Bob Corritore & Friends - Doin' The Shout!
- chicagoblueseditor
- Mar 3
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 3
Release date: Feb. 28, 2025
VizzTone/SWMAF Records
By Robin Zimmerman
Bob Corritore and friends are back in a big way with a brand-new release entitled Doin’ the Shout. While a Corritore CD is always cause for celebration, this one should have listeners shouting from the rooftops since it represents Corritore’s 30th release in a long line of great blues compilations dating back to 1999.
As per usual, Corritore has brought on the best and the brightest in the business to join him in making beautiful music together. Both the featured artists and supporting cast read like a “Who’s Who of the Blues” as Doin’ the Shout showcases a multitude of musicians who all contributed mightily to the making of this magnificent CD.
While Corritore has continued to grow and evolve as both a producer and harmonica player, the one constant is his keen knowledge and longstanding friendships with the many musical luminaries playing alongside him. This familiarity helps breed great content from the artists he works with, and Doin’ the Shout is no exception.
Corritore’s love affair with the blues can be traced back to his teenage years living in the Chicago area. After discovering Muddy Waters and taking up the harp, Corritore made the move to Maxwell Street where he learned from many of the old masters. After he relocated to Arizona in the eighties, his blues roots grew even deeper as he started a radio show and assumed ownership of the Rhythm Room in 1991.
Since its opening, the Rhythm Room has welcomed a steady stream of stellar blues artists. Luckily, Corritore had the foresight to record with many visiting performers, capturing it all for posterity. His first CD, Bob Corritore’s All-Star Blues Sessions featured a slew of legendary artists including Lil’ Ed, R.L Burnside, Jimmy Rogers, Henry Gray and so many others.
Sadly, many of the musicians featured on All-Star Blues Sessions have since passed on, which makes Corritore’s work even more important. Documenting these influential artists is crucial for future generations and Corritore is more than up to the task as he said that “it’s really powerful but also a huge responsibility because I’m recording these sacred heroes of the blues, and I have to do it right!”
Besides taking on this all-important task, Corritore has also formed strong bonds with the many musicians he plays with, so he is able to catch them when they’re comfortable in the studio and ready to let loose!
Chicago-based artist, Nora Jean Wallace, certainly doesn’t hold back on the title track. Her self-penned Doin’ the Shout is a full-throated homage to the power of love. This track opens with Nora Jean in full a capella glory and ready to belt out her story.
Corritore praised Nora Jean for “giving it her all” as Doin’ the Shout allowed her to “be as raw as she could be.” Joining her on this passionate performance are Johnny Rapp and Jimi “Primetime” Smith on guitar, Yahni Riley on bass and Brian Fahey on drums. Longtime producer, Clarke Rigsby, provides the hand claps.
Another standout track with a Chicago connection, is “Just a Dream” featuring Alligator recording artist and Cash Box Kings singer, Oscar Wilson. Besides being an “amazing vocalist,” Corritore praised Wilson’s ability to segue into a variety of styles and “put a different tilt” on each track. On “Just a Dream,” Wilson’s sad and heartfelt delivery will melt even the most hardened of hearts.
Wilson makes the tilt towards full Muddy Waters mode on “Woman Wanted,” which he learned the night before the recording session with the band “falling right into it” the next day. Corritore added that this track “is a really powerful way to revive the spirit of Muddy Waters!” Joining in the revival is Muddy’s former guitarist, Bob Margolin, the prolific Jimi “Primetime” Smith on second guitar, Bob Stroger on bass, Anthony Geraci on piano and Wes Starr on drums. This crew also plays together on “Just a Dream.”
94-year-old Bob Stroger continues his amazing run as the Energizer Buddy of the blues as he plays bass on a total of six tracks. Like so many of Corritore’s friends, he and “the finest bass player alive” go way back. Stroger is front and center on Doin’ the Shout’s closing track with his self-penned and poignant, “First Love.” Stroger is surrounded by a first-rate cast that includes Smith on guitar, Geraci on piano. Margolin on bass, and Starr on guitar.
Then, there’s 91-year-old Bobby Rush who does a bang-up job on his own composition, “I’ve Got Three Problems.” In typical funky Bobby Rush fashion, this tune talks about his difficulty in dealing with three demanding dames.
Corritore credits Rush as “the guy that brought funk to the blues” and added, “Bobby’s one of the greatest harp players alive today, but he never gets the recognition because he is such a powerful entertainer and singer.” Of course, Corritore handled the harp work on “I’ve Got Three Problems” with Rush complimenting his technique on this track.
Rush and Corritore’s work is further enhanced by a superb band of backing musicians. There’s the dynamic Dexter Allen along with the ubiquitous Jimi “Primetime” Smith on guitar. Chester Thompson provides the requisite dose of funk on B3 organ with the always-fabulous Steve Ferrone on drums.
Corritore’s frequent collaborator, Mr. John Primer, paints a lonely picture on “Twenty Room House.” This continues an impressive run of successful records that Corritore and Primer have made together. The pair recently received a Blues Music Award nomination for the “Best Traditional Blue Album” with their striking “Crawlin’ Kingsnake.
Whether it’s “Crawlin’ Kingsnake” or “Twenty Room House,” when Corritore and Primer collaborate “it’s a natural occurrence of playing in that Chicago blues language,” which Corritore is “very comfortable with.”
“Twenty Room House” is populated with a whole cast of high-level talent as Corritore and Primer are joined by Jimi “Primetime” Smith on guitar, Stroger on bass, Geraci on piano and Wes Starr on drums.
While Corritore is extremely comfortable with his mission of communicating Chicago blues to the masses, he also brought on amazing artists from other parts of the country. Detroit’s Thornetta Davis turns in a rousing rendition of “Say Baby Say,” which was first released in the fifties featuring fellow Motowner, Alberta Adams. Tia Carroll came to Phoenix by way of the Bay Area and slays with a sultry version of “I’ve Got to Be with You Tonight.”
Rounding out Doin’ the Shout’s remarkable roster is Francine Reed on “I’m Guess I’m a Fool.” Former Mississippi Heat member Carla Denise sings alongside Jimi “Primetime” Smith as they do a memorable rendition of his late mother Johnnie Mae Dunson’s “Same Old Thing.”
Duke Robillard, Kid Ramos, Johnny Burgin, Ben Levin, Dave Keyes, Mark Earley and many others should also receive a shout-out for their contributions in making “Doin’ the Shout” such a knockout.
From start to finish, Doin’ the Shout is a full-blown homage to the enduring power of the blues and its tight-knit community of musicians. It’s a stellar collaborative effort and Corritore should be commended for his role in helping to keep the spirit of traditional blues alive and relevant, thanks to this incredible 26-year run of recordings. Lucky for us, he’s got more great stuff coming up so stay tuned!
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
To buy the music, visit: https://www.amazon.com/
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website: www.bobcorritore.com