CLICK HERE TO VIEW NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES FROM PREVIOUS YEARS
December 21 – Happy Holidays From The Bob Corritore Newsletter!
Warm holiday wishes to you! Thank you so much for your support and friendship!
This has been a tough year for all of us. But here is to a better new year! Please be safe and healthy.
Below is a photo by Elaine Thomas Campbell of Dave Riley and Bob Corritore from March 14 (last gig before the pandemic shut-down):
And a few holiday vintage images:
December 16 – Gratitude For Amazing Fundraising Response
THANK YOU!
Words cannot properly express the gratitude felt for the outpouring of support shown to the Rhythm Room in our Go-Fund-Me. Thank you to the over 400 people who collectively donated twice our stated, hoped goal.
Thanks also for the Rhythm Room article in AZ Central by Ed Masley which you can read by clicking here.
And thanks also to Senator Krysten Sinema who mentioned the Rhythm Room and her support of music venues in her press release (click here to read).
Live blues music and the venues who support it are essential to the communities they serve. A heartfelt thank you to our community for your amazing kindness and support! Wishing you blues blessings this holiday season. We certainly feel blessed because of your kindness!
Thank you!
December 3 – Bob Corritore News And Updates
Blues Music Online Feature Interview!
Thank you Jack and Susan Sullivan, Art Tipaldi and Blues Music Online for a great cover story/interview which came out yesterday! Check out the beautiful cover with the photo by Dave Blake. To read the article click this link.
Thank you for the Giving Tuesday Donations!
Thanks for the many people who made their tax deductible donation yesterday to Southwest Musical Arts Foundation. For each donation that we receive we send out a generous gift package of CDs as a thank you. These donations help us continue our valuable, cultural work. If you would like to donate at any time here is the link: http://paypal.me/SWMAF
From The Vaults Series!
The first three releases in Bob Corritore’s From The Vaults Series have received great attention through airplay, reviews, articles and comments! Henry Gray & Bob Corritore/Cold Chills, the third album in this ongoing series will be released tomorrow! It features many special guests including John Brim, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Eddie Taylor Junior, Bob Margolin, Chico Chism, Johnny Burgin, Jimi Primetime Smith, Illinois Slim and more. Just this week the series had features in Philly Cheeze’s Rock & Blues, and Making A Scene, and Living Blues Magazine just gave the Henry Gray & Bob Corritore CD a glowing review.
The series will also be featured this Sunday, December 6 on The Blues Lounge Radio Show in the U.K., and this Monday, December 7 on Music On The Couch where Vinny Marini will live interview Bob Corritore! Bob’s segment runs about 45 minutes starting at 10:30 Eastern Time. Thank you to the countless DJs who have sent their supportive playlists from around the world! Thanks to all the reviewer‘s and writers who have given this work so much attention. Thanks to all the friends and fans for their fantastic support! Thank you to VizzTone Label Group and BratGirl Media for really getting these releases out there!
And let’s not forget the latest new release by John Primer & Bob Corritore / The Gypsy Woman Told Me, released in May earlier this year, which made it to the Billboard Blues Charts and earned number one on the Living Blues Radio Charts, the Australian Blues Charts and the French Power Blues Charts. Thanks everyone!
November 26 – Happy Thanksgiving from the Bob Corritore Newsletter
Happy Thanksgiving from the Bob Corritore Newsletter. A big thanks to you all for your support and friendship! Let’s all look forward to the promise of this new year! Here’s a beautiful song from Bill Howl-N-Madd Perry that I was honored to play harmonica on! It’s called Thankful For The Blues and it is a feel-good, inspirational soul/blues song! Wishing you a blessed and healthy holiday.
Bob Corritore
November 7 – Jimi Primetime Smith & Bob Corritore In Tucson Next Saturday, November 14
Jimi Primetime Smith and Bob Corritore appear Saturday, November 14 at Monterey Court in Tucson!
7pm to 10pm show.
Enjoy an open air, outdoor show of straight Chicago Blues in a socially-distanced, seated venue!
Make sure to call ahead for your reservations!
October 8 – Presenting Bob Corritore’s “FROM THE VAULTS” Series first three releases! Pre-order Now!
