS Magazine (France)
American Blues Scene
The Aquarian
Back To The Roots (Belgium)
BITS Magazine (Australia)
Blues 21 (Italy)
Blues Blast Magazine
Blues News Finland (Finland)
Blues Roadhouse
Bluestown Music (Netherlands)
Blues Van (Hungary)
Bman’s Blues Report
Chicago Blues Guide #1
Chicago Blues Guide #2
Concert Monkey (Belgium)
Jefferson Magazine (Sweden)
Keys And Chords (Netherlands)
La Hora Del Blues (Spain)
Paris Move (France)
Radio Nova (Italy)
Rock And Blues Muse
Rock Doctor
Soul Bag (France)
Sound Guardian (Croatia)
WTJU Reviews
WTJU Reviews (May 16, 2023)
Ok, this is going to be a Gem of an album. Bob Corritore is one of the best harmonica players in current era of Blues Music. He is originally from Chicago where he learned to play harmonica after hearing Muddy Water’s Band on the radio. Bob started playing in the Windy City on stage in 1979 but soon relocated in Phoenix Arizona where he continued his Harmonica Blues playing throughout the West Coast and was joined by the amazing Louisiana Red where they played as a duo and or band for about a year until Red relocated. Corritore opened The Rhythm Room music venue in Phoenix in 1991. It has served as his home base ever since. He and his house band, the Rhythm Room All-Stars, have backed dozens of high-profile blues musicians, both at the club and in recording sessions, with a roster that includes Bo Diddley, Pinetop Perkins, Ike Turner, Nappy Brown, Eddy Clearwater and many others. Bob had made a big name for himself and was able to play and record with some of the greats. This newest CD has previous unreleased recordings of Bob with the greats of the Blues, all recorded over a 30 year span (1992 – 2022). The CD starts off with Jimmy Rogers version of “Last Time” followed by one of my favorites “Buddy Buddy Friends” with Magic Slim. Hard to beat the tune “Twenty-Nine Ways with Koko Taylor on vocals, amazing stuff. So much historical blues on this one CD, hard to pick a favorite but I think my favorite is the last song on the CD, “Caught In The Act” with Lil’ Ed on guitar and vocals. I think I will give this one a 10+ for Blues and a 10+ for music content.
Keys And Chords (Netherlands) (May 19, 2023)
Deze bijdrage in Bob Corritore’s ‘From The Vaults Series’ richt zich nu op het rijke geluid van die invloedrijke Chicago blues. De veertien nummers zijn allemaal nooit eerder uitgebrachte juweeltjes. Nummers die zijn opgenomen in een periode van dertig jaar, en dit in een tijdsspanne tussen 1992 tot 2022. De tracks bevatten enkele van de grootste legendes uit de Windy City! Harmonica-ace Bob Corritore stelt dus opnieuw een all-star bluesshowcase samen voor zijn nieuwe langspeler ‘High Rise Blues’. Samen van zijn geweldige vrienden, die het neusje van de zalm zijn van een klassieke generatie bluesartiesten, registreerde Bob veertien overweldigende bluestracks. Bob Corritore’s diepe Chicago blues ontwikkeling resoneert naar de connecties van zijn opwindend mondharmonicaspel, waardoor dit album resoneert met een krachtige dosis ‘real deal’ Chicago Blues. Blueslegenden als Bo Diddley, Jimmy Rogers, Koko Taylor, Magic Slim, Sam Lay, Pinetop Perkins, Chico Chism, Luther Tucker, John Brim, Eddy Clearwater, John Primer, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Lil ‘Ed, Bob Reidy, Manuel Arrington en Eddie Taylor jr. verleenden maar al te graag hun medewerking aan de songlist. Toen de 25-jarige Bob Coritore in 1981 van Chicago naar Phoenix Arizona verhuisde, had hij nooit verwacht dat hij een zuidwestelijk Mekka voor de Blues zou creëren. Bob kreeg al snel gezelschap van oude soulmates als Louisiana Red en drummer Chico Chism. Bob begon met een wekelijkse bluesradioshow en in 1991 opende hij de nu legendarische bluesclub The Rhythm Room. Hij boekt er nog steevast zijn favoriete down-home bluesartiesten. Terwijl deze artiesten in de stad waren bood hij hen een opnamesessie aan. De eindresultaten waren talloze geweldige optredens die voor het nageslacht werden vastgelegd en uiteindelijk voor het eerst voor het publiek beschikbaar waren via Bob’s ‘From The Vaults’-serie. Bob Corritore werd geboren in Chicago op 27 September 1956, en schuimde er als tiener de bluesclubs af. Bob verhuisde naar Phoenix, Arizona waar hij dus al geruime tijd de befaamde club The Rhythm Room uitbaat. Hij is naast radiopresentator en record producer, ook een getalenteerd talentscout. Maar ik heb in al die jaren dat ik in het blueswereldje meedraai nooit niemand zo overtuigend zien performen als Bob. Als hij ook maar vijf-minuten tijd heeft speelt hij op zijn harp. Wachtend op de tourbus, voor het hotel, bij een pitstop in een tankstation… iedere gelegenheid neemt Bob ter harte om een mondharmonica uit zijn zak te toveren en wat te spelen. (H)eerlijke vent toch..!
– Philip Verhaege
Rock And Blues Muse (May 23, 2023)
Harp man and blues archivist Bob Corritore treats us all to a prime set of Chicago Blues tracked with genre giants on his latest release High Rise Blues.
Set to come out May 26th, 2023 via the VizzTone Label Group, High Rise Blues is a compilation of songs Corritore recorded with some of the biggest blues stars in Chicago between 1992 and 2022. Each song is a previously-unreleased gem done with a long list of blues heavies including Bo Diddley, Jimmy Rogers, Koko Taylor, Magic Slim, Sam Lay, Pinetop Perkins, Chico Chism, Luther Tucker, John Brim, Eddy Clearwater, John Primer, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Lil’ Ed, Bob Reidy, Manuel Arrington, and Eddie Taylor, Jr. That’s a whole lot of talent for one record to hold but Corritore makes it happen by using his own gifts to push and compliment each legend in turn.
Originally from Chicago, Bob Corritore transplanted himself to Phoenix, Arizona in 1981 and created a blues scene in his new hometown. He started out by gigging all over town with fellow relocators Louisiana Red and Chico Chism. A weekly blues radio show soon followed and, in 1991, he opened the now-legendary blues club the Rhythm Room. He would book his favorite artists to come and play and give them a recording session as part of the deal. This tactic ended up creating a stack of unique and amazing recordings with a Who’s Who of blues stars that are now being made available to fans thanks to Corritore’s From The Vaults series, of which High Rise Blues is a part.
The tracks on High Rise Blues are uniformly sublime and present fresh performances from many Chicago Blues stars who have sadly gone on to that great gig in the sky. Blues fans love hearing new material from the Old Masters and Corritore does not disappoint us in that department. The album opens with none other than Muddy Waters’ guitarist Jimmy Rogers rocking his 1953 hit “Last Time.” It’s a jumping shuffle full of Rogers’ crisp vocals and genre-defining guitar work. Drummer Chico Chism rubs the pocket just right and Corritore blows his harp like a boss. It’s an entertaining track that will immediately lift your mood.
“Buddy Buddy Friends” brings Magic Slim to the fore and lets him speak about those folks who like the money in your pocket more than they do you. It’s a hard, funky cut with a strong groove and outstanding takes by Slim and Corritore. Lyrically, it teaches a tough lesson we all learn sooner or later and drops its truth with nothing to cushion the blow.
Bob’s title track “High Rise Blues” is a slow jam that spotlights Chico Chism and Luther Tucker. The song is a cautionary tale warning unmarried men of the dangers of messing with married women in the projects. Chism and Tucker lay it down right, tight, and honestly, creating a perfect late-night, small-bar atmosphere that’s irresistible.
The eternal Koko Taylor shines brightly on the brilliant shuffle “Twenty-Nine Ways.” Taylor was one of the finest blues singers Chicago ever produced and she turns this one into a clinic on how the trick is done. Her vibe is so natural and full of joy that it will stop you where you stand to listen. Corritore wails on his harp, the band grooves steady, and Koko’s very presence demonstrates everything we love about the blues. There will never be another like her.
The very-much-alive John Primer gets all over “Why Are You So Mean To Me.” Primer is a Grammy-nominated traditional blues singer and guitarist known for his solo career and his time working with Junior Wells, Muddy Waters, Magic Slim, and Willie Dixon. Primer embodies the classic Chicago style and he and Corritore are a hot-handed pair who fit together well.
