| Rory Block | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | Aurora Block |
| Birth Date: | 6 November 1949 |
| Birth Place: | Princeton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Instrument: | Guitar |
| Occupation: | Musician, singer |
| Years Active: | 1964–present |
| Website: | Roryblock.com |
Aurora "Rory" Block (born November 6, 1949,[1] in Princeton, New Jersey) is an American blues guitarist and singer, a notable exponent of the country blues style.[2]
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.
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]
| Year | Title | Label | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | How to Play Blues Guitar | Elektra | 324 | Credited as "Sunshine Kate", with Stefan Grossman, reissued in 1978 as Kicking Mule 109 |
| 1975 | Rory Block | RCA Victor | 0733 | |
| 1976 | I'm in Love | Blue Goose | 2022 | |
| 1977 | Intoxication, So Bitter Sweet | Chrysalis | 1157 | |
| 1979 | You're the One | Chrysalis | 1233 | |
| 1981 | High Heeled Blues | Rounder | 3061 | Recorded at Bearsville Sound Studios, Produced by John Sebastian |
| 1983 | Blue Horizon | Rounder | 3073 | |
| 1984 | Rhinestones & Steel Strings | Rounder | 3085 | |
| 1986 | I've Got a Rock in My Sock! | Rounder | 3097 | |
| 1987 | Best Blues and Originals | Rounder | 11525 | Compilation, drawn from the four Rounder Records albums 1981 - 1986 |
| 1987 | House of Hearts | Rounder | 3104 | |
| 1989 | Turning Point | Munich | 145 | |
| 1990 | Color Me Wild | Alcazar | 1003 | Children's album |
| 1991 | Mama's Blues | Rounder | 3117 | |
| 1992 | Ain't I a Woman | Rounder | 3120 | |
| 1994 | Angel of Mercy | Rounder | 3126 | 1994 Adult Contemporary Album of the Year |
| 1994 | Women in (E)motion Festival | Tradition & Moderne | 107 | Live, Bremen, Germany, 1988 |
| 1995 | When a Woman Gets the Blues | Rounder | 3139 | 1996 Acoustic Blues Album of the Year |
| 1989 | Turning Point | Munich | 145 | |
| 1996 | Tornado | Rounder | 3140 | 1997 Adult Contemporary Album of the Year |
| 1997 | Gone Woman Blues: The Country Blues Collection | Rounder | 11575 | compilation from five Rounder albums 1992-96 |
| 1997 | The Early Tapes 1975-1976 | Alcazar | 111 | re-release of I'm In Love from 1976 |
| 1998 | Confessions Of A Blues Singer | Rounder | 3154 | 1999 Acoustic Blues Album of the Year |
| 2002 | I'm Every Woman | Rounder | 3174 | |
| 2003 | Last Fair Deal | Telarc | CD-83593 | |
| 2004 | Sisters & Brothers | Telarc | CD-83588 | With Eric Bibb and Maria Muldaur |
| 2005 | From the Dust | Telarc | CD-83614 | |
| 2006 | The Lady and Mr. Johnson | Rykodisc | RCD 10872 | 2007 Acoustic Blues Album of the Year |
| 2008 | Blues Walkin' Like a Man: A Tribute to Son House | Stony Plain | SPCD 1329 | First release in the Mentor Series. |
| 2008 | Country Blues Guitar - Rare Archival Recordings 1963-1971 | Guitar Workshop | SGGW103 | With Stefan Grossman, reissue of How to Play Blues Guitar plus 16 additional tracks |
| 2011 | Shake 'Em on Down: A Tribute to Mississippi Fred McDowell | Stony Plain | SPCD 1344 | Second release in the Mentor Series. |
| 2012 | I Belong to the Band: A Tribute to Rev. Gary Davis | Stony Plain | SPCD 1359 | Third release in the Mentor Series. |
| 2013 | Avalon: A Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt | Stony Plain | SPCD 1369 | Fourth release in the Mentor Series.[10] |
| 2014 | Hard Luck Child: A Tribute to Skip James | Stony Plain | SPCD 1373 | Fifth release in the Mentor Series. |
| 2016 | Keepin' Outta Trouble: A Tribute to Bukka White | Stony Plain | SPCD 1393 | Sixth release in the Mentor Series. |
| 2018 | A Woman’s Soul: A Tribute to Bessie Smith | Stony Plain | SPCD 1399 | Power Women Of The Blues series - Vol. 1 |
| 2020 | Prove It On Me | Stony Plain | SPCD 1409 | Power Women Of The Blues series - Vol. 2 |
| 2022 | Ain't Nobody Worried: Celebrating Great Women Of Song | Stony Plain | SPCD 1468 | Power Women Of The Blues series - Vol. 3 |
| 2024 | Positively 4th Street: A Tribute To Bob Dylan | Stony Plain | SPCD 1493 |