⭐️⭐️ ⭐️
Dave Riley & Bob Corritore “Travelin’ the Dirt Road” https://ffm.to/rileycorr (10/23/20)
Kid Ramos & Bob Corritore “Phoenix Blues Sessions” https://ffm.to/kidbob (11/13/20)
Henry Gray & Bob Corritore “Cold Chills” https://ffm.to/graycorr (12/4/20)
Including previously unavailable and unreleased gems from Corritore’s vast master tape archives, produced by Bob for his Southwest Musical Arts Foundation, and released through the VizzTone label group!
Please consider a donation to Southwest Musical Arts Foundation. These are very tough times and we realize that many of you will not have the resources to donate. Please note that your pre-order of these CDs will also really help out! But if you do have the means, every bit of your donation will go towards preparation of the next batch of Vaults recordings. We have master tapes from over 100 sessions recorded over three decades that we feel need to be released. Many of the artists that we documented are no longer with us. We recently transferred from various formats (tape and hard drive) to ProTools format, 11 full recording sessions by Louisiana Red. We will need to review and ready the highlights for release. We have enough strong material to release at least two CDs from these sessions! We are also looking at unreleased material by Pinetop Perkins, Big Jack Johnson, Robert Bilbo Walker, Honeyboy Edwards, Sam Lay, Magic Slim and much more! But all of this involves attention to detail as well as the huge expense of studio time. Each $100 donation brings us about an hour and a half of studio time so you can imagine how that adds up. If you do have the means for a donation you could either send it by PayPal or mail.
The PayPal link is http://paypal.me/SWMAF
The mailing address is:
Southwest Musical Arts
P.O. Box 3310
Scottsdale, AZ 85271
Please make the check out to Southwest Musical Arts Foundation.
Thank you to everyone for all the support! Look for many more future volumes from the Vaults Series!
August 31 – Independent Blues Awards Voting Ends Tonight
Voting for the Independent Blues Awards ends tonight at midnight Eastern time.
Please vote at makingascene.org today. Thanks!
August 15 – Last Day To Vote In The Living Blues Awards
The 2020 Living Blues Awards polls close today, and anyone can vote!
Just visit LivingBlues.com and click on the “Vote” button.
Bob Corritore is honored to be nominated in the Harmonica Category.
Bob’s close associates Henry Gray, John Primer, Alabama Mike, Sugaray Rayford and Lurrie Bell are also all nominated in various other categories. Please vote your choices before the polling ends tonight!
Thank you.
August 12 – Living Blues Awards Voting Ends Saturday
The 2020 Living Blues Awards polls close this Saturday, August 15th, and anyone can vote!
Just visit LivingBlues.com and click on the “Vote” button.
Bob Corritore is honored to be nominated in the Harmonica Category.
John Primer is nominated for two award categories: Male Blues Artist Of The Year and Guitarist.
Henry Gray is nominated in the Piano category.
Please vote your choices before the polling ends! Thank you!
July 28 – Dennis Gruenling Live Q&A Webinar With Bob Corritore This Saturday
THIS SATURDAY!
DENNIS GRUENLING PRESENTS A LIVE Q&A WEBINAR
w/Special Guest – BOB CORRITORE (60-90 min)
SAT, AUG 1, 4pm PACIFIC, 7pm EASTERN
🎶 (perks include Shirts, CDs, and Additional Webinar Resources!)
Harmonica champion DENNIS GRUENLING has invited Bob to be the featured guest on his weekly harmonica webinar! Dennis is currently the featured harp man with the Nick Moss Band, and in addition to winning numerous BMAs, has boldly represented a new passionate generation of traditional blues harmonica playing through numerous recordings and years of relentless touring! Past guests on Dennis’ webinar have included Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson, Jerry Portnoy, James Harman, Kim Field, Billy Branch, R.J. Mischo, Sugar Ray Norcia, and Steve Guyger.