Every tune on High Rise Blues goes down smooth and will have you returning for more. Having a different star on each cut will do that for you and you can tell that Corritore made the most of these sessions. Can’t-miss songs include “Grinder Man” with the late Pinetop Perkins and “Little Girl” with the great Bo Diddley. Bob Corritore does us all a solid by putting out these recordings for fans to hear and by bringing respect and attention to the icons and creators of Chicago Blues. What could be cooler than that?
– Mike O’Cull
Radio Nova (Italy) (May 24, 2023)
L’ho ascoltato in anteprima e confermo in pieno quello che ho sempre scritto su di lui:Bob è come una miniera dalla quale si estrae solo Blues di livello. Grazie alle sue numerose collaborazioni i suoi archivi sono diventati un patrimonio inestimabile, da tutelare. High Rise Blues evidenzia la classe di un grande armonicista e la compattezza corale di un gruppo di amici che hanno condiviso passione è amore verso il Blues.
– Gianfranco Piria
Sound Guardian (Croatia) (May 26, 2023)
Teško se oduprijeti primisli koliko sam važan u ovome što radim, a zapravo sam samo jedan mali kotačić u velikom mehanizmu ove globalne promocije. Ne treba si umišljati niti sebe isticati jer biti stalno u žiži događanja na svjetskoj blues sceni nije nimalo lako, niti jednostavno. Upravo danas, 26. svibnja izdavačka kuća VizzTone Label Group objavljuje novi album iz serije “From The Vaults” Bob Corritore & Friends pod imemom “High Rise Blues”. Globalnu radijsku promociju odrađuje Amy Brat preko svoje promotivne kuće BratGirlmedia, dok svi mo ostali podupiremo tu globalnu promociju. No, tako to funkcionira i tako stoje stvari.
S druge pak strane, velika mi je čast biti dio svjetske promocije albuma, koji svojim sadržajem spada u istinske dragulje ovog glazbenog stila. Nisu u pitanju samo glazbenici koji čine line up ovog albuma, već je tu i u pitanju izbor skladbi za album, a u svakoj čujemo kako to na nov, svoj i svježi način Bob doslovno nanovo gradi one opće poznate stvari koje smo puno puta čuli. Ovaj tonski zapis iz serije “From The Vaults” Boba Corritorea usredotočuje se na bogati zvuk čikaškog bluesa, s 14 dosad neobjavljenih dragulja snimljenih u razdoblju od trideset godina (1992. do 2002.) s nekim od najvećih legendi “Windy Cityja” i, stoga, na ovom zadnjem albumu svoj obol dale su neke od najvećih legendi Čikago bluesa: Bo Diddley, Jimmy Rogers, Koko Taylor, Magic Slim, Sam Lay, Pinetop Perkins, Chico Chism, Luther Tucker, John Brim, Eddy Clearwater, John Primer, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Lil’ Ed, Bob Reidy, Manuel Arrington i Eddie Taylor, Jr. Naravno da već ovakva ekipa 100% nudi vrhunski blues feeling.
Bob Corritore definitivno je jedan od najboljih svirača usne harmonike u sadašnjoj eri blues glazbe. Podrijetlom je iz Chicaga gdje je naučio svirati “usnjak” nakon što je na radiju čuo Muddy Water’s Band. Bob je počeo svirati u Windy Cityju na pozornici 1979., ali se potom ubrzo preselio u Phoenix u Arizoni gdje je nastavio svirati “Harmonica Blues” diljem Zapadne obale, a pridružio mu se nevjerojatni Louisiana Red gdje su svirali kao duo i/ili bend otprilike godinu dana. Bob Corritore je otvorio glazbenu dvoranu The Rhythm Room u Phoenixu 1991. To mu je od tada služilo kao matična baza. On i njegov kućni bend, Rhythm Room All-Stars, podržavali su desetke vrhunskih blues glazbenika, kako u klubu tako i na snimanjima i od tuda dolazi ova nevjerojatno bogata baza podataka glazbe koja je ostala zabilježena tijekom proteklih godina.
Nema nikakve sumnje, Bob je uvijek volio svirati i razmijenjivati tu plavičastu sinergiju, ali i upijati i učiti od drugih. Nikada nije bio egocentričan, već upravo suprotno, želio je biti aktivni učesnik te svoje blues priče, ali samo kao odlična poveznica i spona prema sjajnom blues ozračju.
Pred nama je album od kojeg će nam krv brže kolati, od kojeg će nam nutrinu bića grijati neka posebna toplina, a kostima strujiti ona poznata hladnoća koja, zapravo, izaziva sveopću ugodu. Blues znalci jako dobro znaju o čemu pišem jer to nam se često događa. Ovakve reakcije ne može izazvati nešto što nije dobro, što nema “ono nešto”. Duboko u sebi nosim te neke znakovite vibracije, osjećaj da bi tako trebao zvučati pravi blues album i da upravo takav album je pred nama.
Bob Corritore je glazbenik, harpista, koji je najprije samo slušao, a onda je krenuo u taj beskrajni plavičasti svijet u kojem danas ima itekako značajnu ulogu. Bob nije samo svirač usnjaka, Bob ima svoj klub, on je radio DJ i glazbeni producent. No, ako sve stavimo na stranu, ostaje njegova svirka usnjaka. Taj njegov prezentacijski stil u sebi snažno objedinjuje jedinstvene glazbene bravure: Little Waltera, Juniora Wellsa i Jamesa Cottona. Naravno, velika stvar samog Boba je upravo taj njegov vlastiti i originalni stil sviranja usnjaka. Svakako da je baš time Corritore stekao globanu afirmaciju. To je doista veliki uspjeh kojeg se jednostavno mora respektirati i odati mu veliko priznanje.
S druge pak strane ovakav sudar ili sraz generacija nevjerojatno oslikava svu veličinu, snagu i raskoš prezentacijske forme Boba i samih gostujućih glazbenika. Rezultat je pred vama jedinstveni i izvrsni album. Pravi i istinski blues dragulj!
Preporuka
I zato, dragi moji, pred svima nama je apsolutno “tvrdi” i nadasve briljantni album tradicionalnog bluesa “High Rise Blues”, kojeg bez imalo ustezanja potpisuju Bob Corritore & Friends.
“High Rise Blues”, svojim sadržajem donosi nam istinski tsunami tradicionalnog bluesa koji najprije samo nadire i to čini polako i postepeno, a onda kada postane visok preko 30. metara, samo vas poklopi i priča je završena!
Ovih 14 pjesama doslovno će vas pomesti svojom ekspresijom, i da, sada i ovdje trebao bih istaknuti neke… ma, nema šanse! Album se sluša u cijeosti i tih gotovo 60′ proći će ko’ tren i što sad. Ništa “repeat”, krećemo od početka i tako krug se stalno otvara i zatvara. Želim biti dio tog kruga. Želim da me ‘poklopi’ taj veliki plavičasti val koji će me zauvijek odvesti u tu ‘blue land’ iz koje se jednostavno ne želim vratiti. Obavezno imati u svojim kolekcijama.
