PhillyCheeze's Rock & Blues Reviews: Search results for John Primer

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Saturday, September 24, 2022

#577 > John Primer - Hard Times (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2022 – Blues House Productions

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 24, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

Hard Times, the very latest release from Chicago Blues great John Primer captures my ‘real-deal’ blues-loving heart with thirteen new originals. With Steve Bell on harmonica, Lenny Media on drums, and David Forte on bass, this recording also features special guests Rick Kreher on 2^nd guitar, Johnny Iguana on piano and organ, and John’s seventeen-year-old daughter Aliya Primer on vocals. Primer states: “The name of my new CD reflects the world we’re living in today. I recorded this CD to help us get through these really hard times.”.

I’m drawn right in to Primer’s churning delta-blues riffs on title-track “Hard Times”. The slide guitar is absolutely wonderful as it sits in front of the spectacular piano and harp accompaniment. Immediately following is the intoxicating and soul-warming homage to the genre “Blues-Blues-Blues”. It’s one of my favorites. With daughter Aliya on lead vocals for her debut recording session, “Tough Times” is an endearing track about sticking together. The chemistry John and Aliya share brings to mind the Mississippi Delta Blues father/daughter duo Bill ‘Howl-N-Madd’ Perry and Shy Perry. Filled with attention-grabbing guitar runs, waves of organ sounds, and doses of searing harp, “Trying To Make You Mine” is a hands-down fabulous track which I immensely enjoy. With his great talent of painting pictures with words, Primer piles healthy scoops of certifiable blues on “Hot Meal”. It doesn’t get much better than this.

As usual, John Primer and his Real Deal Blues Band perform the blues as it should be heard. Hard Times is as authentic as it gets.

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For more information about John Primer, visit this website : https://johnprimerblues.com

Friday, April 5, 2024

#671 : John Primer and Bob Corritore - Crawlin' Kingsnake (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2024 – Vizztone Label Group
By Phillip Smith; April 5, 2024

Release Date : .Mar. 29, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

There are not many artists around who instill Chicago blues authenticity into their music as Blues Hall-of-Famer John Primer and Bob Corritore do. Paired together for the fourth time since 2013, this dynamic duo returned to the studios and cut yet another fabulous album. Crawlin’ Kingsnake is the name, and it contains a dozen ripping tracks. With Corritore on harp and Primer on guitar and vocals, they are joined by bassist Bob Stroger, Jimi “Primetime” Smith on second guitar, Anthony Geraci on piano and Wes Starr on drums.

After the smoke clears from the opening James Cotton song “Take a Message”, their title-track cover of John Lee Hooker’s “Crawlin’ Kingsnake” digs its claws in deep. Primer’s experienced vocals and precision guitar are fantastically supported by Geraci and the rhythm section. Then they roll right into Willie Dixon’s “Down in the Bottom” with Corritore keeping the song barreling down the tracks on harp. It sounds fantastic. They bring the fire to “Hiding Place”, a Primer original from his 1991 album Poor Man’s Blues. The song absolutely cooks. When they hit B.B. King’s “Chains and Things”, they play it sweet and slow. This one really brings me into my blues zone. When the big entrance of guitar and keys on Muddy Waters’ “Rosalee Blues” kick in, and I hear Primer start belting out the lyrics, I’m gob smacked for a simmering delightful listen. I absolutely love their performance of Magic Slim’s “Gravel Road”. It’s a signed, sealed, and delivered favorite.

It's hard to beat the lineup of artists on Crawlin’ Kingsnake. This album is about as real-deal blues as an album can get. I highly recommend it,

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For more information about these artists, visit their websites at : https://johnprimerblues.com/ and https://bobcorritore.com/

For other PhillyCheeze review regarding John Primer and Bob Corritore, follow these links:

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=John+Primer

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=Bob+Corritore

Saturday, April 25, 2020

#442 : John Primer & Bob Corritore - The Gypsy Woman Told Me

2020 - Vizztone
By Phillip Smith; April 25, 2020

John Primer and Bob Corritore have teamed up once again to record yet another fabulously legitimate record of blues. Primer instantly connects with his vocals, and enthralls me with his guitar phrasing. He sounds so damn good as Corritore absolutely rips it up on harmonica. Produced by Corritore, Clarke Rigsby and Kid Andersen, The Gypsy Woman Told Me also features Jimi “Primetime” Smith (guitar), Billy Flynn (guitar), Bob Welsh (piano), Kid Andersen (organ), Ben Levin (piano), Kedar Roy (bass), Mike Hightower (bass), Troy Sandow (bass), June Core (drums), and Brian Fahley (drums). This twelve-track album contains ten deep covers and a pair of splendid Primer originals.

