Rory Block

Last updated
Rory Block
Rory Block Merlefest 2014 Wilkesboro.jpg
Rory Block at the MerleFest 2014
Background information
Birth nameAurora Block
Born (1949-11-06) November 6, 1949 (age 75)
Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres Country blues
Occupation(s)Musician, singer
Instrument Guitar
Years active1964–present
Labels
Website Roryblock.com

Aurora "Rory" Block (born November 6, 1949) [1] is an American blues guitarist and singer, a notable exponent of the country blues style. [2]

Contents

Career

Aurora Block was born in Princeton and grew up in Manhattan. Her father, Allan Block, [3] ran a sandal shop in Greenwich Village in the 1960s, and the Greenwich Village folk music scene, such as Peter Rowan, Maria Muldaur, and John Sebastian influenced Block to study classical guitar. [4] At the age of 14, she met guitarist Stefan Grossman, who introduced her to the music of Mississippi Delta blues guitarists. [5]

Block began listening to old albums, transcribing them, and learning to play the songs. At age 15, she left home to seek out the remaining blues giants, such as Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis, and Son House, [2] and hone her craft in the traditional manner of blues musicians; [4] then she traveled to Berkeley, California, where she played in clubs and coffeehouses.

After retiring temporarily to raise a family, Block returned to the music industry in the 1970s with middling success until signing with Rounder Records in 1981, who encouraged her to return to her love for the classical blues form. [2] Since then she has carved out her own niche, releasing numerous critically acclaimed albums of original and traditional songs, including many Robert Johnson covers, such as "Terraplane Blues" and "Come on in My Kitchen". Her 1986 album, I've Got a Rock in My Sock , included contributions from Taj Mahal and David Bromberg. [2] The same year, Block's 19 year old son, Thiele, died in an automobile accident. Her tribute to him, House of Hearts , contained mostly Block penned tracks. [2]

Angel of Mercy,Turning Point, and Tornado included mostly original compositions. However, Mama's Blues,Ain't I a Woman and When a Woman Gets the Blues featured songs written by Tommy Johnson, Robert Johnson, Lottie Beaman, and Mattie Delaney. [6]

In 2010, Block released her autobiography in .pdf format and a limited print run titled When A Woman Gets The Blues.

Awards

Rory Block has won seven Blues Music Awards, two for "Traditional Blues Female Artist" (1997, 1998), three for "Acoustic Blues Album of the Year" (1996, 1999, 2007), the 2019 "Acoustic Artist of the Year" and the prestigious Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Female Blues Artist in 2021. [7] [8] She also won 3 NAIRD awards for "Best Adult Contemporary Album of the Year" in 1992 for Ain't I A Woman, in 1994 for Angel of Mercy, and again in 1997 for Tornado. Rory also won the "Trophees France Blues 98" for "International Acoustic Guitarist of the Year". She was inducted in to The New York Blues Hall of Fame in 2016. [9]

Discography

YearTitleLabelNumberNotes
1967How to Play Blues Guitar Elektra EKL 324, EKS 7324Credited as "Sunshine Kate", with Stefan Grossman, reissued in 1971 as Kicking Mule 109
1975Rory Block RCA Victor APL1-0733
1976I'm in Love Blue Goose BG-2022
1977Intoxication, So Bitter Sweet Chrysalis 1157
1979You're the OneChrysalis1233
1981 High Heeled Blues Rounder 3061Recorded at Bearsville Sound Studios, produced by John Sebastian
1983 Blue Horizon Rounder3073
1984 Rhinestones & Steel Strings Rounder3085
1986 I've Got a Rock in My Sock! Rounder3097
1987Best Blues and OriginalsRounder11525Compilation, drawn from the four Rounder Records albums 1981–1986
1987 House of Hearts Rounder3104
1989Turning PointMunich145
1990Color Me WildAlcazar1003Children's album
1991Mama's BluesRounder3117
1992Ain't I a WomanRounder31201992 Adult Contemporary Album of the Year
1994Angel of MercyRounder31261994 Adult Contemporary Album of the Year
1994Women in (E)motion FestivalTradition & Moderne107Recorded live, Bremen, Germany, 1988
1995When a Woman Gets the BluesRounder31391996 Acoustic Blues Album of the Year
1989Turning PointMunich145
1996TornadoRounder31401997 Adult Contemporary Album of the Year
1997Gone Woman Blues: The Country Blues CollectionRounder11575Compilation, drawn from the five Rounder Records albums 1992–1996
1997The Early Tapes 1975–1976Alcazar111re-release of I'm In Love
1998 Confessions Of A Blues Singer Rounder31541999 Acoustic Blues Album of the Year
2002I'm Every WomanRounder3174
2003Last Fair Deal Telarc CD 83593
2004Sisters & BrothersTelarcCD 83588With Eric Bibb and Maria Muldaur
2005From the DustTelarcCD 83614
2006 The Lady and Mr. Johnson Rykodisc RCD 108722007 Acoustic Blues Album of the Year, a tribute to Robert Johnson
2008Country Blues Guitar: Rare Archival Recordings 1963–1971Stefan Grossman's Guitar WorkshopSGGW 103With Stefan Grossman, reissue of How to Play Blues Guitar plus 16 additional tracks
2008Blues Walkin' Like a Man: A Tribute to Son House Stony Plain SPCD 1329First release in the Mentor Series.
2011Shake 'Em on Down: A Tribute to Mississippi Fred McDowell Stony PlainSPCD 1344Second release in the Mentor Series.
2012I Belong to the Band: A Tribute to Rev. Gary Davis Stony PlainSPCD 1359Third release in the Mentor Series.
2013Avalon: A Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt Stony PlainSPCD 1369Fourth release in the Mentor Series. [10]
2014Hard Luck Child: A Tribute to Skip James Stony PlainSPCD 1373Fifth release in the Mentor Series.
2016Keepin' Outta Trouble: A Tribute to Bukka White Stony PlainSPCD 1393Sixth release in the Mentor Series.
2018A Woman’s Soul: A Tribute to Bessie Smith Stony PlainSPCD 1399Power Women Of The Blues series – Vol. 1
2020Prove It On Me: A Tribute to Groundbreaking Women of the BluesStony PlainSPCD 1409Power Women Of The Blues series – Vol. 2
2022Ain't Nobody Worried: Celebrating Great Women Of SongStony PlainSPCD 1468Power Women Of The Blues series – Vol. 3
2024 Positively 4th Street: A Tribute to Bob Dylan Stony PlainSPCD 1493
2025Heavy On the Blues M.C. Records MC-0095

Festival appearances

Further reading

References

  1. "Rory Block - Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Blues (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 40/42. ISBN   0-85112-673-1.
  3. Weber, Bruce (November 3, 2013). "Allan Block, Whose Sandal Shop Was Folk Music Hub, Dies at 90 (Published 2013)". The New York Times . Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Rory Block Official Home Page!". Roryblock.com. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  5. "Born to the Blues". Archive.is. 2008-11-24. Archived from the original on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  6. Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. p. 94. ISBN   1-85868-255-X.
  7. McKay, Robin. "BLUES MUSIC AWARDS". Blues.org. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  8. "2019 Blues Music Awards Winners Announced". Antimusic.com. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  9. "Rory Block Resume". Roryblock.com. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  10. Block, Rory (4 June 2013). "Avalon: A Tribute To Mississippi John Hurt". Stony Plain Records. Retrieved 11 December 2013.