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Bob
Corritore
Somebody Put Bad Luck On Me
SWMAF / VizzTone |
Somebody
Put Bad Luck On Me, Bob Corritore’s latest collection
of songs featuring the harp master performing with some of the
blues’ top talent, is not one of his wonderful “From The Vault”
series, but the 16 tunes were recorded between 2019 and 2023, so
it’s actually a seamless fit with that series because the
premise is the same, albeit with a few younger stars mixed in.
Corritore is joined by an awesome list of
vocalists, including Bobby Rush, Thornetta Davis, John Primer,
Jimi “Primetime” Smith, Carl Weathersby, Johnny Rawls, Eugene
“Hideaway” Bridge, Francine Reed, Tia Carroll, Oscar Wilson,
Diunna Greenleaf, Willie Buck, Sugaray Rayford, and Lurrie Bell.
In addition, there’s a huge list of musicians providing support
on these excellent tracks.
Primer opens the set with A.C. Reed’s “This
Little Voice,” and, as always, he and Corritore make a
tremendous team, . Ms. Davis shines on a pair of tracks, her own
“I Need A Whole Lotta Lovin’,” an irresistible shuffle, and a
memorable take of Alberta Adams’ “Remember Me,” both tracks
featuring Corritore’s harp with “Primetime” Smith and Johnny
Burgin on guitars and Dave Keyes on piano. Rawls turns in a
soulful vocal on his original blues ballad “Midnight Love,”
while Cash Box Kings vocalist Wilson ably handles the title
track penned by Baby Boy Warren.
Bobby Rush teams with Corritore and guitarist
Dexter Allen on the funky “I’m Good As Gone,” and Weathersby
makes the first of two appearances, with vocals and guitar, on a
rugged read of the Junior Parker hit “Stranded” (the second tune
later in the set is a nice take on Sonny Boy Williamson II’s “I
Don’t Know”).
Tia Carroll tackles Muddy Waters’ (via Willie
Dixon) “I Want To Be Loved,” and blues and soul standout Eugene
“Hideaway” Bridges reprises his own “If You Don’t Want To Love
Me.” Rayford has a blast on the amusing “Goin’ Fishin’,” with
six-stringed support from Kid Ramos and Johnny Main and
Corritore’s harp.
Lurrie Bell’s slow burning version of Jimmy
Rogers’ “Act Like You Love Me,” really sizzles thanks to Bell’s
gritty vocal and his and Bob Margolin’s superb guitar work, and
Francine Reed delivers a soulful interpretation of Doris Troy’s
“Draw Me Closer,” with tasteful harp from Corritore and guitar
from Smith and Ramos. Smith gets to take the mic for the
rollicking “Tough Enough,” a 1962 written by Leroy “Sugar”
Bonner for his pre-Ohio Players group The Bees.
The album wraps up with Diunna Greenleaf’s smoky
cover of “Help The Poor” and Willie Buck’s closer, the slow
blues “Let Me Find Out Your Name,” backed by Smith and Billy
Flynn on guitar.
These sets always serve as a showcase for
Corritore’s outstanding musicianship, but it also offers
listeners a great assortment of blues talent, both past and
present, at their very best. Somebody Put Bad Luck On Me
is an excellent display of some of the current blues scene’s
biggest stars and deserves a spot in any blues fan’s collection.
--- Graham Clarke