Dennis kindly says the following:
BOB CORRITORE is one of the most accomplished and passionate Chicago-styled Blues Harp players around. With a decades-long career that involved hanging out on Maxwell Street in Chicago soaking up lessons from blues legends, to performing with masters such as Eddie Taylor, Big Moose Walker, and Tail Dragger, to producing many critically acclaimed recordings, hosting “Those Lowdown Blues” radio show on KJZZ (since 1984), to running the world-famous Rhythm Room music venue in Phoenix, AZ. This multi-award winner has not only studied Chicago Blues as much as anyone out there, but has brought that knowledge to his harp playing on over 100 recordings, to festivals worldwide, and with some of the best musicians in the business!
Here’s what a few people have been saying about my Q&A Webinars…
“I’ve joined all of them and want you to know how much I’ve enjoyed them. Listening to top players talk shop with you is not only informative, but really funny” – Rich McIntyre
“The Question & Answer format allows unique insights…the variety of excellent questions results in topics that interests players of all levels…spend an evening with harmonica legends talking with me in my living room? Yes, Please!!” – Bob Shoemaker
LIMITED ATTENDANCE, BY REGISTRATION ONLY!
This will NOT be streaming on social media, it will be by invite only for anyone making a donation to attend.
–> Donations of $50 or more get a full page of Additional Resources, such as Exclusive Webinar Highlight Notes, Links, Recommended Recordings, and a Playlist!
–> Donations of $100 or more get ALL of the Additional Resources PLUS a Bob Corritore Shirt & CD set!!”
T-Shirts, CDs and Stickers available! Please reply back to this email for pricing and availability!
Please remember to vote!
July 20 – Bob Nominated For Blues Blast Music, Living Blues & Making A Scene Independent Blues Awards
July 10 – Blues Blast Music Award Nominations Announced!
Just today they announced the 2020 Blues Blast Music Award Nominations, and John Primer & Bob Corritore/The Gypsy Woman Told Me is nominated under the category of Best Traditional Blues Album! Bob Corritore is also a guest on Bob Margolin’s latest album This Guitar And Tonight, which is up for Best Acoustic Blues Album. The young Ben Levin is up for Rising Star, and Bob Margolin and Bob Corritore played on his album. Congratulations to all of the nominees! Voting starts on July 20. For more information and the full list of nominees, go to BluesBlastMagazine.com. Thanks everyone for the fantastic support!
July 7 – #1 In The Living Blues Radio Chart!
John Primer & Bob Corritore/The Gypsy Woman Told Me has advanced to the #1 position on the just released June 2020 Living Blues Radio Report! This is the third month of high charging for the release as it was #2 in April and again #2 in May. Thank you to all of the radio show hosts and fans who made this possible and thank you to VizzTone Label Group and BratGirl Media for their hard work and promotional efforts! John and Bob are thrilled by this news!
July 2 – Living Blues Nomination, Radio Charts, Amazing Press, Forthcoming Releases!
Living Blues Award Nominations
Bob Corritore has just been nominated for a 2020 Living Blues Award in the Harmonica category! Many of Bob’s close associates are also up for awards: John Primer, Henry Gray, Alabama Mike, Sugaray Rayford, Lurrie Bell and more! Voting is open to the public and is happening right now. Here is the link to vote: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LBAwards2020
John Primer & Bob Corritore Radio Charting!
John and Bob‘s latest album, The Gypsy Woman Told Me is #1 on the French Power Blues Report, #2 for the second month in a row on the Living Blues Charts, #1 on the Australian Blues Charts, and #18 on the UK’s Independent Blues Broadcasters Association.
From The Vaults Series! VizzTone will debut a Bob Corritore/From The Vaults Series this fall!
Bob Corritore has a wealth of unissued blues recordings from over the last 30 years. This new series will feature annual release batches. The first batch re-issues 2 currently out of print albums with extra unreleased tracks: Dave Riley & Bob Corritore/Traveling The Dirt Road plus Kid Ramos & Bob Corritore/Phoenix Blues Sessions (with vocalists Nappy Brown, Henry Gray, Chico Chism, Dr. Fish, Chief Schabuttie Gilliame, and Big Pete Pearson with four previously unreleased tracks! Also in the batch will be Henry Gray & Bob Corritore/Volume 2, Cold Chills with all but 3 of its 16 tracks never before released and include guests Robert Lockwood, John Brim, Eddie Taylor Jr, Bob Margolin, Jimi Primetime Smith and more! Further information about the fall release date forthcoming in about a month!
