Bob Corritore Blues News

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  Blues piano legend Henry Gray to play Rhythm Room this Friday and Saturday! Henry Gray, now age 87, is the last of true classic Chicago blues piano legends. Originally from Kenner, Louisiana Henry became a solid fixture in the Chicago blues scene of the 1950s and 60s. He played piano on some of the greatest records of that era; Howlin Wolf, "I Ain't Superstitious," Jimmy Rogers "Chicago Bound" and "Last Time," Jimmy Reed "I Aint Got You," Little Walter "Tonight With A Fool" and Billy Boy Arnold "I Wish You Would." At 87 years young Henry is still playing and singing at the top of his game. Henry will appear at this Friday and Saturday at the Rhythm Room with, of course, The Rhythm Room All-Stars (Bob Corritore, Chris James, Patrick Rynn, and Brian Fahey). The Rhythm Room is located at 1019 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85014. Look for two nights of deep and classic piano-driven blues and boogie woogie! To see the poster for this event (designed by Amy Brat) click here.
• This year's Blues Blast Music Award Ceremony canceled. Awards will continue without presentation. Bob Kieser of Blues Blast Magazine reports "It is with much disappointment that we have to announce that we have canceled the Blues Blast Music Award Ceremonies scheduled for October 25th at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago. After months of work the negotiations with Legend's have broken down. We were not able to get a fair workable agreement with the new management at Legends so we are reluctantly canceling the festivities". However voting for the 2012 Blues Blast Music Awards continues until August 31st and results will now be announced in early September. To vote now click here. We thank Bob for 4 amazing years of awards ceremonies, and hope that after this bump in the road he will resume the awards again in 2013. To see the magazine issue with the awards announcement, and read that issue's amazing harmonica oriented interview with Sugar Ray Norcia, click here.
• Bob Corritore to appear with Lil' Ronnie & the Grand Dukes harmonica review at Blues At The Beach festival in Virginia Beach! Other dates in VA and NC! Thanks to harmonica ace Lil' Ronnie for putting together a harmonica revue for a his slot at the 19th Annual Blues At The Beach Festival in Virgina Beach. The revue will include Mitch Kashmar, Kurt Crandell, Bob Corritore & Lil' Ronnie with backing by the Grand Dukes featuring guitar master Ivan Appelrouth. The Fest happens on Friday and Saturday September 7 and 8. Other acts appearing at the festival are Ronnie Baker Brooks, Teeny Tucker, Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones, The Incognito Brothers, Julius Pittman & The Revival, and the J.D. Silvia Band. For more info on the festival click here. The harmonica revue will headline Friday's show at 9:15PM. After the fest Lil' Ronnie will bring this show on the road with two additional dates: Saturday, Sept 8th - Loafers Beach Club, Raliegh, NC and Sunday Sept 9th - Capital Alehouse Music Hall, Richmond, VA (early show 4:00PM)
• Mud Morganfield performance with Hugh Laurie at the Park West! Yesterday actor/musician Hugh Laurie of the award winning House TV show, took the stage at the Park West in Chicago and called up none other than Mud Morganfield as a special guest. Hugh recently released a high profile blues album titled Let Them Talk, and while in Chicago he incorporated the mojo of the son of Muddy Waters into his show. Congrats to both Hugh and Mud!
• Willie "Big Eyes" Smith memory kept alive through new recordings! Always the consummate bluesman, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith was a great vocalist, drummer and harmonica player who was a friend to all. Willie passed away on September 16th of last year, just 7 months after winning his first Grammy Award. This year we have seen 3 new releases bearing his name either as a featured frontman or as a cherished guest. Just out is a collaboration of Willie and Roger "Hurricane" Wilson called Live Blues Protected By Smith and Wilson on the Blue Storm label! Another new release is Liz Mandeville's Clarksdale on the Blue Kitty Music label, which features Willie "Big Eyes" Smith as a guest on about half the CD with other guest appearances by Eddie Shaw, Donna Herula and Nick Moss! Of course there is the lovey CD Pinetop Perkins / Heaven out this year on the Blind Pig label with Willie contributing a gorgeous vocal on "Sitting On Top Of The World" over his longtime partner Pinetop's lush piano work. Willie's son Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith carries forth his father's tradition not only as a heralded drummer, but also as a budding vocalist and harmonica player. Earlier this year Kenny unveiled his new custom bass-drumhead with his father's image which you can see by clicking here. We miss Willie "Big Eyes" Smith greatly but his influence and legacy are so great that his memory will be kept alive for eternity!
