La Hora Del Blues (Spain) (March 4, 2014)

[SPANISH] Puro down home blues a cargo de éstos dos ‘fieras’ cuya asociación profesional lleva ya unos cuantos años en activo, por lo que ambos se complementan en perfecta armonía. Dicen que este álbum también podría titularse ‘Cuando el Mississippi se encuentra con Chicago’ y la verdad es que quien asi lo describió no iba en absoluto desencaminado. Dave Riley y Bob Corritore llevan nueve años juntos en activo, paseando sus blues a lo largo y ancho de todos los USA y Europa y siempre con un enorme éxito. Aquí tenemos doce canciones originales interpretadas, contadas y cantadas con la gracia y la frescura de la que habitualmente hace gala Dave Riley acompañado por su guitarra, junto a Bob Corritore y su forma ‘sweety’ y delicada de soplar la armónica. En el disco cuentan además con una sólida base formada por el hijo de Dave, Dave Riley Jr al bajo y Brian Fahey a la batería, mas la colaboración de otra hija de Dave, Gloria Bailey, al órgano en un tema. Como dicen en USA, este es un disco de puro ‘rootsy old-school storytelling blues’. ¡¡A disfrutarlo amigos!!. MUY BUENO.

[ENGLISH] Pure down home blues by these two terrific musicians. For quite a long time their professional association has been successfully active, because they both match in perfect harmony. Somebody said this album could also be entitled ‘When Mississippi meets Chicago’ and the true thing is he was not wrong at all. For nine years Dave Riley and Bob Corritore have been playing together, carrying their blues all over USA and Europe, always getting a great success. Here come twelve original songs performed and sung with the cool charm Dave Riley usually shows with his voice and his guitar, along with Bob Corritore and his sweety fine way to play harmonica. For the CD they have also included a strong rhythm section with Dave’s son, Dave Riley Jr on bass and Brian Fahey on drums, plus the collaboration of Dave’s daughter, Gloria Bailey on organ in one song. This is an album with pure rootsy old-school storytelling blues. Enjoy it fellows!! GREAT.

-Vicente Zumel

SoundGuardian (January 16, 2014)

Put do albuma Hush Your Fuss! imao je vrlo znakovit put. Objavljen je 17. rujna prošle godine od strane SWMAF Records/VizzTone label group. Svoj primjerak uspio sam osigurati zahvaljujući svom stalnom kontaktu s jednim od potpisnika ovog albuma, van serijskim harpistom Bobom Corritoreom. Naravno, Bob je sve proslijedio Richardu Rosenblattu iz VizzTone label group i potom se sve vrlo brzo odigralo i album je sada tu pred vama, poštovani posjetitelji BLUES CORNERA glazbenog portala SoundGuardian.com. Strahoviti blues dvojac Dave Riley & Bob Corritore snimili su svoj treći zajednički studijski album Hush Your Fuss! O čemu se radi?

Već od prve pjesme Hush My Fuss postaje jasno da se ovdje radi o tradicionalnom Juke Joint bluesu implementiranog u moderna glazbena stremljenja, tipična za Chicago blues scenu. Time što je album u cijelosti autorsko djelo, tim više i značajnije zrači ta njegova izvrsnost. Album Hush Your Fuss! već samim svojim sadržajem otkriva nam impresivan uvid u ogromnu i prebogatu baštinu bluesa. Sam album izuzetna je pjesmarica blues pjesma, sjajno prezentiranih i izvedenih od strane ovog osobitog blues dvojca uz pridružene im glazbenike: Dave ‘Yahni’ Riley, Jr. na bas gitari, Brian Fahey – bubnjevi, te Gloria Bailey svira orgulje ( 5) i naravno, njihova prezentacija svojom kvalitetom mora osvojiti svakog ozbiljnijeg poklonika bluesa. Teško je uopće pisati i dati točnu kvalifikaciju albuma, budući da se radi o gotovo 100% autorskim materijalima, koji u svakom svom segmentu traže svekoliku pozornost i usmjerenost slušatelja ka ogromnom i toliko raznolikom bogatstvu blues glazbe. Kada se radi o ovakvim albumima, jednostavno sve te vrijednosti valja percipirati i shvatiti, i to na način ; kao nešto, što će svakako pomaknuti Vaše poimanje tradicionalnog bluesa i njegove neupitne vrijednosti i kvalitete. Baš zato, nije čudno da ovaj blues dvojac, u svakom svom segmentu prezentacije bluesa zrači izuzetnim osjećajem, ali i kompletnim ugođajem, toliko bitnim kada je u pitanju blues. Neki to vole kazati i na ovaj način: ‘Mississippi meets Chicago’ i odmah naglašavam nema boljeg! Doista, svi mi koji na ovaj ili onaj način volimo i pratimo ovaj glazbeni stil, jako dobro znamo što to predstavlja. Taj impresivni sudar tradicionalnog i modernog bluesa, na tako izražajan način mora Vas ostaviti bez riječi.

Ovih novih 12 pjesama odaju snažan skladateljski potencijal oba glazbenika. Teško je u 21.stoljeću od dvojice potpuno autorskih usmjerenih glazbenika očekivati nešto što ne bi imalo predznak izvrsnosti.

S druge pak strane, i Dave i Bob već se dugi niz godina nalaze u svemu što je vezao uz blues, bilo da se radi o direktnom izvođenju ovog glazbenog stila, produkciji ili pak o njegovoj promociji ili radijskoj prezentaciji. Dakle, daje se zaključiti da oni jednostavno žive blues i da je blues zapravo njihov život. Njihova suradnja traje već punih osam godina i svakim danom njihova osobna samostalnost obostrano jača u njihovoj suradnji. Interesantno zar ne?! Dave Riley nam dolazi iz Hattiesburga, Mississippi dok Bob svoje korijene vuče iz Chicagoa pa sudar ove dvije različitosti: tradicije i modernizma plijeni svojom dijametralnom suprotnošću. Njih dvojica dobro su se snašli u Chicagou, gdje djeluju već duži niz godina i to vrlo uspješno na obostrano zadovoljstvo.

Ne bi bilo fer isticati niti jednu pjesmu posebno, jer doista sve od prve do zadnje odišu nekom svojom posebnošću i daju slušatelju ono najbolje što takve pjesme mogu dati a to je neosporna izvornost i originalnost, besprijekorna kvaliteta te apsolutno visoko izražena artistička virtuoznost. Na kraju krajeva sam album izvrstan je dokument spajanja tradicionalizma i modernih blues trendova. U svakom slučaju izuzetno glazbeno iskustvo!

