Rhythm Room to host star-studded Valentine’s Day “Raise The Roof” fundraiser! The Blues Foundation started a “Raise The Roof” campaign two years ago to raise funds to construct a Blues Hall Of Fame building in Memphis. Phoenix based Foundation board member Dr. Janice Johnson came to The Rhythm Room asking for a fundraiser to help. Then Kathy Bolmer jumped in to help as did a star studded cast of musicians. So a Valentine’s Day “Raise The Roof” fundraiser is planned for tonight, February 14th at The Rhythm Room in Phoenix! Scheduled  are Andy T. / Nick Nixon Band (host band), Janiva Magness, Anson Funderburgh, Dave Riley & Bob Corritore, Zach Zunis, Mike Eldred, Rocket 88s, Sugar Thieves, Leon J’s Juke Joint and more! For more information on the Blues Foundation and the Hall Of Fame go to www.blues.org. To see the poster for this show click here.

Living Blues Posts Top 50 Albums Of 2013! Two of Bob’s releases included! To be included in the Living Blues Magazine’s list of “Top 50 Albums Of 2013” is an award of sorts. This is an honor decided by a very discerning and knowledgeable group; the reporting blues radio show hosts who made their choices by what was they deemed most worth of airplay. Thanks to radio charts compiler Jim McGrath for sorting through the hundreds of playlists gathered to create this list. We are proud to announce that among this top 50 are John Primer & Bob Corritore / Knockin’ Around These Blues at the #5 slot and Dave Riley & Bob Corritore / Hush Your Fuss! at #49! Great to see so many friends and their memorable releases on this list! To see Living Blues Top 50 Albums Of 2013 click here!

New Mannish Boys CD in production! Randy Chortkoff’s Mannish Boys are a special band that gathers some of the West Coast’s greatest players into a powerful collective. Add to that the ceremonious recording sessions historically have called upon numerous high quality special guests. All things combined a Mannish Boys album is nothing short of a blues phenomenon. This week the crew lead by Randy and producer Jeff Fleenor had three days of recordings at Ardent Studios in Los Angeles. The Mannish Boys current lineup includes Sugaray Rayford, Kirk Fletcher, Franck Goldwasser, Willie J Campbell, and Jimi Bott. The special guests for this CD include Kid Ramos, Fred Kaplan, Monster Mike Welch, Steve Freund, Kim Wilson, Candye Kane, Laura Chavez, Johnny Dyer, Lynwood Slim, Bob Corritore, Jacob Huffman (19 year old harmonica wiz!), Andy T, Nick Nixon and more! The formula is pure and positive, and the Mannish Boys continue to be a standard bearer for a contemporary take on traditionally based blues. Thanks Randy Chortkoff for being the one who enables so many great things. This yet untitled CD will have a June release on the Delta Groove label.

B.B. King in Tucson next Tuesday! The legendary B.B. King appears Tuesday, February 18th in Tucson at the Fox Theatre on 17 West Congress Street. Opening the show will be Tom Walbank’s Arizona Blues Posse with Doug Smith, Tasha Bundy, Mike Blommer and a guest appearance by Bob Corritore. To see the poster for this event click here.

New Dave Specter CD album cover art unveiled! We look forward to Chicago’s blues guitar wizard Dave Specter’s new album Message In Blue to be released mid-May on the great Delmark label. The CD has special guest appearances by Otis Clay, Brother John Kettle and Bob Corritore. For a look of the beautiful album cover click here.

Delmark to release 1974 live Sleepy John Estes! Also on the Delmark list of forthcoming releases is a historic recording from the label’s deep vaults! A previously unreleased 1974 live show from the legendary Sleepy John Estes with his brilliant harmonica accompanist Hammie Nixon! The release date is March 18. Click here to see the cover. Also congratulations to Delmark’s legendary label chief Bob Koester for his cover story in France’s ABS Magazine (to see the cover click here). Visit their site for more information on this legendary label.

Congratulations to IBC winners! The Blues Foundation’s amazing International Blues Challenge (IBC) took over Memphis’ famed Beale Street from Jan 21 – 25. The event boasted a record 255 acts from 40 states and 16 countries (and four continents). In addition to many hopeful musicians and their fans, many in attendance were blues industry people: musicians, labels, radio hosts, publicists, blues societies and dignitaries. Memphis was pulsating with the blues during this wonderful week! Here are the winners:

 

Bands: 
1st Place: Mr. Sipp – Vicksburg Blues Society 
2nd Place: Ghost Town Blues Band – Memphis Blues Society
3rd Place: Billy the Kid & Regulators – Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania

Gibson Guitarist (top guitarist among band finalists): Mr. Sipp – Vicksburg Blues Society

Solo/Duo:
1st Place: Tim Williams – Calgary Blues Music Association
2nd Place: Lucious Spiller – Ozark Blues Society of Northwest Arkansas Inc. 

St. Blues Guitarist (top guitarist among solo/duo finalists): Tim Williams – Calgary Blues Music Association

 

Lee Oskar Harmonica Player (top harmonica player among semi-finalists): Jerome Godboo – (Toronto Blues Society)

Best Self-Produced CD: Account to Me – Hank Mowery – (West Michigan Blues Society)

 

Congratulations to all who participated. Certainly the winners will see some career opportunities but everyone who made it through the vetting process to get to Memphis was a winner! Thanks Blues Foundation!