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Corey Dennison Band – Night After Night

Delmark DE 852 / DF 852

Corey Dennison Band’s eponymous debut took the airwaves by storm and won Le Prix Blues 2016 for best blues album. In a Chicago Blues Guide review, Greg Easterling wrote “Dennison’s new disc is an album that doesn’t disappoint, constantly renewed by his versatile approach and the varied nature of his homegrown American music style called the blues. The Corey Dennison Band disc is already one of 2016’s top releases, destined to wind up on many “Best of” lists.” Night After Night builds and evolves, blending roots, soul, old-school R&B, and funk for exciting originals like “I Get The Shivers,” “Hear My Plea,” and “Better Man,” and fresh cuts of select covers from their live repertoire.

Corey Dennison Band
Night After Night
Delmark DE 852

Night After Night starts the best possible way any blues album can: with an immediate fist to the gut, reinforced by guitar with a severe case of tremolo tremors. And just like that, “Hear My Plea” opens the set already behind the eight ball. Intense, tough, potent: Sounds as if Corey Dennison is at work. Even when formally introduced via 2016’s self-titled debut (Delmark 844), the Tennessee-born Chicago devastator was by no means a tenderfoot. Twelve years of buttressing the hard-hitting Carl Weathersby had hardened him up, teaching him the merits of being true to yourself, of giving it your all—and being sure to hit with all your might when doing so. Accordingly, Corey Dennison Band grabbed the ear of the Blues Foundation, Blues Blast, Living Blues, Le Prix Blues and a laundry list of others who responded with a score of praise, award nominations and some well-deserved trophies. Wait until they get within earshot of this new one. Notes by Dennis Rozanski enclosed.

1. Hear My Plea 3:54
2. Misti 4:46
3. I Get The Shivers 4:41
4. Better Man 5:45
5. Phone Keeps Ringing 4:04
6. Nothing's Too Good (For My Baby) 3:39
7. Love Ain't Fair 4:18
8. Are You Serious? 4:59
9. Nightcreeper 2 (Still Creepin') 3:20
10. It's So Easy 6:59
11. Stuck In Chicago 4:50
12. Troubles Of The World 3:52
13. Down In Virginia 5:27

Corey Dennison, vocals, guitar
Gerry Hundt, guitar, organ
Nik Skilnick, bass
Joel Baer, drums, percussion
Andy Duncanson, vocals (9)

1. Hear My Plea 3:54 (Corey Dennison/Gerry Hundt, SteadyGroove Music, BMI)
2. Misti 4:46 (Corey Dennison/Gerry Hundt, SteadyGroove Music , BMI & Kilborn Alley, Fair Street Music Publ.)
3. I Get The Shivers 4:41 (Corey Dennison/Gerry Hundt, SteadyGroove Music, BMI)
4. Better Man 5:45 (Corey Dennison/Gerry Hundt, SteadyGroove Music, BMI)
5. Phone Keeps Ringing 4:04 (Corey Dennison, SteadyGroove Music, BMI & Paul Hendricks)
6. Nothing's Too Good (For My Baby) 3:39 (Corey Dennison/Gerry Hundt, SteadyGroove Music, BMI)
7. Love Ain't Fair 4:18 (Carl Weathersby)
8. Are You Serious? 4:59 (Johnson/Miner, Songs of Universal Inc./Tiaura Nikiki Music, BMI)
9. Nightcreeper 2 (Still Creepin') 3:20 (Corey Dennison/Gerry Hundt, SteadyGroove Music , BMI & Kilborn Alley, Fair Street Music Publ.)
10. It's So Easy 6:59 (Corey Dennison/Gerry Hundt, SteadyGroove Music, BMI)
11. Stuck In Chicago 4:50 (Cate/Cate, Alley Music Corp./Flatriver Music/Trio Music Co., BMI)
12. Troubles Of The World 3:52 (William Dawson, P.D.)
13. Down In Virginia 5:27 (Reed/Reed, Conrad Music/Seeds of Reed Music, BMI)


That’s a fine how-do-you-do. Night After Night starts the best possible way any blues album can: with an immediate fist to the gut, reinforced by guitar with a severe case of tremolo tremors. The central riff sways heavily, a pendulum winding up until launched into flight by a blond Magic Sam. A ramrod bass line doesn’t defuse the situation any, instead imparting a wicked lurch. The voice, jagged like a bucket of nails, offers no relief either in its forceful begging for forgiveness: It’s those dang juke joints again that lured the narrator away from his lady a few times too many; now there’s a price to be paid. And just like that, “Hear My Plea” opens the set already behind the eight ball. Intense, tough, potent: Sounds as if Corey Dennison is at work.

Even when formally introduced via 2016’s self-titled debut (also on Delmark), the Tennessee-born Chicago devastator was by no means a tenderfoot. Twelve years of buttressing the hard-hitting Carl Weathersby had hardened him up, teaching him the merits of being true to yourself, of giving it your all—and being sure to hit with all your might when doing so. Accordingly, Corey Dennison Band grabbed the ear of the Blues Foundation, Blues Blast, Living Blues, Le Prix Blues and a laundry list of others who responded with a score of praise, award nominations and some well-deserved trophies. Wait until they get within earshot of this new one.