PREPORUKA:
Pišući o albumu Hush Your Fuss! – Dave Rileyja & Bob Corritorea jednostavno sam ponovo shvatio koliko je tanka ta linija između lošeg, dobrog, odličnog i izvrsnog. Tu se zaista radi o nijansama, koje valoriziraju određeni glazbeni uradak. Dave Riley & Bob Corritore su dobro učvrstili svoje mjesto u kategoriju IZVRSNOG albuma.

A evo, što i drugi pišu:
This is a good set of tunes done up nicely. I loved their first effort, thoroughly enjoyed the second and now with a third they have a trio of super albums under their belts! Recommended for all traditional blues lovers!!!. – Steve Jones, Blues Blast Magazine

Hush Your Fuss!’ is a solid offering and should satisfy fans of Messrs Riley and Corritore. I enjoyed it; it’s a real deal blues all the way, and that is becoming tougher to find these days. – Phil Wright, Blues & Rhythm (UK)

Hush Your Fuss! features original songs, rootsy old-school storytelling blues that puts you in rural Mississippi by way of Chicago, all in the well- honed style of Dave Riley and Bob Corritore. – http://www.vizztone.com

Hush Your Fuss!” is the way Blues should sound like, much more often. This beauty will have no problem at all getting not only stellar reviews but quite a few nods come awards season. – John Vermilyea, Blues Underground Network

Više o svemu možete saznati na:
Daverileybluesman.com
Bobcorritore.com
Myspace.com/daverileybobcorritore
http://www.vizztone.com

Blues Blast Magazine (December 26, 2013)

The third collaboration between Dave Riley and Bob Corritore continues down the path of the first two, giving us some more of the best traditional blues around! Dave Riley is authentic, gritty and down home; a Hattiesburg, Mississippi native who is a real Delta bluesman. Corritore is the ultimate Chicago harp master. Together they exude real blues done in with feeling in an evocative style.

Brother Dave “Yahni” Riley, Jr. is on bass, Brian Fahey is on drums and Gloria Bailey plays organ on “Mississippi Po Boy.” All new stuff and written almost exclusively by the featured duo, the sound is real and convincing blues.
The duo open acoustically with the title track, a sweet little number with just the two of them strumming, blowing some harp and testifying to us. Short and sweet, but a great start to a fun CD. “Baby Please Come Home” has Riley hollering for his gal as Corritore keeps pace in response on harp, a cool slow blues as is “Go Ahead and Blame Me” which is even dirtier and grittier. “Oil Sill Blues” also goes that route, giving us a Mississippi bluesman’s take on the BP debacle.

“Hard Headed Woman” is a romping good time. “Mississippi Po Boy” is a slow and ballady blues chronicling parts of Riley’s life as does “Home In Chicago.” The organ does add a good backdrop to the former and the latter shuffles sweetly. A couple of tracks go a little tongue in cheek and are fun- “No Cussin’” and “Laughin’ Blues” are lighter and offer us a bit of humor.

This is a good set of tunes done up nicely. I loved their first effort, thoroughly enjoyed the second and now with a third they have a trio of super albums under their belts! Recommended for all traditional blues lovers!!!.

– Steve Jones

BluesMagazine.NL (Dutch) (December 8, 2013)

De CD-titel alleen, Hush Your Fuss! – vrij vertaald Rustig aan met je problemen – is een van de leukste sinds tijden. Het verraadt het feit dat deze titel het soort down-home muziek is die de lading van de plaat dekt. Ik bedoel, bekijk de songtitels hieronder en zie wat ik bedoel. Het heeft alles van rauwe, uitbundig, arme lieden, vervloekten, vettig/smerig en back-door familiair.

Dave Riley speelt gitaar en bezingt als het ware een smerig, achteraf steegje, met een soms heerlijke, bijna schreeuwende luide stem. Neem alle twijfel in de wereld weg, op een dag denk je als je deze cd weer eens terughoort dat Riley zijn hele leven niks anders gedaan heeft dan dit soort muziek te spelen. Het mooiste is: Hij kan het!
Dan is er Bob Corritore, Riley’s ‘Sonny Boy Williamson’. Bob gooit zijn hele ziel en zaligheid in het bespelen van zijn mondharmonica en niet voor de eerste keer met Riley. Dit is het soort muziek, samen met het hele Chicago-geluid, dat Engelsen de hoofden ter plaatse in brand zetten toen ze deze sound voorgeschoteld kregen in de jaren 60 en dus naam gaven aan “dirty white-boy blues”. Daarmee stonden ze aan de wieg van de geboorte van de witte blues, zoals Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Duffy Power, Stan Webb, en wie weet, hoeveel uitstekende, maar beïnvloedde muzikanten nog meer. Muziek ontwikkelt zich altijd verder, door creativiteit, de meest originelen komen bovendrijven.

Ik denk dat mijn favoriete nummer ‘No Cussin’ is, aldus Dave Riley, want het is het wrange verbod op een van mijn favoriete bezigheden (mijn vrienden kunnen u vertellen dat ik vloek als een g*dd*mn*d, m*therf*ck*ng, s*n*f*b*tch*n’ sailor, sinds mijn 14e, en dat zal ik nooit afleren, want ik vind het te leuk). Het is een “Ga-naar-de-kerk” smiley geconfronteerde vingerwijzing op iemand die “trash talkin’ mofos” in de praktijk maar al te goed weet hoe het wel hoort.

Lopen we door de rest van de CD, het besmettelijke ‘Home To Chicago’ met zijn onweerstaanbare shuffle en de solo akoestische ‘My Baby’s Gone’ liggen zeker zo aantrekkelijk in het gehoor. Deze plaat klinkt aanstekelijk, toch een soort vrolijk, je wordt er als het ware enthousiast van. Is met regelmaat uptempo, maar strak. Heeft veel van een bluesplaat kunnen we stellen.

Bob Corritore kunnen we inmiddels wel een autoriteit noemen. Heeft zeer veel sessies op zijn naam staan die ik hier niet ga benoemen. Hij was onlangs nog in Dongen in De Gouden Leeuw, met Mud Morganfield, Tail Dragger, The Rhythm Room All-Stars, Rockin’ Johnny, Rick Kreher en ik heb weer met verbazing naar Corritore staan kijken. Hoe Bob zijn Harp bespeeld, met zijn vingers lucht laat gaan of juist niet, altijd mooi om naar te kijken. Op deze plaat dus veelvuldig “in beeld” zullen we maar zeggen.