Please consider a donation to Southwest Musical Arts Foundation.
SWMAF is helping to get many of Bob Corritore‘s unissued and historically important masters released. Bob Corritore’s master tape archives includes over 30 years of unreleased sides by great artists such as Big Jack Johnson, Sam Lay, Louisiana Red, Magic Slim & The Teardrops, Henry Gray, Eddy Clearwater, Robert Bilbo Walker, Smokey Wilson, Pinetop Perkins, Carol Fran, Robert Lockwood and many others! With VizzTone’s From The Vaults Series there now is a committed outlet for these sides to be released. But this is a huge undertaking involving much focus and many hours of studio time and album preparation. A donation of any amount to SWMAF will move this important effort along. To make a donation please go to www.swmaf.org, hit the drop down menu and select donate. Thank you!
Special thanks to all the folks that have given attention to John Primer & Bob Corritore/The Gypsy Woman Told Me.
Special thanks to Vinny Marini for having John and I interview on Music On The Couch, Dan Liguori for having us interview on his show Featuring The Blues KSZN Flagstaff, Gerry Casey for the interview on Radio Home Of Rock, Ireland and Pepo Lazieri for the album feature on Oceano Blues Y Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio. There are so many others too! Also please check out the over 30 CD reviews from all around by clicking here. Thank you!
Bob Corritore listed among the top 40 of Arizona’s most influential musicians by the Phoenix New Times.
It’s an incredible honor to be listed as a major musical influence in your own hometown! And check out the amazing company Bob keeps in this listing! Click here to read the article!
June 1 – Independent Blues Awards Nominations, Music On The Couch Interview Tonight, And More!
The Independent Blues Awards nominations were recently announced through Making A Scene Magazine, and I was wonderfully surprised with 2 noms:
- For Traditional Blues CD “Do The Hip-Shake Baby”
- For Producer!
Also Bob Corritore is a special guest on Zac Harmon’s album Mississippi BarBQ which is up for R&B/Soul CD
Please note that John Primer’s excellent Soul Of A Bluesman CD shares nomination honors with Bob Corritore & Friends / Do The Hip Shake Baby which makes for a tough choice in the Traditional Blues CD Category. Completely understandable if you decide to vote for John’s great CD in this category! So much love and respect for John Primer!
Voting is open to anyone starting this Monday June 1st at: https://www.makingascene.org/independent-blues-award-nominees-announced/
Thanks everyone! Feeling blessed.
Also in Making A Scene Magazine check out their recent Bob Corritore interview with Host Richard L’Hommedieu! Please note that the printed part is a bio and the actual interview is an audio file where you simply press “play.” Check it out here.
Also check out this wonderful interview with Michael Limnios of Mixalis Blues from Greece.
And Lawrence Lebo’s column in Blues In The South (from the U.K.) features words from Bruce Iglauer, Bob Corritore, Fiona Boyes and A.J. Gross from the Big Blues Bender.
Music On The Couch interview tonight! 10:30 Eastern. John Primer and Bob Corritore will be interviewed this evening by Vinny Marini!
Soul Bag Magazine’s Little Walter issue features Bob Corritore among 10 Disciples Of Little Walter!
Here is the translation (by Denis Depoitre) of what they said: The slender rocker-playboy silhouette is familiar to us: constituting the ideal accompaniment for deep-feeling Walterian Chicago blues, Corritore’s blues shaping is due in part to his early frequenting of the original Delta Fish Market (in which an ephemeral music label was consecrated for an obscure group of Black bluesmen). Bob Corritore’s concept is above all a work, a subtle play on an amplified sound, simultaneously profound and full of life. This is thanks to his immense background of urban blues harmonica of which Corritore is the most ardent advocate. This is reflected in his visited sites, concerts, club appearances, promotions and the like. While having recorded little under his own name, his abundant discography is comprised of collaborations with other bluesmen that he respects, supports and helps push into the spotlight.
And to tie it all together please enjoy the multitude of great reviews of John Primer & Bob Corritore/The Gypsy Woman Told Me by clicking here.
You can purchase this album at https://ffm.to/gypsywoman
And if interested in the new T-Shirt just reply to this email with a note.