Yours Bluesy,
Mladen Loncar – Mike
Concert Monkey (Belgium) (May 26, 2023)
Bob Corritore is een Amerikaans mondharmonicaspeler, die op 27 september 1956 in Chicago werd geboren. Zijn leven veranderde voorgoed wanneer hij op twaalfjarige leeftijd voor het eerst Muddy Waters hoorde op de radio. In minder dan één jaar leerde hij mondharmonica spelen. Bob zocht contact met de grote harpspelers, zoals Big Walter Horton, Little Mack Simmons, Louis Myers, Junior Wells, Big John Wrencher en Carey Bell. Van hen kreeg hij veel mondharmonica tips en aanmoedigingen. In 1981 verhuisde Bob naar Phoenix, Arizona, waar hij in 1986 begon samen te werken met voormalig Howlin’ Wolf drummer Chico Chism. Die samenwerking duurde twintig jaar, tot Chico in 2007 overleed. In 1991 opende Bob de inmiddels beroemde blues & roots club, The Rhythm Room en in 1999 bracht hij zijn debuutalbum ‘All-Star Blues Sessions’ uit. In 2005 bracht Bob de Rhythm Room All-Stars, met Big Pete Pearson, naar het Marco Fiume Blues Passions Festival in Italië. Hierdoor kwam er heel wat Europese interesse voor het vurig mondharmonica spel van Bob Corritore. In 2007 ontving Bob een Keeping The Blues Alive Award van de Blues Foundation. In datzelfde jaar werd ‘Travelin’ The Dirt Road’, een samenwerking met Dave Riley, genomineerd voor een Blues Music Award. In 2011 won het album ‘Harmonica Blues’ van Bob Corritore & Friends een Blues Music Award voor Best Historical Blues Release. In 2013 werd ‘Ain’t Nothing You Can Do’, de schitterende samenwerking met John Primer, gekozen tot Best Blues Album Of 2013 door het Duitse Blues News Magazine. Een jaar later kreeg Corritore ook een Blues 411 Jimi Award als Beste Mondharmonicaspeler. In mei 2020 verscheen ‘The Gypsy Woman Told Me’, de derde samenwerking tussen Bob Corritore en John Primer. In het najaar van 2020 verschenen nog drie albums van Bob Corritore in de reeks ‘From The Vault Series’. Ook op zijn album ‘Spider In My Stew’ uit 2021 nodigde Bob Corritore weer een hele reeks gasten uit. Sugaray Rayford, Lurrie Bell, John Primer, Alabama Mike, Diunna Greenleaf, Francine Reed, Johnny Rawls, Oscar Wilson, Willie Buch, Bill & Shy Perry, Bob Stroger, Bob Margolin, Junior Watson, Kid Ramos, Johnny Main, Jimi Smith en Adrianna Marie zijn er een paar van. In de reeks Bob Corritore’s ‘From The Vaults’ verscheen op 18 februari 2022 ‘Tell Me ‘Bout It’ van Louisiana Red en Bob Corritore. In maart 2022 verscheen ‘Down Home Blues Revue’ van Bob Corritore & Friends. In september verscheen het derde album van Bob dat jaar. Hij maakte het weer met een groot aantal vrienden. Het kreeg als titel ‘You Schoked Me’ en bevat zestien songs, die tussen 2018 en 2022 opgenomen zijn tijdens een twaalftal sessies in de Tempest Studios in Tempe, Arizona. De vrienden van Bob geraken niet op want hij heeft weer een hele reeks vrienden bereid gevonden om mee te werken aan het album ‘High Rise Blues’ dat op 26 mei verschijnt.
Met ‘High Rise Blues’ focussen Bob Corritore en zijn vrienden zich op de rijke sound van de Chicago blues. De veertien nummers op het album zijn opgenomen tijdens veertien opnamesessies tussen 1992 en 2022. Bo Diddley, Jimmy Rogers, Koko Taylor, Magic Slim, John Primer en Pinetop Perkins zijn maar enkele namen van de Chicago blues legendes die aan dit album meewerkten. ‘High Rise Blues’ opent met de Chicago blues shuffle ‘Last Time’. Drummer Chico Chism en bassist Bruce Lopez zorgen voor de heerlijk stuwende groove. Met zijn doorleefde stem zingt Jimmy Rogers heel relaxt en Bob kruidt het gehele nummer met knappe mondharmonica vullingen. S.E. Willis levert uitstekend werk af op de piano. Magic Slim neemt de gitaar en de zang voor zijn rekening in ‘Buddy Buddy Friends’. Drummer B.J. Jones en bassist Andre Howard vormen hier de ritmesectie. Magic Slim tovert een knappe solo uit zijn sixstring en de mondharmonica klanken van Corritore zijn weer uitdrukkelijk aanwezig. De titeltrack ‘High Rise Blues’ is een Chicago bluesballade. Chico Chism is niet alleen de drummer van dienst, hij bewijst hier dat hij ook over een erg goede stem beschikt. Met snedige en pittige gitaarvullingen en een fijne en gevoelvolle solo speelt gitarist Luther Tucker zich in de kijker.
Koko Taylor zingt het door Willie Dixon geschreven ‘Twenty-Nine Ways’. Koko heeft een fantastische stem en het is steeds een genot om haar te horen zingen. Mondharmonicaspeler Bob Corritore schittert met een erg knappe solo en Bob Margolin speelt gitaar tijdens deze ‘Twenty-Nine Ways’. Manuel Arrington vertelt zijn verhaal in de ballade ‘Candy Bars’. Gitaristen Jon Atkinson en Danny Michel zorgen samen met mondharmonica virtuoos Bob Corritore voor het instrumentale genot. In de meeslepende Chicago bluesballade ‘Short Haired Woman’ krijgen we Eddie Taylor achter de microfoon, Illinois Slim op gitaar, Brian Fahay op drums, Bob Stroger op bas, Henry Gray op piano en Bob Corritore op mondharmonica. Het tempo gaat de hoogte in voor het swingende ‘Honey Where You Going’, met Sam Lay achter het drumstel en de microfoon. Bob’s vriend John Primer zingt de Chicago blues shuffle ‘Why Are You So Mean To Me’. Ook hier hebben met bassist Kedar Roy en drummer June Core weer een andere ritmesectie. Het pittige instrumentale solowerk komt van pianist Sid Morrow en gitarist John Primer. De hoofdrol in de piano gedreven Chicago bluesballade ‘Grinder Man’ is weggelegd voor pianist en zanger Pinetop Perkings. Bob Corritore etaleert andermaal zijn grote klasse op de mondharp en de liefhebbers van Kerstmis krijgen er van Pinetop Perkins nog een ‘Jingle Bells’ outro bovenop.
Blueslegende Bo Diddley speelt gitaar en zingt in het vloeiende bluesnummer ‘Little Girl’. Tom Mahon levert prachtig werk af op de piano. Ook hier spelen Bob en zijn mondharmonica weer een belangrijke rol. In de Chicago bluesballade ‘Hard Pill To Swalow’ neemt John Brim de zang en de gitaar voor zijn rekening. Instrumentaal is het genieten van Bob op de mondharonica en Henry Gray op de piano. Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith zingt de Muddy Waters cover ‘She’s Allright’. Samen met bassist Calvin ‘Fuzz’ Jones zorgt drummer Willie ook voor de opwindende en opdwepende groove. Met zijn snedige stem zingt Eddie Clearwater de lome Chicago bluesshuffle ‘Sail A Ship’. Met hun prachtige piano en gitaarsolo drukken Bob Reid en Eddie Clearwater hun instrumentale stempel op het nummer. Het album wordt afgesloten met de emotionele bluesballade ‘Caught In The Act’. Lil’ Ed Williams zingt het nummer met erg veel gevoel en hetzelfde kan je zeggen van zijn erg fijne gitaarvullingen. De ingetogen mondharmonica en gitaar solo van Bob Corritore en Lil’ Ed Williams zijn het perfecte verlengstuk van Lil’ Ed Williams zijn stem. Met ‘High Rise Blues’ heeft Bob Corritore weer een knap album toegevoegd aan zijn reeks Bob Corritore & Friends. De bluesliefhebbers onder ons zullen zeker in hun nopjes zijn met dit uitstekende album.
– Walter Vanheuckelom
American Blues Scene (May 26, 2023)
These stunning performances have been captured for posterity and finally available to the public for the first time!
High Rise Blues, the latest entry in Bob Corritore’s FROM THE VAULTS series, focuses on the rich sound of Chicago blues. The fourteen tracks contained within are all previously unreleased gems recorded over a thirty-year span (1992 to 2022). Bob Corritore’s deep Chicago blues upbringing led to the connections and harmonica playing that make this album resonate.
This beguilingly crafted, potent dose of real Windy City blues is brought to you by Bo Diddley, Jimmy Rogers, Koko Taylor, Magic Slim, Sam Lay, Pinetop Perkins, Chico Chism, Luther Tucker, John Brim, Eddy Clearwater, John Primer, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Lil’ Ed, Bob Reidy, Manuel Arrington, and Eddie Taylor, Jr.
When the 25-year-old Bob Coritore moved from Chicago to Phoenix Arizona in 1981, he never expected to be creating a Southwestern Mecca for the Blues — it just worked out that way. Bob was soon joined by old friend Louisiana Red, and before long they were playing all over town. Drummer Chico Chism soon followed.
Bob started doing a weekly blues radio show, and in 1991 he opened the now legendary blues club the Rhythm Room. He would book his favorite down-home blues artists at the Rhythm Room, and while these artists were in town he would offer a recording session to accompany the booking. The end results were numerous amazing performances captured for posterity and finally available to the public for the first time.
In case you missed it, the single “Last Time” featuring Chicago blues innovator Jimmy Rogers has been released. Originally recorded in 1953, the song gets revisited and re-explored by Jimmy and Bob to inject fresh energy into this classic. Bob’s playful harmonica interacts around Jimmy Rogers’ piquant singing and guitar style, and the rock-solid band anchored by Chico Chism’s classic drum style has a groove that won’t let you go. This lively performance exemplifies the mission statement of High Rise Blues.