Luister maar eens als u in de gelegenheid bent naar “Snuff Dippin’ Woman” een heerlijk groovy blues nummer met een Big Walter stijl tijdens de solo van Bob Corritone, zo zompig als het maar zijn kan met een zwaar mondorgel waar Corritore bijna van voorover moet zijn gevallen en je meteen tot aan je nek in de swamps doet vermoeden.
Mocht je in deze donkere dagen voor Kerst even niet meer weten wat te draaien en je zoekt een echte bluesplaat die niet deprimeert…..Huss My Fuss! Van Dave Riley & Bob Corritore.

By Paul Scholman

Blues & Rhythm (UK) (December 2013)

Hush My Fuss / Baby Please Come Home / No Cussin’ / Snuff Dippin’ Woman / Mississippi Po Boy / Home In Chicago / Hard Headed Woman / Happy As A Man Can Be / Go Ahead And Blame Me / My Baby’s Gone / Oil Spill Blues / Laughing Blues

The Mississippi meets Chicago blues affiliation of Riley and Corritore is now in its eighth year. This is their third cd together. They have toured extensively including the U.S.A. and Europe.

Dave Riley was a Hattiesburg, Mississippi native, before moving to the West Side of Chicago. He worked down South in later years, and was a close associate of Frank Frost and Sam Carr. Bob Corritore is a Chicago born and bred harp player. In 2012 he won the “Living Blues Award for Best Harmonica Player.”

Title track ‘Hush Your Fuss!’ starts things off, a neat acoustic duet that is kinfolk to ‘Nobody’s Fool But Mine.’. Next up, ‘Baby Please Come Home’ adds bass (Dave Riley junior)) and drums (Brian Fahey) on a nifty Chicago shuffle that has a hint of ‘Don’t Get Around Anymore’ to it. ‘No Cussin” is on a subject close to my heart, as one who has never used expletives. (I tell lies too….) I like the idea of ‘I done made up my mind, no more cussin’ for me….)

‘Snuff Dippin’ Woman’ is a slow groove straight out of the South Side; ‘Home In Chicago boots up the tempo on a lovely, churning shuffle with a Big Walter style solo from Bob C; and ‘Hard Headed Woman’ has a hint of ‘Mystery Train’ in the harp pattern.

‘Happy As A Man Can Be’ is a really excellent jumping dance piece (think early Muddy and Little Walter) with solid guitar from Dave Riley and fluid harp from Bob C. ‘Go Ahead and Blame Me’ is another slow, grinding track: “you made some bad decisions and you put the blame on me, whether you have learned your lesson, we just have to wait and see….” –now how many times have we experienced that one, folks?

‘Oil Spill Blues’ sounds like it should have been cut down in Louisiana by Lightnin’ Slim with Lazy Lester, and the final cut, ‘Laughing Blues’ is a rather odd affair with, yes, you guessed it, manic laughing.

‘Hush Your Fuss!’ is a solid offering and should satisfy fans of Messrs Riley and Corritore. I enjoyed it; it’s a real deal blues all the way, and that is becoming tougher to find these days.

– Phil Wright

Soul Bag (France) (December 2013)

**** (4 of 5 stars)

Tail Dragger ou John Primer pour ne citer que les plus récents, l’harmoniciste Bob Corritore est un habitué des duos. Mais sa collaboration avec le chanteur et guitariste Dave Riley est plus régulière, les deux hommes en étant à leur troisième CD ensemble. La formation repose sur une section rythmique qui contribue largement à la réussite de l’ensemble avec Dave « Yahni » Riley, Jr. à la basse et le toujours impeccable Brian Fahey aux fûts (No Cussin’, Home in Chicago, Happy as a man can be…). Moins flamboyant qu’un Primer à la guitare par exemple, Dave Riley impose néanmoins sa marque avec sa voix éraillée aux accents très sudistes, mais également avec les textes de compositions qui témoignent d’un solide sens de l’humour (Hush your fuss!, Hard headed woman), mais il sait aussi toucher (My baby’s gone) ou manier le double sens (Oil spill blues). Ajoutons Corritore et son l’harmonica versatile (et sobre !), très adapté à ce blues plus varié qu’il en a l’air (shuffle, jump blues, un zeste de churchy et d’acoustique), et l’amateur de blues moderne classique devrait apprécier.

– Daniel Léon

Bluescentric.com (November 28, 2013)

Dave Riley grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Bob Corritore grew up in Chicago. Together, they bring a host of awesome talents to bear in their music. Hush Your Fuss is their third album together, and man, it’s damn good too!
Personnel on this album are Dave Riley – guitars and vocals, Bob Corritore – harmonica, Dave “Yahni” Riley Jr. – bass, Brian Fahey – drums, and Gloria Bailey on organ. Production values are clean, and the mix is fresh and clear, giving the sound a nice degree of depth. The 12 songs here clock in right around 42 minutes, which is plenty of good listening!

Hush Your Fuss (VizzTone Group/SWMAF Records) is one great cut after another. This entire album is excellent. As always, there are tracks we enjoyed a little more than others. “Baby Please Come Home” has a great Snooky Pryor “Motty and Me” vibe going on that is just outstanding. “Home In Chicago” has a superb Jimmy Reed, Eddie Taylor feel to it. “Happy As A Man Can Be” has that juke joint, street ready quality to it. “My Baby’s Gone” is sparse, barely electric, and ready made for a “Chicago Acoustic” set you might catch in any club in the Windy City. What a great cut! “Oil Spill Blues” is another cut with that sublime Jimmy Reed sound, and the vocals are sly too! Riley and Corritore lend first class playing to the great material they perform here.

This is a really superior album. Pick it up yesterday! If you play, you will find yourself playing along with it; it’s that good. We highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys blues, especially the “Chicago Acoustic” variety.

– Barry Kerzner

Phoenix New Times (November 27, 2013)

Imagine everybody in a blues bar laughing so hard they can hardly contain themselves. That’s the case with Bob Corritore and Dave Riley’s new CD, Hush Your Fuss.
Internationally acclaimed blues musicians Corritore and Riley held CD release parties for Fuss, their third album, this past weekend at Monterey Court Studio Galleries in Tucson and the Rhythm Room in Phoenix.

Corritore hails from Chicago and Riley comes from Mississippi, but they both reside in Phoenix area now.

