Dennis Gruenling

Through his work as a harpist, producer, and a disc jockey, Dennis Gruenling kept the sound of classic post-war electric blues alive in the 21st century. Performing in a rough, emphatic style that shows the influence of harmonica masters such as Little Walter and Junior Wells, Gruenling's gutsy tone is a superb match for the tough, streetwise sound of his harp work and his equally emphatic vocals. A three-time winner of Real Blues magazine's Best Modern Blues Harmonica Player trophy, Gruenling made a splash as a solo artist and bandleader on releases like 1999's Dennis Gruenling & Jump Time and 2008's I Just Keep Lovin' Him (A Tribute to Little Walter), but he's also a respected sideman who has toured and recorded with the Nick Moss Band, notably on 2023's Get Your Back Into It. A native of New Jersey, Dennis Gruenling started playing harmonica as a teenager after a family friend gave him his first blues harp as a Christmas gift. Discovering the seminal 1990 album Harp Attack! -- featuring James Cotton, Carey Bell, and Junior Wells -- he flipped for the blues, and soon discovered fellow harp masters Little Walter and Big Walter Horton. Devoting himself to the instrument, he dropped out of school and headed to New Orleans with a girlfriend, soaking up influences and honing his skills, before moving back to Jersey in 1994. He kept gigging over the next few years, forming a group called Jump Time in 1998 who specialized in jump blues and vintage boogie woogie sounds. The band released their debut, Dennis Gruenling & Jump Time, on the harpist's Back Bender Records imprint in 1999. Two other records -- the solo set Up All Night (2000) and a second Jump Time LP, That's Right! (2001) -- quickly followed before Gruenling put the Jump Time band on ice. Gruenling turned to collaborating with other blues musicians over the next few years, appearing on albums by Gina Sicilia, Dave Gross, Jumpin' Jack, and Peter Karp. In 2006, he and fellow blues harpist Richard Sleigh collaborated on the full-length album Volume 1. 2007 saw Gruenling land one of his more unusual gigs, playing harp solos on a self-titled album from emo-pop band and MTV Band in a Bubble stars Cartel. For 2008's I Just Keep Lovin' Him: A Tribute to Little Walter, Gruenling assembled a handful of blues harp giants to collaborate on the project, including Kim Wilson, Rick Estrin, and Steve Guyger. 2010's History of the Blues Harmonica Concert documented a live show with Gruenling, David Barrett, Joe Filisko, and Kinya Pollard, staged as a master class workshop for players eager to improve their technique. Gruenling continued to spread the word about the blues through his weekly radio show on Teaneck, NJ's WFDU, Blues & the Beat, plus he taught blues harmonica at workshops and private lessons, as well as collecting and promoting gear for harp players. In 2012, Gruenling teamed up with Detroit-based guitarist Doug Deming and his band the Jewel Tones for a pair of albums; Rockin' All Day featured Gruenling leading the group, while Deming took the spotlight on What's It Gonna Take. Four years later, Gruenling teamed up again with Deming and the Jewel Tones for 2016's Ready or Not. Gruenling also guested on 2016's The Arson's Match: Peter Karp, Live in NYC, which also featured an appearance from former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor. Gruenling next launched an ongoing collaboration with guitarist Nick Moss, handling harp and lead vocals on 2018's The High Cost of Low Living by the Nick Moss Band, released on Alligator Records. Gruenling and Moss proved to be a good fit, and the harp master would also appear on the Nick Moss Band's 2019 release Lucky Guy! They worked together again on 2023's Get Your Back Into It.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Mark Deming /TiVo