Muddy Water’s “The Gypsy Woman Told Me” makes for a captivating listen as the title track. With Welsh on piano, Roy on bass, and Core on drums, this one is slowly steeped in old-fashioned Chicago blues. Corritore wonderfully takes on the legendary Helena, Arkansas harp player Sonny Boy Williamson II with “My Imagination”. Primer’s guitar sizzles and Welsh holds nothing back on the ivories. Dripping with emotion, their cover of Jimmy Rogers’ “Left Me with a Broken Heart” is exquisite. With the driving rhythm of a rolling freight train, “Little Bitty Woman”, is a smashing song. This Primer original features spirited vocals, tremendous harp topped with Welsh’s attention-grabbing barrelhouse piano. Flynn, Hightower, and Fahey provide the backing for the guys as they close with “Ain’t Gonna Be No Cuttin’ Loose”, a James Cotton song from 1984. Primer plays this with precision against Corritore’s textured and nuanced performance.

The musical chemistry between Primer and Corritore is incomparable as they continue to produce some of the best blues being produced these days. An absolute must for the blues fan, The Gypsy Woman Told Me is a sheer delight.

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For more information about the artists, visit their websites : www.johnprimerblues.com , bobcorritore.com

Thursday, July 4, 2019

#399 : Tony Holiday - Porch Sessions

2019 – Vizztone

By Phillip Smith; July 4, 2019

It’s the Fourth of July, and today I’ll be spinning Porch Sessions from Memphis blues-man Tony Holiday. I love the concept for this record. In the spirit of classic blues field recordings, Holiday visited and jammed with a ton of big names in the business, right on their front porch. With Holiday on harmonica, he is joined by guitarist Landon Stone, and bassist Kid Anderson on all tracks. Guests include Charlie Musselwhite, James Harman, John Nemeth, John Primer, Bob Corritore, Aki Kumar, Rockin’ Johnny Burgin, Kid Ramos, Mitch Kashmar, Jake Friel, Ronnie Shellist, and more.

The raw stand-out blues guitar of two-time Grammy nominated John Primer joined with both Holiday and Bob Corritore on harp, makes for an amazing listen on “They Call Me John Primer”. It’s always a treat to hear Musselwhite. He lets loose on “That’s Alright” as Kumar takes on the vocals to this six-and-a-half-minute blues jam. And for an extra blast of cool, Burgin appears on guitar. I dig the cover of Little Sonny’s “Woman Named Trouble” with Nemeth on harp and vocals, Matthew Wilson on guitar and Danny Banks on drums. It has such a funky groove. Harman and Ramos sound so great together as they break out a briefcase full of blues on “Goin’ to Court”. “Hip To It” is a delightful harp blues instrumental. It’s a rare treat to hear three harp players at once as Holiday, Shellist, and Kashmar interestingly play off each other’s performance.

Hearing the musical collaborations recorded on this album, is like staring blues right in the eye. With the Porch Sessions, Holiday reiterates exactly what the Blues is all about.

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For more information about the artist, visit this website.. https://tonyholidaymusic.com/

Monday, May 29, 2023

#616 : Blues Music Awards Showcase - May 10, 2023 (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

Blues Music Awards Showcase

Presented by BratGirlmedia

Rum Boogie Cafe

Memphis, Tennessee

May 10, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

For many years, I've been wanting to visit Memphis for the Blues Music Awards. I finally made it down for that this year on May 11. It was an amazing experience.

On May 10th, the evening before the BMA's, I attended a music showcase presented by BratgirlMedia at Rum Boogie Cafe on Beale Street. The event featured a prestigious lineup of blues musicians. It served as a fund-raiser to benefit John Nemeth who underwent surgery last year to have a tumor removed from his lower jaw. It was an extraordinary event to say the least. If heaven has a juke-joint, I imagine it would be a lot like this.

Without camera in tow, I still captured a few photos of this fabulous event on my iPhone.

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* all photos by Phillip Smith