Tail
Dragger & Bob Corritore
Longtime Friends in the Blues
Delta Groove Music
|

Blues purists will love Delta Groove’s pairing of
Chicago shouter Tail Dragger and harp master
Bob Corritore on Longtime Friends in the
Blues. This disc of Tail Dragger originals
features tight arrangements and a stellar backing
band of Henry Gray, Kirk Fletcher, Chris James,
Patrick Rynn and Brian Fahey. So let’s give it a
listen.
Tail Dragger starts out letting us know that he’s
concerned about his woman in “I’m Worried.” “I’m
worried…babe, I’m worried about you…feel so
bad…cause I don’t know what to do!” We really don’t
know what Tail Dragger’s worried about but something
wrong with his woman is definitely on his mind.
Bob’s harp tones provide the intro for our next cut,
“Sugar Mama.” Tail Dragger is flirting up a storm,
“please tell me sugar mama…where do you get that
sugar from?” Henry Gray lends a supporting vocal in
the hunt to determine where Sugar Mama gets her
sugar from and the conclusion is from her mama, a
sugar plum! Tail Dragger is an inquisitive sort and
he’s asking a woman the wrong question in “Birthday
Blues.” “I know you ain’t going to tell me…girl, how
old are you? I hope you live on…and have so many
more…happy birthday…happy birthday to you!”
Rocks is my pillow…cold ground is my bed…highway is
my home and I might as well be dead…I’m worried!”
“She’s Worryin’ Me” finds Tail Dragger in tough
straits as the woman in his life isn’t taking care
of him and he’s not sure why. It sounds like a
situation that isn’t about to change so hopefully
Tail Dragger will move on to greener pastures. “Cold
Outdoors” finds Tail Dragger contemplating the
changes in the weather and his domestic situation.
“Cold outdoors….I believe it’s going to snow…and if
you let me come back home….honey, I won’t do wrong
no more.” Tail Dragger has been a bad man and is
hoping that she has a change of heart and gives him
another chance. I’m not sure that confessing all of
his sins is a good idea but Tail Dragger lets her
know, “if you let me come back you, I’ll gonna be
true to you!”
“So Ezee” opens up with a verbal admonishment from
Tail Dragger, “you know, this is a message to the
Wolf, the old folks and the young ones too. Wake up,
quit cracking jokes and use your head….cause it’s so
ezee to be misled!” Tail Dragger has the acquired
wisdom of his age behind him and its good advice,
“everybody got to use their head!” Hopefully the
acquired wisdom will serve him well in our next cut,
“Through With You”. Tail Dragger’s in a situation
where his woman is cheating on him and he’s letting
her know, “what are you trying to do…you know you
can’t love me…and have another man too…I want you
for my wife…baby, you got to change your life!” I’m
not sure that I would have Tail Dragger’s patience
with this woman but more power to him for trying.
More harmonica fills my ears as Tail Dragger is
trying to let a woman down easy in “Done Got Old.”
“Done got old…baby, I’ve got to let you go…you done
me wrong…I can’t stand it no more!” Piano fills from
Henry Gray accentuates Tail Dragger’s determination
to move on and let this woman go. Henry’s twinkling
keys lead us into our next cut, “Boogie Woogie
Ball.” The band’s in good form and enjoying the
boogie woogie beat as Henry and Tail Dragger
verbally reminisce about a big legged woman from the
night before.
Long Time Friends in the Blues closes with a
slow ballad, “Please Mr. Jailer,” as Tail Dragger
pleads the cause of his woman in jail. “I know she
didn’t commit no crime…cause she was laying at home
in the bed with me!” Whether or not he’s telling the
truth, Tail Dragger is lost without this woman and
wants nothing more to bring her back home to him.
Tail Dragger and Bob Corritore have delivered a
classic set of old school blues with an armada of
great players behind them. They’re out on the road a
lot this summer and there aren’t many singers like
Tail Dragger on the blues highway anymore, so catch
them if you can. And you can find more information
about this unique disc and the players as well at
www.deltagroovemusic.com.
--- Kyle Deibler