Zicazine (France) (May 27, 2023)
French to English translation:
An essential artist on the international blues scene, Bob Corritore has played with the greatest legends of the genre and has played his harmonicas on more than a hundred albums, thus becoming one of the figureheads of this instrument which alone represents the twelve bars in general and the Chicago Blues in particular. But more than a musician, Bob Corritore is one of those pioneers as much inspired by the game as by the transmission he provides to young people, but also through his weekly radio shows or the concerts he organizes in his own club, the Rhythm Room, in the suburbs of Phoenix, each time with an audience delighted to see the cream of American bluesmen perform there. Where many artists record their memories in writing in biographies, the harmonica player has chosen to initiate his own musical collection, “From The Vaults”, in which he offers his fans to find the most beautiful collaborations. , jams and other encounters, often unexpected and most of the time unpublished. After a “Women In Blues Showcase” arrived with the spring, it is this time “High Rise Blues” which is offered to us, with inside recordings made in the company of sacred blues monsters including Jimmy Rogers, Magic Slim , Koko Taylor, Sam Lay, Eddie Taylor Jr., John Primer, Pinetop Perkins, Bo Diddley, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Lil’ Ed, Manuel Arrington, Chico Chism, Luther Tucker, John Brim and, excuse me, Eddie Clearwater and Bob Riedy! Boxed over three decades, from 1992 to 2002, the book features the most beautiful sizes of the Windy City and delights the barge with “Buddy Buddy Friends”, “Short Haired Woman”, “Why Are You So Mean To Me”, “Grinder Man” and other “Sail A Ship” which will necessarily give the shivers to any self-respecting blues lover. In all the good bins since May 26, which promises us a scorching summer!
– Fred Delforge
Chicago Blues Guide (June 2023)
Harp player Bob Corritore’s archives at The Rhythm Room in Phoenix, Ariz., have produced several high-quality CDs in recent few years, but it’ll be hard to top this collection of never-previously-released treasures, which include contributions from several of the biggest names in blues.
Captured between 1992 and 2002, Bob riffs and runs on the reeds in support of Jimmy Rogers, Magic Slim, Luther Tucker, Koko Taylor, Chico Chism, Eddie Taylor Jr., Manuel Arrington, Sam Lay, John Primer, Pinetop Perkins, Bo Diddley, John Brim, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Eddie Clearwater, Bob Reidy and Lil’ Ed, and all of them shine like the jewels they are.
This one’s so good, you’ll want to put it on repeat. Top tracks include “Last Time,” “Buddy Buddy Friends,” “High Rise Blues,” “Twenty-Nine Ways,” “Honey Where You Going,” “Grinder Man,” “Hard Pill to Swallow,” “She’s Alright,” “Sail a Ship” and “Caught in the Act.”
– Marty Gunther
Blues 21 (Italy) (June 2, 2023)
Bob Corritore, all along the vaults tower.
Chicago harmonica master Bob Corritore continues to draw on his vast recording archives recorded over the past two decades, offering to the aficionado true gems that reflect his collaborations with other seminal figures in blues music. After the two installments released in 2023, in which he dedicated the first to his encounters in the studio with female vocalists, and the last with Johnny Primetime Smith, Bob recovers in “High Rise Blues” high-voltage guests, highlighting Bo Diddley, Jimmy Rogers, Eddy Clearwater, Magic Slim or Lil’ Ed Williams, all of them in a state of immeasurable grace. Bob and his friends bring a masterpiece of blues music to the listener’s ear, it’s hard to ask for more from a collection of songs so well performed and with such sincerity transmitted. The work that Bob Corritore is doing with these volumes is of such capital importance that it deserves the greatest recognition and grateful from all lovers of this genre.
Bluestown Music (Netherlands) (June 5, 2023)
Bob Corritore (27 september 1956, Chicago, Illinois) is een Amerikaans bluesharmonicaspeler, producer, radiopresentator en eigenaar van The Rhythm Room, een muziekcentrum in Phoenix, Arizona. Zijn liefde voor bluesmuziek begint als hij op 12-jarige leeftijd Muddy Waters op de radio hoort. Van zijn jongere broer krijgt hij kort daarna zijn eerste mondharmonica. Bob gaat bluesconcerten bijwonen en op Maxwell Street ziet hij de bekende bluesharmonicaspelers Big Walter Horton en Big John Wrencher optreden en komt hij ook in aanraking met Junior Wells.
In 1981 verhuist hij naar Phoenix, Arizona waar hij optreedt met o.a. Louisiana Red. In 1984 begint hij met zijn blues radioshow en in 1991 opende The Rhythm Room, de bekende blues- en roots concertclub. Zijn debuutalbum ‘All-star Blues Sessions’ komt in 1999 uit.
De afgelopen jaren heeft Bob Corritore diverse albums uitgebracht in de serie ‘From the Vaults’, een serie met historische opnamen van grote bluesartiesten. Vorige maand verscheen weer een album uit die serie, ‘High Rise Blues’, een compilatiealbum van opnamen gemaakt tussen 1992 en 2022, waarop een ode wordt gebracht aan de Chicago blues. Op bijna alle nummers neemt de huilende mondharp van Bob Corritore een zeer prominente plaats in.
Het openingsnummer Last Time is een shuffle met Jimmy Rogers op gitaar, gevolgd door het funky en stevige Buddy Buddy Friends met gitarist Magic Slim.
Het titelnummer High Rise Blues is een slowblues met lekker gitaarwerk van Luther Tucker en strak drumwerk van Chico Chism. Uitbundig en zeer herkenbaar is de zang van Koko Taylor in Willie Dixon’s Twenty-nine Ways. Na de ‘talking blues’ Candy bars van Manuel Arrington zijn de vette gitaarlicks van Eddie Taylor jr. te horen in Lighting’ Hopkins’ slowblues Short Haired Woman.
In de typische Jimmy Reed shuffle Honey Where You Going horen we de zang en het strakke drumwerk van Sam Lay. Why Are You So Mean To Me is klassieke Chicago blues met mondharp, piano en fel gitaarwerk en zang van John Primer.
Pinetop Perkins vertolkt met verve (zang en piano) Grinder Man van Memphis Slim. Zeer sterk is het dampende Little Girl met een gedreven Bo Diddley.
John Brim is geweldig in Hard Pill To Swallow. Willie ‘Big eyes’ Smith leeft zich uit in de strakke Muddy Waters klassieker She’s Alright. Na de klassieke blues Sail A Ship met vlammende gitaarlicks van Eddy Clearwater en fraai pianospel van Bob Reid sluit Lil’ Ed (Williams) het album sterk af met de prachtige slowblues Caught In The Act.
Conclusie:
‘High Rise Blues’ is een prachtige staalkaart van (klassieke) Chicago blues van grote klasse.
Blues Roadhouse (June 5, 2023)
Once again, Bob Corritore opens the door to his seemingly endless supply of fine Chicago-style blues in another star-studded album filled with tough, old-school blues.
Corritore’s interesting backstory is well known by now, or should be. In 1981, the then-25-year-old blues harp player moved from Chicago to Phoenix, where he opened his blues club, the Rhythm Room in ’91. The club became not only a showplace for great blues artists, but a source of recording sessions that he’s stored away for years, and which are now emerging as the backbone of his powerful “From the Vaults” series.
The result is albums like “High Rise Blues,” which overflow with great music from great artists, especially the uniquely tough, hard-driving blues style born and raised in Chicago. Corritore shows up with his soaring harp on these cuts, holding his own, even enhancing the work of the bluesmasters.
These 14 tracks, all previously unreleased and reaching back to 1992, are a master class in Chicago blues taught by some of its premier practitioners, many long gone, including Bo Diddley, Jimmy Rogers, Koko Taylor, Magic Slim, Sam Lay, Pinetop Perkins, Chico Chism, Luther Tucker, John Brim, Eddy Clearwater, John Primer, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Lil’ Ed, Bob Reidy, Manuel Arrington, and Eddie Taylor, Jr.
The tracks here read like the lineup for a legendary blues festival. They include Jimmy Rogers, “Last Time”; Magic Slim, “Buddy Buddy Friends”; “Chico Chism”; Luther Tucker, “High Rise Blues”; Koko Taylor, “Twenty-Nine Ways”; Manuel Arrington, “Candy Bars”; Eddie Taylor Jr., “Short Haired Woman”; Sam Lay, “Honey Where You Going”; John Primer, “Why Are You So Mean To Me”; Pinetop Perkins, “Grinder Man”; Bo Diddley, “Little Girl”; John Brim, “Hard Pill To Swallow”; Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, “She’s Alright”; Eddie Clearwater, Bob Reid, “Sail A Ship”; and Lil’ Ed, “Caught In The Act.”
