Dennis Gruenling

Biography Early days Gruenling was born in New Jersey, United States. He acquired his first harmonica in his teenage years as a Christmas present from a family friend. It was released by Back Bender Records, Gruenling's own label.

Mid career At that time, Gruenling alternated between his Jump Time line-up that played mainly jump blues and boogie-woogie, and a smaller unit that favored a Chicago blues styling. He heard both Rod Piazza and William Clarke on blues radio, and regularly frequented both of their shows when they played locally. He gave Piazza a copy of his recording which led to a friendship that lasts to this day. Up All Night (2000) and That's Right (2001) followed, the latter featuring Kenny Davern on clarinet on a couple of the tracks. In 2000, Gruenling appeared at the Chicago Blues Festival.

However, Gruenling found it harder to sustain his own band and he moved towards working on other musician's material for a number of years. He contributed to albums by Gina Sicilia and Cartel in this period. The same year, Gruenling commenced on a project to record a tribute album to Little Walter, and ended up working alongside Kim Wilson, Rick Estrin and Steve Guyger, plus Rusty Zinn on guitar, to record I Just Keep Lovin' Him: A Tribute to Little Walter (2008). The album included a cover version of Little Walter's "If You Were Mine", with the vocals supplied by Gruenling's wife, Gina Fox.

In putting together a band to support the album, Gruenling turned to the Detroit-based guitarist Doug Deming, which led to them and Deming's backing ensemble, the Jewel Tones, collaborating on various recordings.

In 2010, the History of the Blues Harmonica Concert featuring David Barrett, Joe Filisko, Kinya Pollard, John Garcia, Rusty Zinn, and Gruenling was another Back Bender Records release. As a hobby, Gruenling collects and trades vintage harp microphones.

His album, Ready or Not (2016), is Gruenling's first with all original material, and follows a three year long touring schedule.

His 2019 joint recording with Nick Moss, Luck Guy!, was chosen as a 'Favorite Blues Album' by AllMusic. In May 2020, the Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling won two Blues Music Awards for 'Band of the Year' and 'Traditional Blues Album of the Year' for Lucky Guy!.

Radio work On the WFDU college radio station based in Teaneck, New Jersey, Gruenling is the weekly host of Blues & the Beat.

Discography Albums

Guest work