May 27 – John Primer & Bob Corritore / The Gypsy Woman Told Me Reaction Report
On May 1, 2020 VizzTone Label Group released John Primer & Bob Corritore / The Gypsy Woman Told Me. The reaction to this record has been simply spectacular: Billboard Blues Sales Charts (#14), Living Blues Radio Charts (#2), Australian Roots & Blues Charts (#1) and over 25 amazing reviews so far which you can see by clicking here. With the pandemic John and Bob are unable to tour either together or separately which has been very hard. But we are extremely thankful for the warm reception of this album! Grab your copy now at https://ffm.to/gypsywoman. You can also order beautiful six color T-shirts with the album cover design by contacting Bob Corritore at bobcorritore@yahoo.com. Thank you everyone!
T-shirts as well as CDs and stickers available. Just reply to this email for inquiries and pricing.
Please check out the John Primer interview in Chicago Blues Guide by clicking here:
May 1 – New Album By John Primer & Bob Corritore Released Today!
John Primer & Bob Corritore/The Gypsy Woman Told Me is now available and can be ordered at https://ffm.to/gypsywoman
April 27 – New Album By John Primer & Bob Corritore To Be Released Friday!
John Primer & Bob Corritore/The Gypsy Woman Told Me will be released on Friday, May 1, 2020.
You can preorder now at https://ffm.to/gypsywoman
March 11 – The Dave Riley & Bob Corritore Juke Joint Blues Band In Tucson & Phoenix This Weekend
Click on the images below for more info and tickets!
February 26 – Performing With Diunna Greenleaf This Friday at The Rhythm Room
February 25 – New John Primer/Bob Corritore CD Out May 1. Preorder Now!
John Primer & Bob Corritore/The Gypsy Woman Told Me will be released on May 1, 2020.
You can preorder now at https://ffm.to/gypsywoman
February 18 – RIP HENRY GRAY
January 19, 1925 to February 17, 2020
A true piano master who lived his life to play music and entertain. His amazing piano work graced some of the finest of Chicago blues recordings of the 1950s and 1960s by Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Rogers, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, Billy Boy Arnold, G.L. Crockett and more. He was also an amazing singer and front man and in later years emerged as a powerhouse band leader. We say goodbye to this irreplaceable blues treasure who brought us so much joy. Job well done Henry! Love you.
February 10 – Valentine’s Day Blues Celebration This Saturday Benefiting The Hart Fund
January 29 – International Blues Challenge This Week In Memphis, TN
Bob Corritore’s schedule of performances during IBC week:
01/29/20: Memphis, TN, Rum Boogie Cafe, Appearing at BratGirlMedia Showcase with Bob Margolin and Gaye Abegbalola. Show starts at 10:30pm
01/30/20: Memphis, TN, Blues Hall, 2pm Harmonica Masterclass (Free Of Charge)
01/30/20: Memphis, TN, Rum Boogie Cafe, about 3:15pm, Bob Margolin and Bob Corritore host a workshop on Guitar & Harmonica Blues!
01/30/20: Memphis, TN, Rum Boogie Cafe, Appearing at BratGirlMedia Showcase with Bob Margolin. Show starts at 10:30
01/31/20: Memphis, TN, Rum Boogie Cafe, VizzTone Label Group Showcase starting 10:30 pm
02/01/20: Memphis, TN, Hard Rock Cafe, 8:30pm set with Bob Margolin for Generation Blues benefit
02/01/20: Memphis, TN, Rum Boogie Cafe, VizzTone Label Group Showcase starting 10:30pm
January 21 – Dave Riley / Bob Corritore Juke Joint Blues Band This Friday At The Rhythm Room
January 19 – Happy 95th Birthday Henry Gray!
Happy 95th birthday to my friend Henry Gray! Born January 19th, 1925. One of the greatest blues pianists of all time!
Photo by Marilyn Stringer.
January 17 – Arizona Blues Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony And Concert This Sunday At Rhythm Room
January 5, 2020 – Bob Margolin/Bob Corritore Appear This Week in Bern, Switzerland!
January 2, 2020 – Rhythm Room House Rent Party This Saturday At The Rhythm Room
Bob Corritore - Official Website 