At the impressionable age of 12, sitting in his darkened Illinois bedroom, Bob Corritore was struck by lightning. Not the earth-splitting variety from the heavens, but lightning in the form of a song.

Like a jolt of electricity straight to the brain, Muddy Waters' "Rolling Stone" put the young Corritore on a path of blues music leading him through the nightclubs of Chicago to the control room of Phoenix Public Radio's KJZZ (91.5) on a mission to spread his love of blues music to the world.

Back Beat
To begin to scratch the surface of understanding the adult Corritore, one must first realize that at his roots, Corritore is a blues musician. From record producer and nightclub owner, to radio disc-jockey and blues historian, all things flow from his love of playing.

"So much of who I am revolves around being an artist," said Corritore. "I wake up every morning excited to play music."

Corritore's instrument of choice is the harmonica and he's one hell of a harmonica player. During his formative years in Chicago, Corritore was witness to the many great Chicago blues players who made their home in haunts such as Eddie Shaw's 1815 Club, the Checkerboard, and Kingston Mines.

On Saturday nights, WNUR, the radio station of nearby Northwestern University, featured a blues program hosted by Mark Gunchean which Corritore stayed home regularly to listen to.

"People my age were going out and having a good time, I was staying in, digging what was being played on the radio and my records. I was totally off on it," he said.

With such a deep tradition of blues, Corritore's hometown nurtured and formed his passion. While still in high school, Corritore would regularly head out to the local record stores, combing the aisle for blues LP's - the start of a lifelong addiction and collection. Sam Lay and Eddie Taylor appeared at Corritore's high school auditorium while Muddy Waters played at the high school gym. Otis Rush, Hound Dog Taylor, and others played at nearby venues accessible to Corritore. Blind Jim Brewer was a regular at a nearby pizza joint. So engrossed in the blues was Corritore that his high school junior theme was on Muddy Waters.

"I was blessed to be planted where I was, so many good players around the area that I could watch and learn from," said Corritore.

Watch and learn he did, mastering his instrument, hitting the blues clubs, all while the entrepreneur in Corritore began emerging. At the age of 22, Corritore started Blues Over Blues, an independent record label with the intent of recording several unheralded harmonica players. At the time, Corritore found the music alive and very in the now. He wanted to get the music out there to be heard, while at the same time understanding the need to preserve the music for posterity. Corritore became an active participant in the Chicago blues scene, befriending label owners, artists, photographers, club owners and writers alike who would remain strong connections for the rest of his life. But at the age of 25, Corritore thought he would head to Phoenix for a year to reconnect with his brother.