Great times, great blues, good friends, southern hospitality, historical tradition! This was also a year when we saw many young people come forward with a serious interest in this music, respecting and learning from the elder generation! Here are some photos, capturing some of the fun!

Link for downloads: https://ffm.to/bcsomebody
Link to pre-order the CD on Amazon: https://a.co/d/1UcaCAv

Bob Corritore’s latest masterpiece collection of newly recorded songs featuring a spectacular offering of top blues artists on the scene today. Bob’s brilliant harmonica work is the connecting thread, effortlessly tying together a great variety of blues styles and always serving the song.

Unlike Corritore’s “From the Vaults” series albums, these are all freshly recorded tracks, and they reflect the diverse richness of today’s blues world. Guest vocalists shine, and Corritore’s production touch brings out different and extra cool aspects of each artist’s performance. Listening to this album is like going to an awesome blues festival filled with one heartfelt performance after another.

The first single, “Good As It Gets” features blues icon and Grammy winner Bobby Rush. Co-produced by Bob Corritore and Clarke Rigsby, the lineup includes drum legend Steve Ferrone, organist Chester Thompson, and guitarists Dexter Allen and Jimi “Primetime” Smith, delivering a powerful and funky groove for vocalist Rush to work with. Harmonica ace Corritore sparsely teases his way around the vocals until it’s time to explode for the solo.

The amazing list of featured vocalists includes Bobby Rush, Thornetta Davis, John Primer, Carl Weathersby, Johnny Rawls, Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges, Francine Reed, Tia Carroll, Oscar Wilson, Diunna Greenleaf, Jimi “Primetime” Smith, Willie Buck, Sugaray Rayford, and Lurrie Bell. In addition to the vocalists, this album features some of today’s best blues intrumentalists, including Bob Margolin, Bob Stroger, Anthony Geraci, Ben Levin, Johnny Burgin, Kid Ramos, Billy Flynn, Bill Stuve, Fred Kaplan, Dave Keyes, Doug James, Johnny Main, Johny Rapp, Yahni Riley, Kedar Roy, Troy Sandow, Mike King, Brian Fahey, June Core, Steven Hodges, Wes Starr and more.

To see the complete artwork by Vince Ray and all of the beautiful panels, click here.

Thank you VizzTone Label Group and BratGirlMedia for making this possible! Thank you Koko Taylor, Barbara Lynn, Valerie June, Carol Fran, Shy Perry, Aliya Primer, Diunna Greenleaf and Francine Reed for their amazing vocal performances and let’s also mention Adrianna Marie, another Woman In Blues who played bass on Shy Perry’s track! Thanks for all the other amazing musicians who are a part of this project as well as studio people Clarke Rigsby, John Wroble and Kid Andersen, who all added their magic. And thank you for all the voters who believed in and voted for this project! An honor and a privilege. And what a party it was in Peoria, Illinois at the award ceremony! In addition to the Bob Corritore’s win, John Primer, Bob Margolin, and Bob Stroger we’re all presented lifetime achievement awards! additionally, Bob Stroger, won an award and John Primer won two awards! Congratulations to all of the winners!

This memorial piece about Tail Dragger came out this weekend in the Chicago Sun Times. Click here to read.

It’s hard to say goodbye to somebody who has been a constant presence in the Chicago blue scene for many decades. James Yancey Jones, also known as Tail Dragger performed his heavy duty, Howlin’ Wolf inspired blues around Chicago and around the world since the 1970s. His band was also a training ground for so many aspiring artists who came to know the real Blues by playing with this master. He was a fun-loving, rowdy-making character with a rough exterior, an outspoken persona, a kind and loyal friend, and a street-wise teacher. Bob Corritore first met Tail Dragger in 1976, the day after Howlin’ Wolf died. All of the musicians that loved Howlin’ Wolf gathered at the club that Wolf used to play at on the West Side – Eddie Shaw’s 1815 club. Bob Corritore did not realize at that moment that this larger than life character would become a lifelong friend and they made recordings together, toured all over the world and shared many smiles. This was not an exclusive situation in any way, because Tail Dragger made friends and musical associates wherever he went. But when you were in with Tail Dragger, you became part of his entrusted team. Here are a selection of photos from Bob’s collection of some really great times had. He will be greatly missed and there is nobody that could possibly ever replace him.

October 18th OLD TOWN BLUES CLUB-Temecula, CA
https://old-town-blues-club.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral

October 19th CANTARA CELLARS-Carmarillo, CA

October  21st MATT DENNY’S ALE HOUSE – Arcadia, CA

October 22nd MALAINEY’S GRILL – Long Beach, CA

October 23rd MAUI SUGAR MILL SALOON – Tarzania, CA

October 25th THE STARLET ROOM, Sacramento, CA

October 26th BUCKINGHAM CLUB HOUSE – Kelseyville, CA

October 27 & 28 HIGH HAND – Loomis, CA

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT ONE OF OUR SHOWS!
COME STOP BY THE MERCH TABLE AND SAY HI

The Jimi Primetime Smith/Bob Corritore Blues Band with special guests Tail Dagger & Johnny Burgin take ther show on the road to these stops:

05/04/23: Luxembourg – Sang a Klang Blues Club www.bluesclub.lu
05/05/23: Heist-op-den-Berg, Belgium – Hnita Jazz Club, hnitajazzclub.be
05/06/23: Moulin Blues Festival. www.moulinblues.nl
05/07/23: Dongen, Netherlands – De Gouden Leeuw. www.blues Dongen.nl
05/08/23: Ruiselede, Belgium – Banana Peel. www.bananapeel.be

Bob Corritore and Johnny Burgin will fly directly from the euro tour to Memphis to enjoy the Blues Foundation’s wonderful celebrations! It will be spectacular to see John Primer be inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame. Bob Corritore is nominated in two categories for Blues Music Awards! But the best thing about these events will be the sense of community as the blues world gathers to reflect on accomplishments past and present!

In addition to fun and friendship, there was a wonderful gig at the Rhythm Room and a spectacular recording session. Look for a 2024 album called John Primer & Bob Corritore/Crawlin’ Kingsnake! And thank you, Rocco and Marilyn for the amazing home-cooked Italian meal the night before the gig!

This album is part of Bob Corritore’s “From The Vaults” series and it has been getting lots of love. It’s now available wherever music is sold! Check out the initial reviews by clicking here.

Jimi lent his guitar to Jimmy Reed for a photo shoot in the mid 1970s!