The new CD, Hush Your Fuss, is a laugh. Literally–the “Laughing Blues” close the album, a song where Riley’s shrieking laugh rocks in key with the music. The Corritore-Riley band performed the song at both release parties, and it had the expected response: People were laughing so hard they could barely contain themselves.

“It’s a contagious, manic laugh,” Corritore says. “It’s a party on a platter.”

The other two members of the band are Dave Riley Jr. on bass and Bryan Fahey on drums.

The quartet decided to kickoff the party in Tucson because that area doesn’t get to see their music live often. The CD release party at the Monterey was held outside despite the rainy, cold weather, but patio cover kept everyone dry.

“I love the Monterey because it has good food and that Old Tucson feel to it,” Corritore said. “People were dancing and glued to everything we did.” Of course, Corritore also likes the Rhythm Room, where the Phoenix party was held, not least because he owns it. The Rhythm Room is the oldest blues venue remaining open in the Phoenix area.

“The Rhythm Room is also a great social scene,” Corritore says. “Tucson is more of a listening, dancing crowd. Phoenix also listens to the music, but there’s also a lot of talking going on.”

Corritore cannot say enough about longtime musical buddy Riley. “Dave gives you his heart. He’s a natural jokester. He’s always excited about the music, but I’ve never seen him as excited as he is about this CD.”

Corritore is a city boy playing the Chicago blues. Riley is a country boy playing Mississippi blues. The Chicago blues is a bit more electric guitar; they don’t always agree on the music and that is when one will say to the other–well, hush your fuss.

A lot of the Mississippi blues made its way up to Chicago, so the two sounds aren’t much different, but Corritore has played with so many blues musicians from both areas and many places in between that there are many southern sounds in his blues that help him meld with Riley.

“We like to meet in the middle,” he says. “If you took one part away you wouldn’t have the whole. The first time we played together we knew it fit like a glove. We had synergy. When we play together we don’t have to think about it. It’s just natural.”

Corritore performs internationally, with five trips overseas during the past year, and hosts a blues radio show on KJZZ. Corritore and Riley are working on putting a national tour together to promote Hush Your Fuss.

Corritore and Riley’s next project will be an instrumental CD coming out next year with guitar greats Jimmy Vaughn and Junior Watson with Fred Kaplan on piano, Richard Ennis on drums, and Doug James on sax, along with several other cool musicians.

Corritore will be joining country musicians Ray Herndon and Britten Tillinghast and several former NFL players including Nick Lowry and Ray Perkins at St. Vincent DePaul from 10:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

Anyone can volunteer. Just show up and they’ll give you a task.

– Stan Bindell

Discos De Blues (Spain) (November 25, 2013)

John Primer es un guitarrista que tocó en la banda de Muddy Waters y Willie Dixon en los años 70 y 80 además de con otro montón de grandes Bluesman, y que empezó carrera en solitario en los 90 cantando también ( no es una gran voz pero tiene personalidad) y siempre grabando Blues tradicional (nominado en 2013 en los Blues Music awards), y Bob Corritore es de los armonicistas más en forma de la actualidad y que más viva mantiene la tradición del sonido añejo, con numerosos premios también en su haber.

Ahora se juntan y consiguen darnos una ración de auténtico Blues como pocos discos que se hayan grabado en los últimos años. Se respira en todos sus temas ese sonido Chicago típico de bar de Blues. Saben perfectamente lo que hacen estos señores y se agradece escuchar justo lo que uno espera en un cd de Blues. Los temas “Cairo Blues” o “Little boy blues” son dos buenos ejemplos de ello.

Phoenix Blues Society Newsletter (November 19, 2013)

All of us Valley Bluesheads should consider ourselves fortunate to have real-deal Mississippi Bluesman Dave Riley walking among us.

The guy is a throwback to another time. Back to the days of Muddy and the Wolf, who Dave knew from his days playing in Chicago clubs as a young man. He might be considered a second-generation old-school Bluesman, alongside Buddy Guy or the late Jr. Wells. Whatever you want to call him, Blues is his bag and he’s serious about it.

He and sidekick Bob Corritore recently released their latest collaboration “Huss Your fuss” and from the first note of the title song until the last note of cut No. 12’s “Laughing Blues” you’ll hear a modern version of the Blues the old masters played.

Cut No. 1 sets the tone with “Hush Your Fuss” a short tune featuring some laid-back guitar and Bob’s subtle harp accompanying Dave’s gravely vocals. You can’t help but smile right from the get go.

“Baby Please Come Home” is a take on an age-old theme. Dave wants her to come on back, no questions asked. Bob’s harp is featured throughout without overpowering the vocals. Toe-tapping music.

No. 3 is called “No Cussin” and gives us a lesson in how cussin’ is bad for us and we should stop. Easier for Dave to say but probably damn good advice. “Just call him a no good so and so…” Right?

The fourth offering slows things down with a love song with a definite twist. “Snuff Dippin Woman” talks about his woman with snuff runnin’ all down her chin, dress, clothes. He only kissed her once before he found out. But there’s some love in there somewhere.

Skipping down to No. 6 “Born In Chicago” is an autobiographical tune about moving from Mississippi to Chicago with the country still in his soul. This is a great old-school song.

“Happy as a Man Can Be” features Bob’s harp and a little more of Daves’s guitar work in an up-tempo cut that if stretched out would have the Rhythm Room dance floor packed.

“Oil Spill Blues” is not what it sounds like, but it’s a throwback to the lyrics much of that “devil’s music” was famous for. Dave, Dave, Dave…what we gonna do with you?
The last cut “Laughing Blues” is signature Riley/Corritore show music. This is one you’re sure to hear at the CD release party and the dance floor will be hopping.

Throughout the whole album veteran drummer Brian Fahey holds things together in his usual right-on-the-money style. I know Bob tries to recruit Brian for as many projects as he can because the dude can flat play the Blues.

Dave’s son, Dave Jr., provides a solid bottom on bass. I’m not familiar with his work but this is good stuff and I hope we see him a lot more in the future.

– Jim Crawford

Leicester Bangs (November 19, 2013)

This third offering from the ‘Mississippi meets Chicago’ pairing provides a welcome antidote to those pious and cynical blues purists who continually bemoan the lack of depth in today’s music scene.

Having toured intensively and recorded regularly together for the last eight years, singer/guitarist Riley and harmonica virtuoso Corritore have crafted a more or less definitive fusion of their respective backgrounds and influences, grafting it onto a set of mostly new material which stands up to comparison with many of their forebears.

