13 Facts About Dennis Gruenling

Dennis Gruenling is an American electric blues harmonicist, songwriter, record producer and radio DJ.

Dennis Gruenling has released seven albums since 1999, with his most recent being 2016's Ready or Not.

Dennis Gruenling, who plays both chromatic and diatonic harmonica, has been awarded the title of 'Best Modern Blues Harmonica Player' three years in a row by Real Blues magazine.

In 2007, Adam Gussow described Dennis Gruenling as having "limitless potential".

Dennis Gruenling acquired his first harmonica in his teenage years as a Christmas present from a family friend.

Dennis Gruenling worked in a number of local bands around New Brunswick, New Jersey, before forming his own outfit in 1998, and then recording his debut album, Dennis Gruenling and Jump Time.

At that time, Dennis 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.

Dennis Gruenling heard both Rod Piazza and William Clarke on blues radio, and regularly frequented both of their shows when they played locally.

Dennis Gruenling gave Piazza a copy of his recording which led to a friendship that lasts to this day.

However, Dennis Gruenling found it harder to sustain his own band and he moved towards working on other musician's material for a number of years.

Dennis Gruenling contributed to albums by Gina Sicilia and Cartel in this period.

In putting together a band to support the album, Dennis 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 Dennis Gruenling was another Back Bender Records release.