In the year 2017, who better to carry forth the Chicago blues beacon other than John Primer and Bob Corritore? Both have pasts steeped in the blues tradition and each has consistently represented their fundamental roots of the Chicago blues idiom throughout their illustrious careers. Individually, Primer and Corritore command a towering presence, but in combination the power of their blues is unstoppable. Their 2013 Delta Groove debut Knockin’ Around These Blues is living testimony to this fact. Enthusiastically received by fans and critics alike, their album debuted at #1 on the April 2013 Living Blues Radio Chart and topped out at #5 on the esteemed magazine’s Radio Chart’s Top 50 Blues Albums for 2013. Additionally, the German-based bluesnews magazine declared it the Best Blues Release of 2013!
In the album’s wake and through the intervening years, the two have remained independently active on the blues circuit and continued to garner awards, nominations and international critical praise. Corritore has since released three additional albums on Delta Groove, including his all-instrumental platter, Taboo; the Blues Music Award-nominated collaboration with legendary pianist Henry Gray for Historical Album, Vol. 1: Blues Won’t Let Me Take My Rest; and the old school modern masterpiece, House Party at Big Jon’s, featuring rising young star Big Jon Atkinson, nominated for a 2017 Blues Music Award for Traditional Blues Album. Likewise, Primer busied himself with new recordings and high profile projects including the Grammy-nominated album, Muddy Waters 100, which featured the guitarist alongside such industry heavy-hitters as James Cotton, Shemekia Copeland, Gary Clark Jr., Derek Trucks, Johnny Winter and Keb’ Mo’, and in 2016, John took home the honor for Traditional Blues Male Artist in the 37th Annual Blues Music Awards.
Now John Primer and Bob Corritore are back with this brilliant follow-up to their 2013 critically-acclaimed Delta Groove debut. Ain’t Nothing You Can Do! is another shining example of the power of pure Chicago blues. Backed by an all-star cast that includes Henry Gray, Barrelhouse Chuck, Big Jon Atkinson, Troy Sandow, Chris James, Patrick Rynn and Brian Fahey, Primer and Corritore lead their seasoned session partners through a hard-hitting program of stompin’ shuffles, rowdy dance floor packers and treacherous slow blues. There’s an elegant brashness and unstated uniformity of purpose that can only be achieved through such a pairing of substantially pervasive Chicago backgrounds. This record is exactly what you would hope for from these two Chicago blues stalwarts!