Rootsy, story-based songs are delivered at a measured and self-assured pace providing a strong vehicle for their individual talents and living proof that the spirit of the blues survives and thrives. Not convinced? Go directly to ‘Baby Please Come Home’, ‘Snuff Dippin’ Woman’ or the magnificent ‘Mississippi Po’ Boy’ to test the proof of the pudding.

– Neil B.

Caru (Italy) (November 13, 2013)

Hanno già inciso altri due dischi assieme, il chitarrista di colore Dave Riley e l’armonicista bianco Bob Corritore ( the hardest working man in America ). Blues caldo, potente e ritmato, denso e diretto. Corritore non spreca una nota e Riley è uno che sa come si fa il vero blues. Da manuale.

Parcbench (November 9, 2013)

Dave Riley and Bob Corritore make “Mississippi-meets-Chicago” blues. They’ve been creating their unique sound while touring throughout the USA, Europe, and South America for almost eight years now. Their new release, Hush Your Fuss! is definitely something to fuss about. It is a solid collection of raw material that benefits from the differences between the pair of musicians. They complement each other in may ways and the result is a collection of earthy blues, performed with alarming familiarity and freedom.

Often blues albums suffer from diminished effect as the tracks replace each other with stylistic repetition. Not Hush Your Fuss! This album only gets stronger with each song. The final cut is a little masterpiece of blues theatricality that has the guts to call itself “Laughing Blues.” It’s a song that embodies the best of Dave Riley and Bob Corritore’s fine musicianship and down home blues spirit, and it leave you wanting more.

Playing both acoustic and electric guitars, Dave Riley offers vocals that have the gruff sound of experience. Add Bob Corritore’s life-affirming harmonica (and the bass of Dave “Yahni” Riley, Jr, and the drums of Brian Fahey) to that and you have an album that is contemporary, yet steeped in all of the traditions that make the blues such a long-lasting and influential genre.

– Greg Victor

Blues Journal (October 30, 2013)

”Hush Your Fuss” was released September 17, 2013 by Southwest Musical Foundation and it contains 12 tracks:

Hush Your Fuss
Baby Please Come Home
No Cussin’
Snuff Dippin’ Woman
Mississippi Po Boy
Home in Chicago
Hard Headed Woman
Happy as a Man Can Be
Go Ahead and Blame Me
My Baby’s Gone
Oil Spill Blues
Laughing Blues

Both Dave Riley and Bob Corritore are well known and long time established blues artists with careers both as solo artists and working together with others. I like Dave Riley’s guitar playing and his singing with his gravelly voice that goes together like the hand in the glove. Bob Corritore, the harmonica player has through the years been working with many of the top names among the blues artists and done it successfully.

Now these two great artists are working together on “Hush Your Fuss”. Riley and Corritore complement each other perfectly and it is clear that they enjoy working together. I like all the songs on this CD. This is an enjoyable album and a must have.

Blues.com.pl (Poland) (October 24, 2013)

Nie wiem czy będę mógł w czwartek posłuchać audycji ale płyta “Hush Your Fuss!” to jak na razie mój nr 1 albumów bluesowych 2013 roku.

To wydawnictwo może bez kompleksów stanąć obok tegorocznych płyt takich tuzów gatunku jak Buddy Guy i James Cotton. Jak dla mnie póki co jest to najważniejsze wydawnictwo bluesowe 2013 roku. Mam nadzieje, że płyta odbije się szerszym echem w różnorakich podsumowaniach rocznych, bo to jedna z niewielu prawdziwych bluesowych pochodni.

“Hush Your Fuss!” to znakomita hybryda starej szkoły chicagowskiego grania, Delty, brudnego brzmienia Hill Country Bluesa. Nie zabrakło także w dwóch utworach ukłonu w stronę akustycznych brzmień folk-country.

Muzykom firmującym album w nagraniach towarzyszą Gloria Bailey (klawisze), Brian Fahey (perkusja) i Dave Riley Jr (bass).

– Rocken

Rock Doc (October 18, 2013)

****1/2 (4 and a half stars)

This is the third album together for this duo, described as “Mississippi meets Chicago”. These original songs feature rootsy old-school storytelling blues with a rural flavor. In other words, Hush Your Fuss! As about as blue as blues can be.

Produced by Corritore (an award winning harp player) this set has an organic feel that you can just groove on all day, aided and abetted by Bob’s inclusion of some in between track chatter on the final product. The band is rounded out by Riley’s son Dave Jr. on bass, Brian Fahey on drums, with some keyboards from Gloria Bailey, playing the kind of music you’d expect to hear coming from just about any juke joint in the deep south.

Love the sense of humor too. On the slow burning blues Snuff Dippin’ Woman Riley sings about ‘snuff juice runnin’ all down her chin’ and how ‘she kissed me once, but I’ll never let her kiss me again’. Of course there’s lots of upbeat stuff on this album too, but it’s the slow and greasy numbers that gets my mojo workin’.

Most of the soloing on this album is done with Corritore’s harp, an excellent counterpoint to Riley’s weathered and gruff (but mostly joyful) singing style. No boundaries are pushed on these dozen songs, not particularly, but that’s fine by me- Hush Your Fuss is an easy going collection of down home blues that I’ll be enjoying and sharing on my radio show for many years to come.

COOL CUTS: Snuff Dippin’ Woman, Home In Chicago, Hush My Fuss

– John The Root Doctor Kerieff

Musiczine (France) (October 17, 2013)

De couleur noire, Dave Riley est né dans le Mississippi. Il est aujourd’hui âgé de 64 ans. Jeune, il apprend à jouer de la guitare et rejoint ses parents partis vivre à Chicago, en 1961. Son père est prêcheur de la Church of God in Christ. Sa famille fonde alors un groupe de gospel. Dans les années 70, il se consacre le plus souvent à la basse, puis abandonne la musique pour élever son fils. En 1996, il monte son propre band en compagnie de son fiston. La formation publie un premier album en 1997. Il s’intitule “Living on borrowed time”. Et embraie assez rapidement pas “Blues across America”. Au sein de son band militent alors le notoire Sam Carr à la batterie et l’harmoniciste John Weston. En 2002, il grave “Whisley, money & women”.

Bob Corritore est de couleur blanche. Il est né à Chicago et joue de l’harmonica. Il s’est établi depuis bien longtemps à Phoenix, en Arizona, où il possède un excellent club de blues : ‘The Rhythm Room’. En 2008, il rencontre Dave Riley. Un duo vient de naître. Le tandem avait déjà sorti deux long playings, “Travelin’ dirt road” en 2007 et “Lucky to be living” en 2009.