You can easily tell just from the names in that list that this promises to be great listening. And it is.
If you’re a fan of great Chicago blues (and how could you possibly not be?), store this one in your own blues vault for safekeeping.
– Jim White
La Hora Del Blues (Spain) (June 6, 2023)
Excellent, impressive, incredible, magnificent… you will finish the good adjectives to describe the collection “From the Vaults Series”, Bob Corritore is gradually publishing with VizzTone label, that gathers most of the recordings that, over the years, Bob has done with the greatest blues musicians of all time.
Now it is the turn of a select group of Chicago blues great names Corritore played and recorded with between 1992 and 2022, when these musicians travelled to Arizona to perform at Bob’s club, The Rhythm Room.
It would be really long to mention all the artists who perform in the album so, let me only say it includes so great bluesmen like Jimmy Rogers, Magic Slim, Chico Chism, Luther Tucker, Koko Taylor, Manuel Arrington, Eddie Taylor Jr., Sam Lay, John Primer, Pinetop Perkins, Bo Didley, John Brim, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Eddie “Big Chief” Clearwater, Bob Riedy or Lil’ Ed… but I would not stop without mention that all the artists involved in the album are first-class musicians too. Not to mention that Corritore and his harmonica are present in the fourteen songs selected for this volume, leading and giving an outstanding lesson of the best and most genuine real Chicago blues sound.
A fantastic album in every aspect that, thanks to Bob Corritore’s enthusiasm to share his impressive archive, will delight all blues lovers. Essential.
– Vicente Zumel
Rock Doctor (June 7, 2023)
******+
As I listen to the latest installment from Bob Corritore’s From The Vaults series I have to wonder if he’s developing ‘roids from sitting on a mountain of gold as High Rise Blues focuses on the rich sound of Chicago blues. These 14 tracks, previously unreleased and recorded between 1992 and 2022, include some big-time legends of the Windy City scene. Want a big helping of Chicago blues? This is as good as it gets.
As a harp player, Corritore did the Chicago and shared stages with some of HUGE names. Through his work on the Phoenix scene as a talent booker, club owner and studio rat he’s recorded a stunning body of work over the years. The guest list for High Rise Blues is enough to make you salivate or spring a stiffy, or perhaps both. Check out the list of folks joining Corritore here; Bo Diddley, Jimmy Rogers, Koko Taylor, Magic Slim, Sam Lay, Pinetop Perkins, Chico Chism, Luther Tucker, John Brim, Eddy Clearwater, John Primer, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Lil’ Ed, Bob Reidy, Manuel Arrington and Eddie Taylor Jr. Calling this an embarrassment of riches is a TITANIC understatement. Schwing!
The songs on High Rise Blues, despite being recorded over a period of three decades, are remarkably clean and consistent sounding as if they all came from the same year if not the same sessions. The performances are soulful and energetic, a terrific example of what attracts so many people to this style of music, myself included. I’ve truly enjoyed every disc from Corritore’s From The Vault Series, but lately it seems that each one is more spectacular than the one before. As much as I’ve enjoyed recent releases like Women In Blues Showcase and The World In A Jug, if I were to be sent to a desert island and told I could only bring one blues album, High Rise Blues would be it. Even the most uninitiated novice blues fan will feel the mojo from this one, it’s THAT powerful. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
HOT TRACKS: Last Time (with Jimmy Rogers), Grinder Man (with Pinetop Perkins), Twenty-Nine Ways (with Koko Taylor)
– John Kereiff
Paris Move (France) (June 9, 2023)
Rating: Indispensable
Faut-il vraiment encore présenter Bob Corritore à nos fidèles lecteurs? Nous l’avons déjà fait ICI, ICI, ICI, ICI, ICI, ICI, ICI, ICI, ICI, ICI, ICI, ICI, ICI, ICI, ICI et ICI… M’enfin, bon, une dernière fois, pour les néophytes: natif de Chicago, cet harmoniciste émérite migra pour Phoenix, Arizona, voici plus de quarante ans déjà. N’ayant pas tardé à s’y produire régulièrement avec quelques amis en visite (de Louisiana Red à Chico Chism), il y anime chaque semaine sa propre émission radio (sur KJZZ FM), et dirige depuis trente ans son propre club, le bien nommé Rhythm Room, au sein duquel il programme nombre de ce que la scène blues américaine compte de sémillants vétérans encore en activité. Guère enclin au gaspillage non plus qu’à la déperdition, ce bon Bob prend soin depuis les prémices de cet établissement à y conserver une trace sonore de chacun de ces artistes de passage. Trente ans plus tard, le voici donc en possession d’archives quasiment dignes pour le blues de celles de Claude Nobs au Montreux Jazz Festival. Et depuis qu’il en distille avec constance la panacée, on eût pu craindre que cette manne finisse par se tarir, mais il n’en est rien, puisqu’au contraire, chacune de ses publications semble renchérir sur celles qui la précèdent! Que l’on en juge, puisque cette nouvelle fournée distille des enregistrements aussi inédits qu’exclusifs de Jimmy Rogers, Magic Slim, Koko Taylor, John Primer, Sam Lay, Pinetop Perkins, John Brim, Lil’ Ed, Eddy Clearwater et Bo Diddley!!! On aurait pu clore cette chronique sur cette simple énumération, tant celle-ci excite les glandes salivaires, mais vous nous connaissez: service-service. Collectées au fil des trois dernières décennies, les 17 plages ici proposées présentent également leur lot de sidemen de luxe, au rang desquels on dénombre le regretté Willie “Big Eyes” Smith (historique drummer de Muddy Waters), mais aussi Luther Tucker et Bob Margolin (tous deux guitaristes du même), Big Jon Atkinson, Bob Stroger, Henry Gray, Sid Morrow, Billy Flynn, Calvin Jones, Marty Dodson, Brian Fahey et June Core. S’ouvrant sur le “Last Time” de (et par) Jimmy Rogers, cette collection se poursuit avec le funky “My Buddy Buddy Friends” par Magic Slim (que reprirent également Charlie Musselwhite et Dr. Feelgood), avec un Corritore dans la veine roborative de Junior Wells. Le batteur chicagoan Chico Chism signe et chante la plage titulaire, avec le concours des six cordes du transcendant Luther Tucker, avant que Bob Stroger et Willie Smith ne le relayent auprès de la Queen Bee en personne, Miss Koko Taylor, pour le “29 Ways” de Willie Dixon. On pourrait ainsi les énumérer toutes, mais signalons déjà que parmi les saillies notoires de ce recueil, on ne peut passer sous silence le “Little Girl” de Bo Diddley (by himself), le “Short Haired Woman” de Lightning Hopkins par Eddie Taylor Jr, “Why Are You So Mean To Me” par John Primer, le sidérant “Caught In The Act” de Lil’ Ed, “Sail A Ship” de (et par) Eddy Clearwater (avec le pianiste Bob Riedy) et “Hard Pill To Swallow” de (et par) John Brim, sans oublier le “Honey Where You Going” de Jimmy Reed par le regretté Sam Lay, “Grinder Man” de Memphis Slim par Pinetop Perkins (avec un Corritore en plein trip Walter Horton) et le “She’s Alright” de Muddy Waters par son fidèle lieutenant “Big Eyes” Smith. Traversée ce bout en bout par un harmonica protéiforme, épousant tel un caméléon chacun des styles qu’il aborde, voici donc une nouvelle anthologie vivante du Chicago blues, digne complément de la fameuse série “Living Chicago Blues” que publia Alligator voici 45 ans déjà.
– Patrick Dallongeville
Chicago Blues Guide #2 (June 16, 2023)
There’s something to be said about the deep connection between Chicago blues musicians. It seems like no matter how far they roam; they always manage to find common ground in the storied musical traditions that sprung out of “Sweet Home Chicago.”
Harmonica ace Bob Corritore is a perfect example of the lasting bond between Chi-town’s music makers. He grew up in the Chicago area, became enamored with the blues at a young age, and made meaningful connections with a slew of beloved blues musicians ranging from Koko Taylor and Chico Chism to Eddie Taylor, Jr. and many more.
Corritore made the move to Phoenix, Arizona in the early eighties but his blues boosterism continued after putting down roots in the desert state. He entertained his many musical friends who happened to drop in and was soon hosting a radio show called “Those Lowdown Blues” that continues to this day.
