Nashville, Tennessee, has no shortage of talented studio musicians. Also called “hired guns,” these session instrumentalists are a big part of what makes Music City unique. Most can play any style of music in whatever fashion any producer or artist could dream of. Corey Congilio is such an artist.

Congilio was born and raised in a small town in New Jersey, outside New York City. His father and uncles played guitar and/or bass, and he got his first guitar at age 13.

He advised, “We weren’t the Patridge Family. We didn’t do weekly jam sessions. My dad and granddaddy didn’t get together and pick on the porch. So, I had to do most of the digging by myself.”

His dad worked the 3:00 to 11:00 shift. He would say, “Here, check this out,” and then go to work where Congilio was left to figure out everything independently. He continued studying and practicing music and later got connected with a teacher. After that, his playing took off.

By high school, he knew being a guitarist was the path he wanted to take. Early on, he got “blues in his blood” and eventually found himself in Nashville.

Congilio’s dad listened to a lot of classic rock and had a copy of Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Texas Flood cassette tape, profoundly impacting his guitar performance.

“I tried to learn anything I could from it. And then you start to go backward and see what they listened to. What did Jimi Hendrix listen to? What did Stevie Ray Vaughan listen to? You find out it's Albert King. It's B.B. King. It's Albert Collins. It's all these guys. And then you start to realize, "Oh, this is really fun music,” Congilio recalled.

Corey Congilio’s love for the blues is the foundation of his 25-year career as a touring guitarist, session musician, educator, and now solo artist. Writing and recording his own music, Corey blends traditional blues with fresh rock and roll, showcasing his storytelling talent through his guitar.

As a guitarist versed in all contemporary styles, Corey has supported artists of all genres, including Blues, Rock, Country, R&B, and Jazz. He’s performed with Joss Stone, David Lee Murphy, Lucie Silvas, Radney Foster, Cassadee Pope, Derek St. Holmes, Danielle Bradberry, Laura Bell Bundy, and Barbara Blue.

But he is most known for his online guitar lessons. He has millions of views, and burgeoning guitarists consider him the go-to guy for learning all the various aspects of traditional and contemporary guitar playing.

The Imaginaries Shane Henry stated, “Corey is the best guitar instructor I’ve ever seen. He can break down complex things and make them palatable and understandable for people.” Although Congilio never had a formal music education, being self-taught, he could share what he knew with others.

While some studio musicians are happy to play and tour with other recording artists, Congilio wanted more. In 2016, Congilio released his first EP, Well Suited, a collection of songs that showcased his versatility. It has blues, rock, and a little country and is a “musical business card” to let others know what he is about.

Congilio has released “She’s Like The Weather,” his first single of 2025 and first-ever music video. The track is soaked in stormy metaphors. Inspired by a life coach waxing poetic about relationships and meteorology, Corey channels the chaos of love with the finesse of a guitar whisperer. The song explores how to navigate emotional storms soulfully. The video is as fun to watch as the music is to listen to.

But what surprised me most was how contemporary and mainstream “She’s Like the Weather” is. I expected at least a hint of the blues that initially influenced him.

Congilio confirmed, “My feeling about that is I'm going to run the opposite way because you already had that preconceived notion. I wanted to do everything someone wouldn't expect me to do.”

This year, Congilio will continue to write and release original music. He is carving his own groove, where classic blues collides with the raw nerve of modern storytelling.

At the same time, he is working on a traditional blues covers EP featuring slightly more obscure blues tunes. The way music is released today, if you have talent, your songs will find their proper audience.

If you want to learn or improve your guitar playing, you must follow Congilio on his website and YouTube channel. But in the meantime, keep up with any new music he releases. With his unmatched talent, you know it will be aimed at your soul.

You also follow Corey Congilio on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and all streaming platforms.

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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and X.