L’opus s’ouvre par le titre maître. Une compo signée Riley qui commence paisiblement sous une forme acoustique avant d’adopter le mode amplifié. C’est d’ailleurs le rejeton, Dave Riley Jr, qui se réserve la basse. “Baby please don’t go” baigne dans le Chicago blues urbain. Puissante, la voix s’affirme. Bob se sent vraiment chez lui et son harmonica gronde. “No cussin'” poursuit sur le même tempo, alors que la voix devient rugueuse et âpre. Issue de la plume de John Weston, “Snuff dippin’ woman” est un superbe blues lent qui nous replonge dans les heures de gloire du quartier Southside de Chicago. Riley crie son amour déçu. Les musicos sont presque figés sur place. Les interventions à l’harmo chromatique de Corritore sont bouleversantes. Gloria Bailey se réserve l’orgue sur le “Mississippi Po boy” de Harvey Watkins, un blues à la ligne mélodique claire. Dave en profite pour libérer son premier envol sur les cordes. Il nous parle de sa vie tout au long de “Home in Chicago”, un tout bon shuffle imprimé sur un rythme soutenu. La cohésion entre les musicos est parfaite! Les percussions de Brian Fahey adoptent le rythme du chemin de fer. Corritore accentue ce phrasé saccadé sur l’harmonica. Dave se réserve un autre coup de gueule sur “Go ahead and blame me”, un morceau au cours duquel le souffle de Bob est à nouveau empreint d’une grande sensibilité. Retour au duo acoustique pour “My baby’s gone” et un superbe “Oil spill blues”. “Laughing blues” clôt cet opus, une finale hilarante au cours de laquelle Riley semble bien imbibé dans ce juke joint blues contemporain.

– Jean-Claude Mondo

In A Blue Mood (October 17, 2013)

Mississippi born guitarist Dave Riley and harmonica wizard Bob Corritore have just issued their third CD, the traditionally rooted Hush Your Fuss! (SWMAF Records/ VizzTone). Some duo sides, such as the opening title track based on some old traditional gospel themes, are mixed with some Delta to Chicago styled juke joint blues with Dave ‘Yahni’ Riley, Jr., on bass and Brian Fahey.

There is nothing fancy here such as the easy rocking shuffle Baby Please Come Home, with Riley pleading for her to return where she belongs with some nice harmonica. No Cussin’ has an usual lyric where out Dave singing about finding he was cussing folks too much and he made up that no more cussing for him set against a low-key chugging rhythm with some fine harmonica.

John Weston’s Snuff Dippin’ Woman, with Corritore on chromatic harmonica, is a moody slow blues about a woman with snuff juice running down her chin. In addition to the strong harp, Riley’s guitar is spot on here. It is the CD’s longest performance and only one of two songs not composed by Riley or Corritore. Gloria Bailey adds organ on Harvey Watkins’ Mississippi Po Boy, where Riley sings about not having much money but he is still so glad the Lord has been good to him.

Home in Chicago is a shuffle with a theme that one can take Dave out of the Country but can’t take the country out of Dave. It is followed by Dave’s tale of a Hard Headed Woman who acts like she don’t care about him. This gentle rocker is set against a backing that sounds like it was derived from Junior Parker’s Mystery Train It is perhaps not the most striking lyric, but an amiable performance that is typical of most of this recording.

“Hush Your Fuss!” is a solid, amiable recording of blues without any frills with no blues-rock trappings. The songs may be standard blues fare, but they are sung and played with heart and humor.

– Ron W.

Rambles.net (October 12, 2013)

It’s easy to lapse into cynicism about the state of the blues in the 21st century. “Blues” seems in so many ways a niche for electric guitarists otherwise lost in a pop-music landscape where the sort of rock guitar associated with Hendrix, Clapton and their contemporaries is seen as hoary 1960s relic. At the same time, it is undeniably the case any genre is bound to change over time — recorded blues is nearly a century old — and audiences crave novelty even as musicians strive for creative expression.

The problem is that blues is not a wildly expansive genre, and over the decades, since its heyday from the 1920s through the 1950s, blues as more than an influence is something that gets harder to come by. One often hears loud guitars, slashing licks and pounding rhythms, and even as one is told it’s blues, one hears instead rock as it evolved decades ago from simple rock ‘n’ roll chords. Yes, the blues is somewhere in there, but it’s struggling to get out, not always succeeding.

The two CDs under review don’t take identical approaches. Dave Riley & Bob Corritore are working from a rural blues core, even if mostly with a plugged-in band, and Bryan Lee’s roots are in the uptown blues and r&b of a few decades ago. Not that either act sounds blandly imitative; Riley & Corritore and Lee are superior musicians, and they can rightly claim their own distinctive identities. But to those of us who love the blues, there can be no doubt that they’re carrying the tradition in perceptible form, between them touching on nearly everything that gives blues meaning.

Riley — one of a small number of younger African-American musicians drawn to the music these days — alternates between acoustic and electric guitars, augmented by Corritore’s satisfyingly full-bodied harmonica playing, with echoes of the Chicago masters. The legends — Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and their generation — migrated to the Windy City from Mississippi, transforming a Delta folk music into its electrified, hard-charging big-city equivalent.

Though much younger, Riley, too, followed the highway from Mississippi to Chicago, albeit into an altered world where blues sounds were less universally embraced. Still, Riley’s singing and playing manage to feel a whole lot more organic than formally acquired. He is, moreover, a strong songwriter with notable humor and wit. All but three of the cuts are Riley compositions and cowrites, usually with Corritore. Each is capably crafted and thoroughly pleasurable, but “No Cussin'” will make you laugh out loud. Dave “Yahni” Riley Jr. and Brian Fahey back Riley and Corritore on bass and drums respectfully on most numbers.

– Jerome Clark

Blues Bytes (September / October Issue)

Dave Riley and Bob Corritore have proven to be a highly entertaining duo with their “Mississippi Meets Chicago” approach to the blues. The combination of Riley’s brand of rough and rugged down-home blues and Corritore’s Windy City-based harmonica are a blues marriage made in Heaven, and the partnership and great music continues with their third release as a team, Hush Your Fuss! (SWMAF/Vizztone).