In 1991, Corritore became a club owner when he opened his long-running Rhythm Room in Phoenix. Through the years he has booked a long list of popular blues musicians, to perform at his club and jam with Corritore’s band after playing there. Luckily, Corritore had the foresight and Chicago “street smarts” to record these many riveting performances, which has resulted in a variety of great releases via his “from the vaults” collection.
His latest output, High Rise Blues is a towering example of classic Chicago blues at its finest. This new CD features a venerable list of “Who’s Who in the Blues” with inspired performances from Bo Diddley and Pinetop Perkins to Jimmy Rogers, Magic Slim and many more. This fourteen-track tour de force was recorded between 1992 and 2022 and features unreleased cuts from artists in peak performance mode.
A prolific poster on social media, Corritore has taken on the role of blues historian for the internet age. He frequently shares classic photos and anecdotes of blues players from days gone by. While he’s known for his “vaults” of classic recordings, it seems like his extensive photo collection and blues memorabilia are equally impressive.
Corritore seems cognizant of the close relationship between iconic images and the blues tradition. In terms of his harmonica work he feels that “I’m a better player now” and has the confidence to “take newer things further” but firmly believes that these recordings represent a “snapshot of the older days” as well as a special “moment in time.” So, he has wisely let the artist’s work take center stage on High Rise Blues even though his harp playing has evolved over the years.
He recently posted some photos of the late Jimmy Rogers in honor of Rogers’ June 3rd birthday. He captioned one of his “throwback” shots by stating “it’s pretty amazing to make music with your hero.” Seeing as how Rogers was a member of Muddy Waters’ band and Waters was the man who inspired Corritore to take on the blues, it’s not surprising to hear Rogers leading off High Rise Blues with his rendition of “Last Time.”
Magic Slim was another beloved blues artist who was based out of the Chicago area after making the move from Mississippi. Slim and his distinctive sound are front-and-center on the second track, “Buddy, Buddy Friends,” He is joined by blues buddies Andre Howard on bass, BJ Jones on drums and the ever-present Corritore on harp.
Corritore’s frequent collaborator and fellow Arizona transplant, the late Chico Chism is up next with the title track. On Chism’s self-penned “High Rise Blues” he details the pitfalls of unattached males hanging out with married women who live in the “projects.” Before making the move to Arizona, Chism served as the drummer for Howlin’ Wolf and many others, so it’s clear that he knew his Chicago “High Rise Blues.” Guitar virtuoso Luther Tucker is also featured on this track.
The great run of previously unreleased blues material continues with the next track, “Twenty-Nine Ways.” This Willie Dixon composition features the “Queen of the Blues” Koko Taylor along with Bob Margolin and “Little” Frank Krakowski on guitar, Bob Stroger on bass, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith on drums with Corritore on harp. This all-star Chicago contingent hits all the right chords on this catchy number. Another Chicago all-star, recent Blues Hall of Fame inductee, John Primer, is on his A-game with “Why Are You So Mean to Me.”
Indeed, High Rise Blues has a Chicago blues tune for every taste. You want something a little lascivious? Then, try “Candy Bars” where Manuel Arrington is on a spoken word, double-entendre roll. Ditto for “Grinder Man,” featuring piano whiz Pinetop Perkins crooning about his many conquests. And if you’re in the mood for classic west side blues, then give “Short-Haired Woman” with Eddie Taylor, Jr. and pianist Henry Gray a spin. The West Side is also well-represented on “Caught in the Act,” featuring Lil’ Ed Williams.
The namechecking of great Chicago blues artists continues with Sam Lay on “Honey Where You Going” and on the Muddy Waters song, ”She’s Alright,” covered by Willie “Big Eyes” Smith. Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater joins with pianist Bob Riedy on “Sail a Ship.” Bo Diddley makes his presence known on “Little Girl” while John Brim shines on “Hard Pill to Swallow.”
With so many of the artists on High Rise Blues making the transition to “blues heaven,” it’s heartening to hear them back in action with fresh new material and relishing the opportunity to record with Corritore’s well-seasoned stable of stellar musicians. From start to finish, High Rise Blues features a brilliant cast of artists doing what they do best. Corritore should be commended for his foresight in capturing all these classic Chicago blues giants at their finest, making this release a “must have” for any self-respecting blues fan.
– Robin Zimmerman
BITS Magazine (Australia)
Another month and another release from Bob CORRITORE’s ‘From the Vaults’ series, this time with previously unreleased tracks recorded between 1992 and 2022 featuring some of Chicago’s finest including Bo Diddley, Jimmy Rogers, Koko Taylor, Magic Slim and Pinetop Perkins. Bob enticed blues singers to his Rhythm Room club in Phoenix by offering them a gig plus a recording session – hence this huge archive of blues gold.
We begin with Jimmy Rogers revisiting his own song ‘Last Time’, while Koko Taylor does a fine job on Willie Dixon’s ‘Twenty-Nine Ways’ and Eddie Taylor Jr. tackles Lightnin’ Hopkins’ ‘Short Haired Woman’. Bo Diddley’s ‘Little Girl’ doesn’t have ‘the Bo Diddley beat’ but is a nice blues shuffle with Bo’s distinctive guitar and always good to hear pianist Pinetop Perkins here playing Memphis Slim’s ‘Grinder Man’. Elsewhere we also hear Chicago legends like Luther Tucker, John Brim, Eddy Clearwater and Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith as well as newer acts such as Lil’ Ed, Bob Reidy and Manuel Arrington – with Bob adding his excellent harmonica to give us authentic Chicago blues recorded in
Arizona.
– Graham Harrison
Blues Blast Magazine (July 2, 2023)
Chicago transplant Bob Corritore moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1981 where he opened a legendary blues club called the Rhythm Room. He booked many of the top name blues artists over the years and recorded their performances for posterity. In recent years he has released a large number of those recordings under the umbrella name of “Bob Corritore’s From The Vault“. The series started in 2007 and now contains 25 releases. “High Rise Blues” is the latest in the series and his third release in 2023 following “The World In A Jug” with Jimi “Primetime” Smith and a collection of female blues artists titled “Women in Blues Showcase“. Bob’s harmonica is always a feature of every recording, but his guests are out front on every song.
“High Rise Blues” focuses on the blues musicians from Chicago. According to the liner notes, the songs were from recordings dating back to 1992 and as recently as 2022. Many of the artists represented are now deceased. Bob has delivered some classic songs never before released that herald many of those greats, as well as some current artists that are the epitome of the current Chicago sound. Forty-four major musicians and Bob Corritore play on the fourteen songs represented on the album. Unfortunately, there is no indication of when each track was recorded. It would be interesting to know.
Jimmy Rogers kicks off the album with the rocking shuffle “Last Time” he first recorded in 1953. Corritore’s harmonica offers some great fills against Roger’s smooth vocals and guitar work. S.E. Wilis also plays piano, Chico Chism is on drums, and Bruce Lopez on bass.
Next up is the stinging guitar and vocals by Magic Slim on “Buddy Buddy Friends” addressing those who only want to become your friends when you have money in your pocket noting that “I don’t trust nobody that wants money”. Andre Howard adds bass and B.J. Jons plays drums on this one with rhythm guitar from Jon McDonald.
The title song “High Rise Blues” features Chico Chism on vocals and drums with Luther Tucker on guitar. Chico advises that “You better leave these married women alone. One day her husband will be at home.” If you don’t “you can end up looking down the barrel of a .44 magnum. Adam Moraga plays bass and Johnny Rapp plays rhythm guitar.
Koko Taylor joyfully presents her classic song “Twenty-Nine Ways” with Corritore wailing on the harp. Bob Margolin and Little Frank Krakowski provides guitar with Bob Stroger on bass and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith on drums.
Manuel Arrington tells a talking story of a sexual nature playing off a not too subtle use of the names of “Candy Bars” concluding the story with a result of the action when she gave birth to Baby Ruth. Jon Atkinson and Danny Michel play guitar, Troy Sandow on bass, and Marty Dodson plays drums.
Next up, Eddie Tayor, Jr. plays guitar and sings that “I don’t want no woman whose hair is not hanging in my eyes.” on “Short Haired Woman”, which criticizes the use of wigs. Illinois Slim provides rhythm guitar, Bob Stroger on bass and Brian Fahey on drums.
Sam Lay plays the drums and asks, “Honey Where You Going?”. His woman is “fine and the one for me”. Johnny Rapp again shows up on guitar with Chris James on rhythm and Patrick Rynn on bass.