• The 12th Annual Pinetop Perkins Homecoming dedicated to the late Michael Burks. The 12th annual Pinetop Perkins Homecoming Celebration will take place on Sunday October 7^th at Hopson’s Commissary and the Shack Up Inn in Clarksdale, Mississippi from 2 to 7pm with a suggested donation of $15. The Homecoming is held each year on the site of the old Hopson’s Plantation and began with the dedication of the Pinetop Perkins Shack at the Hopson Plantation’s Shack Up Inn in October 2001. It became an annual event to honor Pinetop who had spent World War II on the grounds of Hopson’s driving one of the first mechanized cotton picking machines. The event quickly drew many fans and musicians each year who stopped by on the Sunday after the King Biscuit Festival to honor Pinetop. The afternoon celebration now attracts over 1000 fans to three stages of music. Since 2009 all the proceeds have gone directly to scholarships for youth to attend the Pinetop Perkins Master Class workshops in June, which are also held in Clarksdale, MS and attract youth and young at heart. Artists appearing at this year's Pinetop's homecoming include a special Michael Burks memorial tribute performance with Preston Shannon, Popcorn Louden, and Terry Grayson, The Peterson Brothers, Clay Swafford, Paul Oscher, Bob Margolin, Bob Stroger,  Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith, Ann Rabson, Bob Corritore, Eden Brent, Kenny Brown, The Side Street Steppers, and The Youth Workshop Showcase featuring Austin Young, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Matthew Davidson, and Jack Gaffney. Go to http://www.pinetopfoundation.org/ for more information. To see the poster for this event click here.
• New issue of Big City Blues Magazine features Simi Valley cover shot and highlights James Cotton and the Delta Groove label! Smokin' Joe Kubek & B'Nois King new acoustic album out on Delta Groove! Thanks to Robert Jr. Whitall and Shirley Mae Owens of Big City Blues for their most recent issue of Big City Blues which reflects the phenomenon of this year's Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Festival. At the the fest James Cotton made a brilliant appearance as part of the Muddy Waters Tribute set. So when Robert did the group photo for the magazine cover, he had James Cotton as the centerpiece with a number of Delta Groove artists and the label's extended family members crowded around the legendary harp-master. This photo captures a beautiful moment in time! Appearing on the cover are James Cotton, Darrell Nulisch, Randy Chortkoff, Mud Morganfield, Kid Ramos, Jackie Payne, Paul Oscher, Rod Piazza, Marco Pandolfi, Scott Dirks, Big Pete, Jimi Bott, Kirk Fletcher, Finis Tasby, Smokin' Joe Kubek, B'Nois King, Bob Corritore, Mitch Kashmar, Fred Kaplan, Willie J. Campbell. The issue then features wonderful stories and interviews of many of the artists on the cover with special emphasis on James Cotton. Note also that Smokin' Joe Kubek and B'Nois King  just signed with Delta Groove and have put out their first all acoustic record complete with the Delta Groove touch of added sideman appearances by DG artists. For more information on Joe & B'Nois' new album, click here. To see the cover of Big City Blues, click here.
• Amazing interview with Billy Boy Arnold! Please enjoy this candid 1992 interview by Billy Boy Arnold where he speaks of Sonny Boy Williamson I,  Little Walter, and Bo Diddley. Billy Boy is a living history book. Thanks to interviewers Scott Dirks and Randy Chortkoff for providing this video clip. Click here, to see.
• Memphis Slim on YouTube! Please enjoy the sterling boogie woogie piano work of Memphis Slim performing "Slim's Boogie" from 1976. Very notable is the great drumming of Michel Denis. To enjoy this clip click here.