Night After Night stays true to Corey’s tendency to shake you awake while tallying the pluses and minuses of life and love. Its 13 tracks are nicely top-heavy with originals, supplemented by a select few covers. (“Stuck in Chicago,” for instance, lived its prior life as a country tune before being deputized here as blues.) Dovetailed together, the set becomes utmost validation that Corey Dennison Band wasn’t an extreme stroke of beginner’s luck. But the actual start of a really great thing with staying power.

Because unless you’re a Chicagoan, you may not be as aware that Corey Dennison is a regular fixture on marquees around town. (For instance, he’s been living on the Kingston Mines bandstand every Monday and Wednesday night.) Here, you immediately know why Buddy Guy, Chico Banks, Lurrie Bell, Jimmy Johnson, Kenny Kinsey and Sugar Blue have all eagerly shared stages with him. Night After Night is the sound of potential—securely fulfilled.

But it’s also very much the sound of outright physicality. Of music not “played,” but propelled. Better yet, no rock steroids were used in its making. To Corey and his gang, the blues are as much about Chicago fundamentalism as they are a contact sport.

A moment of silence for the poor amplifier. Alas, it had no chance under Corey’s creative brutality, taking a beating so that you could enjoy the old spiritual “Troubles of the World” getting slung up to Gloryland by one six-string moonshot after another. “I Get the Shivers,” however, is the real killer. An early warning is issued in the hollered form of “Woowee!,” just split-seconds before the song title starts getting translated into spine-tingling notes by a signature lick that flows into a downpour of shaky daggers. Having ignored that warning, the amp sealed its fate. Four harrowing minutes later, it had to have been toast.

Yet Dennison’s own throat fares no better. Big and bold, his voice is made for blasting, which it often does. Sometimes a sliver of Chattanooga twang shoots through. Even a talking blues—“Nightcreeper 2 (Still Creepin’),” the funky streetwise sequel to Kilborn Alley’s version—intimidates. That’s why the blue smolder of “It’s So Easy” offers a momentary vocal reprieve.

As is he, Corey’s band is built as a fortress. No fanciness, no frills, no horns. Just the essentials—second guitar, bass, drums, and a little squeeze of organ strategically placed here and there. Guitarist/organ grinder Gerry Hundt makes the ideal wingman for anyone wishing to backdate their styling, having crucially done so in Nick Moss’ Flip Tops. So did Nik Skilnik, who is this album’s source of deep thumping. (But from this point onward, the bass changes hands to newly-enlisted Aaron Whittier, introduced by photograph on the album cover). When not using hissing hi-hats to prod “Phone Keeps Ringing” into dancing, drummer Joel Baer mixes the cement. Bonded, the three musclemen form one of the city’s premier head-cutting crews, who can, as could Magic Slim’s Teardrops, drive nails at 50 paces with their rhythmic pounding. Toss them a thick slab of red meat, in the form of, say, “Down in Virginia,” and they’ll grin ear-to-ear while throbbing the stuffing out of it. That (and “Shivers”) is when push leads to shove gives way to bulldozing.

But, Dennison loves his soul music, too. So, in the wink of an eye, the three and he instantaneously become a soul band. A muscle-bound soul band. And given the moves put on Tyrone Davis’ “Are You Serious?,” they’ve had that sensuous sinew in the crosshairs for some time. The Dennison-Hundt team also writes beauties of their own. The doctor is “in” for “Better Man,” shedding a little free advice on how to locate silver linings within life’s storm clouds. The spoken preamble assures you the sentiment is grounded in sincerity; the catch in Corey’s voice seconds that emotion. And although there may not be a glint of saxophone or trumpet, his guitar is as good as one, imparting golden lift to “Misti.” Energized by melodic sunshine, it’s akin to a Sherman tank turning cartwheels.

Then the weight of the world hits. By title alone, “Love Ain’t Fair” is contractually obliged to not end well: The pace draws to a crawl, descending into minor key as the level of emotional crisis inversely escalates. Welcome to rock bottom. Yet, with a mighty moan drifting along a slowly tortured pulse, Dennison makes a ransacked heart just as enviable as the joyous one riding high atop the frothy “Nothing’s Too Good (For My Baby).”

All of which is a long-winded way of saying that Night After Night delivers the best beating you’ll receive all year. And with it comes thirteen brand-new assurances why Corey Dennison is, indeed, here to stay—and pound and pummel—for countless Saturday nights to come.

—Dennis Rozanski, BluesRag



The Corey Dennison Band welcomes Aaron Whittier as the new bassist to the group.
Aaron is pictured on the cover and sings backup vocals with the guys. We wish Nik all the best in his future endeavors.

Produced by Corey Dennison and Steve Wagner
Album Production and Supervision: Robert G. Koester
Recorded at Riverside Studio, Chicago on April 11 & 12, 2017 by Steve Wagner
Mixed by Steve Wagner, assisted by Dave Katzman
Photography: Roman Sobus
Design: Noah Adetunji

Other Delmark albums of interest:
Corey Dennison Band (844)
Junior Wells, Hoodoo Man Blues (612) with Buddy Guy
Magic Sam, West Side Soul (615)
J.B. Hutto, Hawk Squat (617)
Otis Rush, All Your Love I Miss Loving, Live at Wise Fools Pub (781)
Luther Allison, Love Me Mama (625)
Linsey Alexander, Two Cats (851)
Dave Specter, Message In Blue (836) with Otis Clay
Robert Ward, New Role Soul (741)
Toronzo Cannon, John The Conquer Root (831)