This is old-school blues at its finest. Riley and Corritore wrote most of the songs either individually or collaboratively. The highlights include the rustic Delta-styled title track that opens the disc, the anti-profanity ditty, “No Cussin’,” “Home in Chicago,” “Hard Headed Woman,” “Happy As A Man Can Be,” “My Baby’s Gone,” and “Oil Spill Blues.” The two covers are “Snuff Dippin’ Woman,” penned by the late John Weston, a longtime Riley musical partner, and “Mississippi Po’ Boy,” a gospel tune originally done by the Canton Spirituals.

Riley is in excellent form, with some solid guitar work and that timeless voice that is the perfect combination of grit and good humor. Corritore shows why he’s one of the finest harmonica men in the business with his concise and always complementary harp solos and fills. This is a team that I hope endures for a long time. The closing tune is pretty representative of their partnership…..”Laughing Blues,” which sounds like two buddies having a ball. They are supported by an excellent rhythm section consisting of Riley’s son, Dave “Yahni” Riley, Jr. (bass), and Brian Fahey (drums) with Gloria Bailey adding keyboards on “Mississippi Po’ Boy.”

With Hush Your Fuss!, Dave Riley and Bob Corritore serve up yet another fantastic set of blues just like the old folks used to do them back in the day. Old-school blues fans will want to hear this set over and over again.

– Graham Clarke

Trib Live (October 4, 2013)

★★★★

The partnership between blues guitarist/vocalist Dave Riley and harmonica wiz Bob Corritore has proven to be quite fruitful. The awesomely titled “Huss Your Fuss!” is their third album together (following 2007’s “Travelin’ the Dirt Road” and 2009’s “Lucky to Be Living”) and finds the twosome at the top of their game. Blues fans need to add this platter to their collection, as Riley and Corritore tear it up on the title track, “No Cussin’,” “Snuff Dippin’ Woman,” “Home in Chicago,” “Hard Headed Woman” and “My Baby’s Gone.”

– Jeffrey Sisk

Ink 19 (October 2, 2013)

Hush Your Fuss is guitarist/singer Dave Riley and harmonica-whailing Bob Corritore’s third album, and it’s just the ticket for blues fans. From the Fabulous Thunderbirds-style “Baby Please Come Home” to the back alley Chicago blues of “Snuff Dippin’ Woman,” Riley and Corritore are masters of the real, down home blues that stays true to the roots. No over-amped rave ups, no beats, just 12 tracks of “bonafide” blues that sound as if they were recorded at Chess Studios fifty years ago.

Dave Riley was born in Mississippi, and you can certainly hear the hill country influences of his home shining throughout. “Mississippi Po Boy” is an apt example, with a grinding guitar line that brings to mind such fellow Mississippians as R.L. Burnside. Corritore is a Chicago native, and the harp magic he brings to Hush Your Fuss! recalls great players from the Windy City such as Paul Butterfield or James Cotton, with his overdriven, stinging attack that echoes Riley’s guitar lines. On cuts such as “Go Ahead and Blame Me,” his harp is a mournful call, just as blue as can be. The pair can even be topical with “Oil Spill Blues,” but methinks Riley is speaking of drilling something other than oil. Hush Your Fuss! is a welcome release for those of us who never get tired of the real blues sound, which Dave Riley and Bob Corritore have in spades. Great playing and juke joint singing…who’d wanna hush this fuss?

– James Mann

Blues Underground (October 1, 2013)

Called the “Mississippi Meets Chicago” Blues partnership, Dave Riley And Bob Corritore have been bringing their unique sound to the masses via extensive touring throughout the USA, Europe, and South America for going on eight years. Now with their release “Hush Your Fuss!”, Dave Riley And Bob Corritore, once again, bring us Back Porch Blues at it’s very very best.

Dave Riley originally grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, later moving to Chicago’s West Side. In later years he worked down South and was closely associated with greats Sam Carr, John Weston, and Frank Frost. Bob Corritore was born in Chicago in 1956 and throughout the years he has become one of the most revered and respected Harmonica players going, receiving numerous awards and accolades along the way, most recently including, the 2012 Living Blues Award for Best Harmonica Player, and winning a Blues Music Award in 2011 for his CD “Harmonica Blues”. “Hush Your Fuss!” marks the third collaboration between Riley and Corritore.

“Hush Your Fuss!” consists of 12 great Tracks of which Dave Riley And Bob Corritore wrote or co-wrote ten of them. The two covers chosen for this album included Harvey Watkins’ “Mississippi Po’ Boy”, and John Weston’s “Snuff Dippin’ Woman”.

Compared to a few releases of Bob Corritore’s, “Hush Your Fuss!” is a fairly lean production, which included, Corritore (Harmonica), Dave Riley (Guitar/Vocals), Dave “Yahni” Riley, Jr. (Bass), Brian Fahey (Drums), and Gloria Bailey (Organ on Track 5). This lean approach really added to the genuine Mississippi meets Chicago feel of the album.

“Hush Your Fuss!” doesn’t have a weak Track on it and was super enjoyable to listen to as Dave Riley playfully brought his humorous story telling to numerous songs which one can get an idea of from just the titles alone, such as, “No Cussin'”, where he sings about making up his mind to swear off of swearin’ and “Snuff Dippin’ Woman” of which he proclaims, “I got a Snuff Dippin’ Woman, Snuff Juice Running All Down Her Chin”.
In addition to the great Singing and Guitar work by Dave Riley, you also have the equally great Harp work from Bob Corritore. Each of these gifted artists perfectly compliment each other, letting each other shine when need be and stand out as required.

Picking a few favorites on “Hush Your Fuss!”, was pretty easy, in fact I could have just put the numbers of each Track in a hat and picked out a number and presto, there is a favorite. So for favorites I am going to let you mine through the album and find your own. I really believe it will be hard for you to find one that is not a favorite. “Hush Your Fuss!” was my first intro to the Dave Riley And Bob Corritore collaboration and it was an absolute pleasure from the first opening notes of the first Track, “Hush Your Fuss!” to the final bits of laughter on the closing Track “Laughing Blues”.

“Hush Your Fuss!” is the way Blues should sound like, much more often. This beauty will have no problem at all getting not only stellar reviews but quite a few nods come awards season.

