Interview: Phoenix Bluesman Bob Corritore Shares Vision With World - Page 3

While you’ll definitely find a deep breadth of blues on the program; the show regularly features blues luminaries such as Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf along side lesser known acts such as Moose John and Birmingham Jones, Corritore explains that he’s very selective about what makes it onto his show.

“My base is the pure tradition of the blues and that’s what I like to bring to my show,” said Corritore.

“And then there are times when someone I interview takes me to places that I wouldn’t normaly go, but to grant the best possible interview and to be fair to the full range of the subject, I let it go where it needs to, but I always bring it back to the tradition of the blues,” said Corritore.

In 2002, the station, now KJZZ, took to the Internet streaming their programs 24 hours a day. His show not only reaches Phoenix residents who tune-in on the dial but a developing world audience hearing the program through the cables and digital pathways of the Web who could now dig the tracks, interviews and insight he put down every Sunday night on Those Lowdown Blues.

“I ran into this guy living in the U.K. who was visiting Phoenix, and he told me about this computer program that allowed him to download my show. He would then break it into four of five CD’s that he’d listen to the next day,” said Corritore.

With Corritore’s deep knowledge of the blues, many a listener could get lost trying to keep up with the show, but playlists posted on the KJZZ website are broken down by the hour, listing artist, song title and the album the cut was taken from.

As “Those Lowdown Blues” continues to be a fixture on Phoenix Public Radio, Corritore’s contributions to the blues world grew in the form of a venue. Being a musician gave Corritore a deeper appreciation of the music and what would work for a live audience.

The Rhythm Room
“So this guy calls me up, he’s a fan of the show and he owns some property,” said Corritore, “and he’s really excited about the two of us opening this nightclub. So we met up and the two of us schemed to put this club together that would be a world class blues joint and the Rhythm Room took off.”

Corritore was able to bring a musical sensitivity to the club never seen before in Phoenix. Already experienced working as a local promoter, Corritore brought his knowledge to bear on booking acts to the club turning the Rhythm Room into a premiere venue in which to hear local and national touring blues acts.

Article Author: Benjamin Cossel

A working journalist, Benjamin currently serves as a combat photojournalist and is the managing editor of a weekly newspaper in southeastern Wyoming. He’s worked as a reporter in Ohio, Arizona and done several deployments in the military crossing the globe. …

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