John Primer & Bob Corritore

Ain’t Nothing You Can Do!

Delta Groove Music

Alfonso “John” Primer was born in Camden, Mississippi but moved to Chicago where he was a regular at Theresa’s Lounge located at 48^th and South Indiana Avenue. He played in Willie Dixon’s Chicago Blues All-Stars and in The Muddy Waters Band. Later Primer joined Magic Slim and The Teardrops. Primer was nominated three times for Traditional Blues Male Artist of The Year winning that Blues Music Award in 2016. Primer was also the lead vocalist and featured artist on the 2016 Grammy nominated “Muddy Waters 100” project. This is Primer’s seventeenth album.

Bob Corritore was born in Chicago and got hooked on blues harmonica when he was twelve years old. He studied and received playing tips from Carey Bell, Big Walter Horton, Junior Wells and others. At the age of twenty-five Corritore moved to Pheonix, Arizona. Ten years later he opened his own club there called The Rhythm Room. With his house band, The Rhythm Room All-Stars, he backed musicians when they came to town. Corritore has been nominated for five Blues Music Awards including one for 2017. He won a BMA in 2011 for Historical Album of The Year. This is Corritore’s twelfth album although he appears on over seventy others.

Primer and Corritore first collaborated in 2013 when they released “Knockin Around These Blues” also on Delta Groove.

The band includes Primer, guitar and vocals; Corritore, harmonica; the late Barrelhouse Chuck or Henry Gray, piano; Chris James or Big Jon Atkinson, guitar; Patrick Rynn or Troy Sandow, bass; and Brian Fahey, drums. The album is co-produced by Corritore and Clarke Rigsby and dedicated to the memory of Barrelhouse Chuck.

“Poor Man Blues” written by Primer was the title track to his 1991 album. Corritore’s harmonica is fabulous. Primer is also joined by Chuck, piano; James, guitar and Rynn, bass.

“Elevate Me Mama” from Sonny Boy Williamson was also recorded by Waters; Primer’s vocal is outstanding. “Hold Me In Your Arms” written by Snooky Pryor was also recorded by James Cotton; Gray is on piano while Atkinson is on guitar.

“Big Leg Woman” written by Johnny Temple was recorded by Waters on his 1964 “Folk Singer” album. “Gambling Blues” is from Morris Holt a.k.a. Magic Slim. The harp instrumental “Harmonica Boogaloo” is by Corritore. On these Chuck is featured on piano.

The title track “Ain’t Nothin You Can Do!” is from Malaco recording artist Chuck Brooks; this is another great vocal from Primer with Gray again on piano. “For The Love of A Woman” was written by Don Nix and once again Atkinson is featured on guitar.

“May I Have A Talk With You” written by Howlin’ Wolf, and the Primer original “When I Leave Home”, reprised from his 2012 album “Blues on Solid Ground”, are two more outstanding vocals from Primer.

Primer and Corritore are both historians. You can listen to them for hours. Primer and Corritore are perfect together.

Richard Ludmerer

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