Highly Recommended and Thoroughly Enjoyed…

– John Vermilyea

Wasser Prawda (Germany) (September 26, 2013)

Die Roots- und Chicago Blues Szene bekommt ein neues Zentrum. Rund um den Rhythm Room in Phoenix Az und seinen umtriebigen Eigner Bob Corritore sammelt sich alles, was Rang und Namen hat. Einige der daraus entsprungenen Alben haben wir schon früher in der Wasser-Prawda rezensiert. Jetzt liegt ganz frisch „Hush Your Fuss!“ von Dave Riley und Bob Corritore auf dem Plattenteller. Der Sänger und Gitarrist Dave Riley und der Harper Bob Corritore arbeiten bereits seit vielen Jahren eng zusammen und haben schon mehrere Alben herausgebracht – aber, und das voweg, noch keines, daß so roh, ungeschliffen und packend ist wie das neue.

Zunächst war mir nicht klar, was unter „Hush Your Fuss“ zu verstehen ist. Mit Hilfe meines Freundes Brian DaSilva aus Phoenix glaube ich es jetzt verstanden zu haben. Es heißt ganz einfach: Hör auf zu meckern! Da lohnt es sich doch, das gleichnamige erste Stück der CD besonders aufmerksam anzuhören.

Fast alle Stücke der CD wurden von Dave Riley oder Dave Riley und Bob Corritore geschrieben. Dave Riley hat mir einmal gemailt, dass er 25 Jahre seines Lebens im Gefängnis verbracht habe. Bob Corritore ist von Chicago nach Phoenix gekommen, hat über die Jahre einen tollen Club aufgebaut und sich weltweit einen exzellenten Namen als Bluesharper geschaffen – das ist allererste Liga! Das sind aber auch Jahre eines bestimmt nicht einfachen Lebens, die genügend hergeben, um spannende und lebensnahe Songs zu schreiben.

Da geht es ums Fluchen („No Cussin“), den armen Jungen vom Mississippi („Mississippi Po Boy“) und das mal wieder getürmte Baby fehlt auch nicht („Baby please come home“). Das Album endet mit dem „Laughing Blues“, Dave Riley lacht sich kaputt – worüber wohl?

Rileys perfekt erdiges Gitarrenspiel, seine lebenserfahrene knarzige Stimme in der Begleitung von Corritores einfühlsamer und teils zurückhaltender Arbeit an der Harp schaffen eine großartig dichte Athmosphäre. So etwa muß der Blues ursprünglich geklungen haben.

Stimmige Unterstützung kommt von Brian Fahey (Rhythm Room All Stars) an den Drums, Dave „Yahny“ Riley Jr. am Bass und Gloria Bailey (Phoenix Az, Organ, Track 5).

Bob Corritore und Dave Riley sind meines Wissens bislang nicht in Deutschland aufgetreten, in Frankreich und den Niederlanden haben sie begeisterte Fans – hoffentlich schauen sie auch bei uns bald vorbei. (Vizztone SWMAF 11)

English:

The Roots and Chicago blues scene gets a new center. Around the Rhythm Room in Phoenix Az and its enterprising owner Bob Corritore collects all the big names. Some of the albums coming out from this we have previously reviewed in the Wasser Prawda.

Now is quite fresh “Hush Your Fuss!” by Dave Riley and Bob Corritore on the turntable . The singer and guitarist Dave Riley and Bob Corritore the harper have been working closely for many years and have already released several albums – but , and this first of all, , none of that so raw , unpolished and gripping as the new one.

Initially for me it was not clear what is meant by “Hush Your Fuss”. With the help of my friend Brian DaSilva from Phoenix I think I understand now. It is very simple: Hör auf zu meckern! It’s surly worth it to pay attention to the same named first song of the CD.

Almost all the pieces on the CD were written by Dave Riley and Bob Corritore.

Dave Riley once sent me a mail telling me that he spent 25 years of his life in prison . Bob Corritore has come from Chicago to Phoenix, has built up a great club over the years and created worldwide an excellent name for himself as a Bluesharper – it’s first-ever league! But the years are not determined a simple life. They give enough stuff to write exciting and realistic songs.

As it comes to Cursin (No Cussin ‘) , the poor boy from the Mississippi (Mississippi Po Boy ) and once again the baby that left (baby please come home) . The album ends with the “Laughing Blues”, Dave Riley laughing – don’t you want to know what he is laughing about?

Riley’s perfect earthy guitar playing, his life experienced gnarly voice in the accompaniment of Corritores sensitive and partly detained work on harp create a great dense atmosphere. Such the blues must have sounded originally. Support comes from Brian Fahey ( Rhythm Room All Stars ) on drums, Dave “Yahni” Riley Jr. on bass and Gloria Bailey ( Phoenix Az , organ , track 5).

Bob Corritore and Dave Riley to my knowledge have not occurred in Germany. In France and the Netherlands, they have raving fans – hopefully they also look at us soon.

– Bernd Kreikmann

FAME (September 23, 2013)

The CD title alone, Hush Your Fuss, one of the coolest to emerge in a long time, gives away the fact that this is the kind of down-home music that down-home music itself listens to. I mean, look at the titles listed below and see what I mean. Everything’s raw, exuberant, proletariat, doggoned, greasy, and back-door familiar. Dave Riley plays guitar and sings in a gravid, back alley, sometimes hilarious voice that reaches back to when the blues first reared its hound-dog head and howled at the moon. No doubt in the world, once you lay an ear to any track here, that the guy’s been doing this his whole life.

Then there’s Bob Corritore, Riley’s Sonny Boy Williamson, playing a running, loping, talkin’, cryin’ harmonica on each and every cut. This, y’all, is the kinda music, along with the whole Chicago sound, that set English heads on fire when they glommed it in the 60s and thus gave birth to dirty white-boy blues ’cause, well, they hadn’t never heard nuthin’ like that never before, y’all. And so were born Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Duffy Power, Stan Webb, and God only knows how many fine fine musicians. Music owes to music. It always has.

I think my favorite cut is No Cussin’, ’cause it’s a wry prohibition on one of my favored activities (my friends will tell you that I cuss like a g*dd*mn*d, m*therf*ck*ng, s*n*f*b*tch*n’ sailor, have since about 14, and will never cease ’cause I love it). It’s a go-to-church smiley faced finger-wag at we trash talkin’ mofos from someone who’s given up the practice but knows it well. Trotting through the rest of the CD, the infectious Home in Chicago with its irresistible shuffle and the solo acoustic My Baby’s Gone are just as attractive. In fact, there ain’t a clinker in the bunch, and the whole shebang ends with Laughing Blues, which is exactly what it says it is and would not have been surprising had it come out of a grinning John Hartford.

-Mark S. Tucker