The still very much alive John Primer has worked with many of the blues greats in his career, including Muddy Waters, Magic Slim and Willie Dixon. He has been nominated for a Grammy award and continues to present some of the top selling and award-winning blues albums including this year’s Hard Times. John’s guitar blends excellently with Corritore’s harmonica as John wants to know “Why Are You So Mean to Me”. Sid Morrow adds piano, Kedar Roy on bass, and June Core on drums fills out this combo.
Pinetop Perkins plays his usual fine piano and identifies himself as “Grinder Man”. Chris James is on guitar with Patrick Rynn on bass and Brian Fahey on drums. Corritore’s harmonica again wails on this one.
Bo Diddley rocks out on “Little Girl”, as he asks, “Can I go home with you?” “You look so fine.” Tom Mahon plays piano with Paul Thomas on bass and Johnny Rapp adding rhythm.
John Brim’s deep voice and guitar drive a “Hard Pill to Swallow” when he came back home from the army and heard his woman had a new baby amid stories of her running around while he was gone. Henry Gray is again on piano with Johnny Rapp on guitar and Paul Thomas on bass.
Willie “Big Eyes” Smith plays drums and declares “She’s Alright” with Billy Flynn and Johnny Rapp on guitar, Calvin “Fuzz” Jones on bass.
Eddy Clearwater provides the vocals and guitar as he says I would “Sail A Ship” “way across the desert sand, if I could be your man” with Bob Riedy on piano. Chris James adds guitar with Patrick Rynn on bass and Jon Hiller on drums.
The album ends with Lil Ed Williams on guitar and provides a smooth blues notifying that she was “Caught in the Act”. “It hurt me so bad when I saw you coming out of that bar last night. If he was not such a big boy, I would have had to start a fight”. Johnny Rapp on rhythm guitar and Paul Thomas on bass complete this line-up.
As cited at the beginning of this review, Corritore does an excellent job with the release of every album in his series. This album is certainly an epitome of his efforts. His harp is constantly strong but never dominating. This album should definitely be on your list if you love the blues coming from Chicago or if you just have an appreciation for the fine work that Bob does with all of these albums. Great work, Mr. Corritore, and I hope you keep them coming.
– John Sacksteder
Blues Van (Hungary) (August 8, 2023)
Bob Corritore zenei karrierjét szülővárosában, Chicagóban kezdte, de névjegyét igazán az arizonai Phoenixbe költözve tette le. Az elmúlt több mint fél évszázadban bluesnagyságok sokaságával játszott, és százat is meghaladó lemezen közreműködött. Mindezek mellett producerkedik, és műsorvezető a KJZZ rádióállomásnál. A Those Lowdown Blues műsorát a Blues Foundation Keeping The Blues Alive-díjjal jutalmazta. 1991-ben nyitotta meg legendás bluesklubját, a The Rhythm Roomot, ahol számtalan neves bluesmuzsikus megfordult. Velük rendszerint stúdióba is vonult egy-egy dalt rögzíteni. Ezeket a felvételeket a klasszis szájharmonikás 2007-től a From The Vaults sorozaton keresztül a nyilvánosság részére is elérhetővé teszi. A sorozat idén három kiadvánnyal bővült, a legújabb darabja a tavasz végén megjelent High Rise Blues. A Chicago blues felvételeket tartalmazó albumon 1992 és 2022 között rögzített nóták hallhatók, közülük több eddig még sehol sem került publikálásra. A lemezt Jimmy Rogers a The Last Time című saját szerzeménnyel nyitja. A gitáros a ’40-es évek végén, az ’50-es évek elején Muddy Waters zenekarának tagja volt. A közreműködők közül többen, így Magic Slim, Sam Lay, John Primer, Pinetop Perkins és Willie ’Big Eyes’ Smith is együtt zenélt a Blues Hall of Fame-be 1980-ban beiktatott Watersszel. A címadó nóta Howlin’ Wolf egykori dobosához, a Phoenixbe Corritore ösztönzésére 1987-ben költözött Chico Chism nevéhez köthető. Az egyetlen női előadó a lemezen Koko Taylor, aki a Twenty-Nine Ways című Willie Dixon-kompozícióban énekel. Az énekesnőt a Bob Margolin, Little Frank Krakowski, Bob Stroger, Willie ’Big Eyes’ Smith és Bob Corritore alkotta all-star csapat kíséri. Ugyancsak all-star felállás támogatja Eddie Taylor Jr.-t Lightnin’ Hopkins szerzeményében, a Short Haired Womanben. Sokaknak ismeretlenül csenghet a saját dalát előadó Manuel Arington neve. Az énekes, komikus számos alkalommal bemutatkozott a Chicago Blues Fesztiválon, egy ideig tagja volt a fesztivál szervezőcsapatának is. Sokadszorra dicséret illeti a valamennyi számban közreműködő Bob Corritore-t, amiért megörökítette ezeket a felvételeket, melyek előadói közül többen már nincsenek köztünk. A High Rise Blues minden bluesrajongónak kötelező darab.
Back To The Roots (Belgium) (August 2023)
Dit is het zevende album in de reeks ‘From The Vaults’ van mondharmonicaspeler Bob Corritore. Het beat veertien tracks uit Bobs archief, opgenomen over een periode van 30 jaar, tussen 1992 en 2022. Het is haast onvoorstelbaar wie hij op de harp al-lemaal al heeft kunnen begeleiden in zijn carrière. Ook op dit album tel ik er meer dan dertig zoals bijvoorbeeld drummers Chico Chism, Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith en Brian Fahey, bassisten Paul Thomas en Bob Stroger, pianist Henry Gray en gitaristen Chris James, Johnny Rapp en Luther Tucker om er een paar te noemen. En dan hebben we het nog niet eens over de sterren gehad die elk een nummer voor hun reke-ning nemen. Wat dacht je van o.a. Jimmy Rogers, Magic Slim, Koko Taylor, Eddie Taylor JR. Sam Lay, John Primer, Pinetop Perkins, Bo Diddley, Eddy Clearwater of Lil’ Ed. Bobs harp is uiteraard te horen op alle tracks, als begeleider of als solist. Hij laat zin instrument janken en huilen of zachtjes zoemen, neurien of fluisteren.
Hoogtepunten zin ‘Last Time’ met Jimmy Rogers, ‘Short Haired Woman’ met Eddie Taylor Jr., Honey Were Are You Going met Sam Lay en Bob die helemaal als Jimmy Reed klinkt. Maar ook ‘Grinder Man’ met Pinetop Perkins met schitterende solo’s van Perkins en Bob, het door Willie Smith gezongen ‘She’s Alright’, en de formidabele afsluiter ‘Caught In The Act’ van Lil’ Ed. De slow cooking harpsolo van Bob in deze
7:28 minuten durende slowblues is ge-woon buitenaards goed! Chicagoblues op z’n best!
— Peter lacobs
Jefferson Magazine (Sweden) (September 10, 2023)
Bob Corritore är en synnerligen produktiv munspelare och skivproducent. Här har han samlat 14 tidigare outgivna inspelningar från åren 1992–2022 där han spelar tillsammans med ett gott gäng av Chicagos bluesprofiler.
Bra exempel på Chicagogung i medium/snabbare tempo får vi av Jimmy Rogers i utmärkt sångform i ”Last time”, Bo Diddley med ”Little girl” samt Koko Taylor i ”Tweny-nine ways”, medan Magic Slim svarar för funkigt gitarriff och kraftfull sång i ”Buddy buddy friends”. Lite mer stämningsfull blues i långsammare tempo ger bland andra John Brim i ”Hard pill to swallow”, medan Pinetop Perkins svarar för en skönt laid-back version av Memphis Slim-låten ”Grinder man”.
Sammantaget en väl varierad platta där förgrundsprofilerna får utmärkt uppbackning av Corritores munspel och kompet. Det senare består i olika konstellationer av ett tjugotal musiker, däribland Henry Gray-piano, Bob Margolin-gitarr, Calvin Jones-bas och Willie Smith-trummor.
– Charley Nilsson
The Aquarian (September 11, 2023)
Man, that harmonica master Bob Corritore sure does have a lot of great blues in his vault. His latest, High Rise Blues, by Corritore & Friends (VizzTone Label Group), is another doozy. How can you lose with the folks he do use? Bo Diddley, Jimmy Rogers, Koko Taylor, Magic Slim, Sam Lay (from the original Paul Butterfield Blues Band), Pinetop Perkins, Chico Chism, Luther Tucker, John Brim, Eddy Clearwater, John Primer, Big Eyes Smith, Li’l Ed, Bob Reidy, Manuel Arrington, and Eddie Taylor Jr. are all here to add up to a mountain of real Chicago Blues: 14 gems from 1992 to 2002.
