Bob Corritore & Friends - Early Blues Sessions
- chicagoblueseditor
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Release date: Oct. 17, 2025
SWMAF/VizzTone Records
By Robin Zimmerman
Bluesman Bob Corritore is back with another tour de force release. His latest, “From the Vaults” project is titled Early Blues Sessions, and it features a long list of musical heavyweights from days gone by.
Besides being a harmonica ace, Rhythm Room club owner and KJZZ radio host, Corritore has also assumed the unofficial title of blues historian and tireless promoter of the genre. His social media feed is filled with photos and anecdotes about renowned artists, and his vast catalog of blues collaborations have captured the musical magic that permeates from the Phoenix recording studio every time he and his cohorts got together.
And Early Blues Sessions is no exception. Whether it’s a juke box worthy track from Little Milton, a hip-shaking slide clinic courtesy of Lil’ Ed or some gospel-flavored blues delivered with feeling from Dave Riley, Early Blues Sessions features sixteen tracks of fantastic music dating back to 1984 that showcase “the type of blues you can’t get anymore” according to Corritore.
In a recent phone interview, Corritore summed up his connection to these legends when he said that “the cool thing is that I was recording blues that was so close to the source, the motherload of the blues with the people that were the innovators and creators of it.” He added that “this irreplaceable thing will never come back again because at this point in time these giants walked the earth and somehow, I was able to do these amazing recordings.”
Luckily for us, Corritore was uniquely positioned to befriend the musicians and make these amazing recordings. After he honed his skills playing with a slew of Chicago blues legends during his formative years in the Windy City, he moved to Arizona in the eighties and opened his nightclub, the Rhythm Room, in Phoenix, Arizona in 1991. He soon realized that he “was in the path of greatness” as he could offer musicians traveling to California a gig at his club and a recording session afterwards. He said, “this became a very powerful lifestyle.”
While Corritore has been instrumental in ensuring that these artists’ musical legacy have been recorded for posterity, he also has a wealth of stories about these musicians and how these songs came to be. Early Blues Sessions kicks off with an unreleased track called “I Want to Be the One” from Little Milton that’s sure to get the toes tapping and the musical juices flowing.
Corritore is proud of his friendship with late legend Little Milton, “who always treated me better than I deserved.” He said that they often talked on the phone and Little Milton would invite Corritore backstage when he came to his shows.
Corritore had long wanted to record with Little Milton. It finally worked out when Little Milton was coming through Phoenix and Corritore had assembled a super group of musicians that included Henry Gray on keys and Chico Chism on drums. With this cast, Little Milton was all in for a “back to the roots” session. The result is a “cool groove” that showcases “Milton singing with all that joy, with the big, fantastic voice he had, and his guitar playing is very tone-full.”
While “I Want to Be the One” is a soul-infused romp accented by Henry Gray’s lively keyboard artistry, Early Blues Sessions also takes on a variety of other sub-genres including Lowell Fulson’s honest down-home “West Texas Blues” and swamp pop flavored tunes on Jimmy Dotson’s “Tired of Being Alone” and King Karl’s “Cool, Calm and Collected.”
As befits the bandleader who coordinates this diverse roster of musical styles, Corritore’s harmonica adapts perfectly to every offering. He attributes his versatility to a keen appreciation of everything from jazz and country to soul and roots music. Corritore also credits hanging out with Lazy Lester and King Karl where he picked up “first-hand knowledge” of the Louisiana style of playing blues.
Another highlight on Early Blues Sessions is a cover of Wes Mongomery’s swinging instrumental number, “Naptown Blues” with guitarist Robert Lockwood Junior. Corritore said that Lockwood was well-versed in jazz as well as downhome Delta blues; he learned the style of playing the melody and bass line simultaneously directly from Robert Johnson, who had dated Lockwood’s mother. Corritore added that Lockwood was like a “father figure” and mentored him in both blues and life.
Corritore said that while Lockwood was very disciplined, he could also be a jokester. Ditto for Sam Lay, who is featured on both “So Glad I’m Living” and “My Fault.” Corritore said that Lay was a “delightful person to hang out with” who could stylistically adapt to capture the various emotions demonstrated on these two very different tracks.
One of Corritore’s first blues heroes was Jimmy Rogers, who is credited with fueling Corritore’s early Chicago blues fire. Corritore purchased Roger’s Chicago Bound record on the Chess label during his high school years and was later thrilled to have the opportunity to play alongside the legend. “She Loves Another Man” showcases their musical connection and Corritore said he obliged Rogers by playing Big Walter Horton style on this track.
Corritore added that when Rogers came through town the two men would “laugh, joke and just have a good time because when you became a friend with Jimmy, you were in, and he saw the joy I had in the music and the respect I had for him.”
The respect Corritore has for the many great musicians on Early Blues Sessions oozes through on every track. He also has more eye-opening recollections on how these songs came to be. He said that “Five Long Years,” was the result of a recording session that revolved around Pinetop Perkins, but Perkins had legendary drummer Chico Chism assume some of the vocal duties at that session. Corritore said, “when we heard the playback, we knew we had hit on something very powerful” with Chism’s vocal delivery.
Whether it’s collaborating with Pinetop Perkins and Chico Chism on “Five Long Years” or recording with Henry Gray, Bob Margolin and other blues movers and shakers on “Showers of Rain,” Bob Corritore’s Early Blues Sessions perfectly captures the musical vibe from a special place in time---all brought to you by the man who had a front row seat to all the action, and the foresight to record his heroes’ music for posterity.
For info or to buy and hear the music:
VizzTone Label Group: https://vizztone.com/
Bob's website: https://bobcorritore.com/
About the Author: Blues enthusiast Robin Zimmerman, a.k.a. Rockin' Robin, writes a Blues Blog and is a regular contributor to Chicago Blues Guide
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