– Mike Greenblatt
Soul Bag (France) (September 25, 2023)
Puisant à nouveau dans ses coffres, à un rythme qui relève même de l’inflation, l’insatiable Bob Corritore magnifie ici des pointures de Chicago blues qu’il accompagne à l’harmonica, bien sûr, avec tout le talent qu’on lui connaît.
Quatorze titres goûteux restés inédits, enregistrés entre 1992 et 2022, offrant la “crème de la crème”, une recette gagnante qui mélange vétérans et accompagnateurs néo-traditionalistes. Jugez-en : toute une page intérieure détaille ce who’s who prestigieux. À l’honneur : Jimmy Rogers (avec Chico Chism, S.E. Willis, Johnny Rapp). Magic Slim (Jon McDonald). Chico Chism & Luther Tucker (Johnny Rapp). Koko Taylor (Willie Smith, Bob Margolin, Bob Stroger). Bo Diddley (Chico Chism, Tom Mahon, Johnny Rapp).
Et la liste s’allonge : Sam Lay, John Brim, Eddy Clearwater, Pinetop Perkins, Li’l Ed, John Primer, Eddie Taylor Jr… Un régal même si certaines versions originelles ont gardé plus de punch.
– André Hobus
Blues News Finland (October 2023)
Niinpä niin, näyttãä vahvasti siltä, ettei utta Blues Newsia ilman utta Bob Corri-tore -vetoista CD:tä. Tapasin Bob-ystäväni hiljattain, toukokun lopussa Mönsteräsin 30-vuotisjuhlabluesfestarilla ja kyselin mie-heltä, kuinka laaja hänen ehtymättömältä vaikuttava “Bob Corritore’s Vaults” -bluesää-nitearkistonsa mahtaakaan olla. Bobin lako-ninen vastaus oli, jotta “kyllà noita aänitteitä holveissani vielä piisaa vaikka kuinka paljon”.
Itse asiassa tuoreeltaan on markkinoille juuri tullut tai tulossa lisäksi ainakin kaksi utta CD:tä hänen nimissään.
Tämänkertainen massivisen kerrostalon (“high rise”) kokoinen CD-kooste pitaä sisäl-lään kaikkiaan 14 tylipuhdasta ja -uskollista Chicago-blues -raitaa. Albumin bluessisältö on arviointiskaalaa nollasta kymppiin käyttä-en täydet 10/10. Aänitykset on säilötty Bobin syviin holveihin pitkällä 30 voden aikajän-teella, 1992-2022, ja ne kaikki ovat ennenjul-kaisemattomia. Valitettavastikansipahvissa ei kerrota tarkempia äänitysajankohtia, mutta kahta lukun ottamatta ne kaikki on taltioitu Arizonan Phoenixissa ja/tai Tempessã.
Sisältö ei sinällään ole vutta ja maailman kirjoja sekoittavaa, onpahan vaan pahuksen hyvin toteutettua ja juuri sitä itseään, esittäji-näan Chicago-bluesin ehtaa kermaa. En arvaa ruveta kuvaamaan koko albumin sisältöäyksi-tyiskohtaisesti, koska siitäkertyisiluvattoman laaja kehuskelujen odysseia. Haluan kuitenkin listata tähän levyn solistit luettelonomaisesti: Jimmy Rogers – Magic Slim – Chico Chism – Koko Taylor – Eddie Taylor Jr. – Sam Lay – John Primer – Pinetop Perkins – Bo Diddley- John Brim – Willie “Big Eyes” Smith – Eddy Clearwater – Lil’Ed Williams. Ton perusteella uskon kaikkien syvällisten bluesdiggareiden käsittävän mistä on kyse.
Yhteisenä nimittäjänã albumilla on luon-nollisesti, itseoikeutetusti ja totta kai kaikilla 14 raidalla maestro Bob Corritore huuliharp-puineen. Taustamuusikoita on tällä kertaa peräti kolmisenkymmentä ja ihan vain lyhy-käisenä, osittaisena nimilistana pianistit Henry Grey ja Bob Riedy, kitaristit Luther Tucker, Bob Margolin, Billy Flynn ja Johnny Rapp. Erityisesti huippukitaristi Tuckerin huikeaa, helmeilevää kitarointia on ilo kunnella rumpali Chico Chismin esittämällä CD:n nimikappaleella.
Levyn basistien kermaa edustavat Calvin “Fuzz” Jones sekä Bob”I Am The Blues”Stroger, joka yhäedelleen tänäpäiväna, 92-vuotiaana, kiertãa esiintymislavoilla ympäri maailman. Uskomaton ukkeli.
•Lopuksi tyydyn julkituomaan, että CD on hiljattain valittu tuoreen Soul Bag -lehden par-haaksi uudeksi julkaisuksi. Lisähehkutuksena CDonnoussut pikavauhtiaiTunesin”Top 40 U.S. Blues Albums”-soittolistan kakkossijalle. Tämä rittänee vahvaksi hankintasuositukseksi.
– Pertti Nurmi
Bman’s Blues Report (November 27, 2023)
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, High Rise Blues from Bob Corritore & Friends and I really like it. Opening with Last Time featuring Jimmy Rogers on vocal and guitar, this band is in the groove. With Chico Chism on drums, SE Willis on piano, Johnny Rapp on guitar, Bruce Lopez on bass and Bob Corritore on harmonica, this is a solid opener. Title track, High Rise Blues, features Chism on vocal and he does a great job. Rapp is joined by Luther Tucker who rips some great guitar riffs backed by Gordo Moraga on bass and Chism on drums. Chicago blues, Honey Where You Going has a great feel with Corritore upfront on harmonica joined by Sam Lay on vocal and drums. Rapp and Chris James on guitar Patrick Rynn on bass round on this great track. Pinetop Perkins is featured on vocal and piano leading Grinder Man. His quiet yet firm vocal style provides great balance for his deliberate piano style and Corritore gets the harmonica humming on this one. With Brian Fahey on drums, Rynn on drums and James on guitar, it’s a solid Pinetop track. Willie Big Eyes Smith leads off on She’s Alright, a Morganfield classic with Corritore punctuating the lead. Joined by Rapp on guitar, and Fuzz Jones on bass, classic Chicago. Shuffle, Sail A Ship features Eddie Clearwater on vocal and guitar with Chris James on guitar, Rynn on bass and Hiller on drums. Closing the set is Caught In The Act, with Lil Ed on guitar and lead vocal. Ed lays out some really nice guitar soloing, trading with Rapp, Corritore adds harmonica, all backed by Paul Thomas on bass, and Chism on drums. Strong closer.
ABS Magazine (France) (December 2023)
La cadence de sortie des productions de Bob Corritore a de quoi nous laisser bouche bée ! Voici à nouveau une pépite en provenance des archives de l’harmoniciste qui nous propose rien de moins que quatorze titres inédits ! Enregistrées sur trente années (1992-2022) à Chicago, Phoenix mais aussi en Californie, un plateau d’artistes exceptionnels nous attend au fil des sessions. Bo Diddley, Jimmy Rogers, Koko Taylor, Magic Slim, Sam Lay, Pinetop Perkins, Chico Chism, Luther Tucker, John Brim, Eddy Clearwater, John Primer, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Lil’ Ed, Bob Riedy, Manuel Arrington et enfin Eddie Taylor Jr font partie des réjouissances. Toutes les compositions proposées, à l’image de Buddy Buddy Friend de Magic Slim, Last Time de Jimmy Rogers ou encore le fameux Hard Pill To Swallow de John Brim sont superbes, elles nous offrent la possibilité de découvrir sur tous les tempos possibles des artistes qui nous ont malheureusement quittés, mais qui nous laissent toutefois de précieuses pépites. Au niveau des accompagnateurs, nous avons à faire entre autres à Billy Flynn, Chris James, Patrick Rynn, Calvin “Fuzz” Jones, Bob Margolin ou encore Illinois Slim, bref, que du beau monde. Bob Corritore est bien sûr présent, mais son jeu toujours admirable est là uniquement pour mettre en valeur ses amis et invités. Vous l’avez compris, cette divine galette va combler bon nombre de personnes. Il ne nous reste plus qu’à attendre sereinement les futures parutions du patron du club le Rhythm Room, nous lui faisons totalement confiance.
– Jean-Luc Vabres
Bob Corritore - Official Website 