Charlie MUSSELWHITE Band - Rough Dried, Live At The Triple Door 1997

Charlie MUSSELWHITE Band - Rough Dried, Live At The Triple Door 1997

Blues

When it comes to stomping, lowdown blues harmonica it just doesn't get any better than Charlie Musselwhite, and what could be better than a live recording right from Seattle's own Triple Door” The 12 tracks contain only three covers, one being Charlie;s main stay since his first release, “Cristo Redentor” (aka Christo Redemptor) as an encore. Charlie's supporting cast on Rough Dried-Live at the Triple Door Features the same band that has performed on Charlie's '05 Real World Records CD Delta Hardware with Chris “Kid” Anderson – guitar (Terry Hank, Rick Estrin and The Nightcats) who is also in the credits as the mixer and one of the recorders along with Glenn Dennler. I could easily expound at length about each track; but there isn't room for that here. The set is jump started with the opening cut “River Hip Mama,” the barn burner from Charlie's '90 Alligator set “Ace Of Harps” (one of the three cuts included off that CD). Charlie describes “Feel It In Your Heart” as Brazilian blues, which appropriately features an infectious Latin beat. It is off the '97 Point Blank release Rough Edges as is the title track “Rough Dried Woman”. Rough Dried – Live at the Triple Door absolutely cooks from start to finish and will go down as one of my favorite CD's in quite some time.
By Malcolm Kennedy. Washington Blues Society.
**
Harmonica ace Charlie Musselwhite falls between the more obvious generations of blues players, younger than its elder statesmen but considerably senior to young hot-shots like Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. How, then, can he find a fresh hook to his music without resorting to attention-grabbing gimmicks? Except for two songs featuring producer/guitarist Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos, Charlie Musselwhite's 1997 album, Rough News, doesn't have any famous guests, but it stands out from the harmonica whiz's long and deep discography nonetheless. Musselwhite has pared down his sound so radically that every instrument has become a rhythm instrument. When these lean, groove-based arrangements are applied to tunes as simple and catchy as "Both Sides of Fence," "I Sat & Cried" and "Natural Born Lover," the results jump at the listener with the bare-basics excitement of early rock & roll. Musselwhite displays his elegant command of the mouth harp on two instrumental standards, "Sleepwalk" and "Harlem Nocturne," but the highlights are the songs where the simplicity of the material and the masterfulness of the musicians bring the best out in each other.
By Geoffrey Himes.
**
The expression “rough dried,”
as Charlie Musselwhite
explains while introducing his
cover of Magic Slim’s “Rough
Dried Woman,” refers to laundry
that’s only partially dry.
That’s an apt metaphor for this recording, taken from a single gig
with no obvious overdubs. It captures 72 minutes of Musselwhite
doing what he’s been doing since the mid-Sixties: playing the
blues with heart, soul, and enthusiasm to an audience filled with
appreciative fans.
The harpist/singer has had well-documented ups and
downs, and he’s now rightfully lauded as a survivor for both his
talent and his visionary pushing of the blues’ boundaries into
country, jazz, and even world music. Musselwhite is the acknowledged
master of an instrument that’s frequently taken for
granted, and this exhilarating concert proves it. His first live disc
in 23 years (available only on his Web site and at concerts),
Rough Dried dips briefly into Brazilian blues on the jaunty “Feel It
in Your Heart,” where he displays his chromatic harmonica skills,
but otherwise stays rooted in the tough Chicago style that’s his
calling card.
The set steers clear of recent material, despite the resounding
critical success of 2006’s Delta Hardware and 2004’s Sanctuary.
Instead, Musselwhite opens up with solos on the jump blues
of “Movin’ and Groovin’,” an eight-minute traipse through the
slow-tempo blues “She May Be Your Woman,” a crackling “Drop
Down Baby,” and an extended closing version of “Cristo Redentor,”
Musselwhite’s signature instrumental. It’s here that he ties
jazz, pop, and blues together in a dazzling package, led by slinky
harp and an arrangement tweaked to perfection through four
decades of performance.
Credit should also be shared by Musselwhite’s touring band,
which at the time featured the striking, innovative guitar of Kid
Andersen. Even without fresh material, this is Musselwhite at his
finest, singing with his world-weary voice and blowing harp with an
obvious love for the music. He delivers a stunning show, honed
through a lifetime of work.
By Hal Horowitz. AMG.
**
Charlie Musselwhite- (Vocals, electric & slide guitars, harmonica);
John Lawrence- (Electric & slide guitars, churrango);
Cesar Rosas- (Electric & slide guitars);
Junior Watson- (Euitar, background vocals);
Kid Ramos, Fenton Robinson- (Euitar);
Stu Blank -(Keyboards, background vocals);
Felton Crews- (Bass, background vocals);
Larry Taylor, A.G. Hardesty, Rene Coman- (Bass);
Steven Hodges- (Drums, background vocals);
Victor Bisetti, Jeffrey Clemens- (Drums);
Dick Shurman- (Background vocals).
**
01. River Hip Mama  
02. If I Should Have Bad Luck  
03. Strange Land  
04. Rough Dried Woman  
05. Blues Overtook Me  
06. Feel It in Your Heart  
07. Wild Wild Woman  
08. She May Be Your Woman  
09. Long Lean Lanky Mama  
10. Movin' and Groovin'  
11. Drop Down Baby  
12. Cristo Redentor
**

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Charlie MUSSELWHITE Blues Band - Tennessee Woman 1969

Charlie MUSSELWHITE Blues Band - Tennessee Woman 1969
VSD 6528

Blues

If I had to choose a favorite Charlie Musselwhite album, Tennessee Woman might be it. I've been listening to it for almost 20 years and expect to continue listening to it for at least another 20. But really, Musselwhite's other two Vanguard albums from the 1960s, Stand Back! and Stone Blues, and his two early 70s Arhoolie albums, Takin' My Time and Goin' Back Down South, claim about equal affection.
The thing I love about Tennessee Woman is its moodiness. Classic Chicago blues featuring Musselwhite's wonderfully expressive, mournful harp playing and soulful, world-weary vocals, laced with great jazzy piano from Skip Rose. The other sidemen are equally inspired, forming a perfect cohesive unit as harp, vocals, and piano, and Larry Welker's liquid steel guitar, weave around and through one another. A little over halfway through an ethereal, 12-minute version of "Christo Redemptor," after a lengthy piano solo, Musselwhite's harp comes back in like a giant slowly awakening. Magic.
"I'm still a stranger in a strange land / baby, until the day I die," Musselwhite sings in "Blue Feeling Today," the sentiment reiterated in the album's dreamy final track, "I'm a Stranger." Musselwhite manifests his, and America's, perennial theme of loneliness and alienation with an authority available to only a few musicians. Tennessee Woman is a lasting brilliant gem.
By Lachlan Murray.
**
The addition of jazz pianist Skip Rose gave a new dimension to the ensemble sound, and provided a perfect foil to Charlie's own soloing  especially on the re-take of "Cristo Redentor," extended to 11 minutes, shifting to double-time in spots. Rose's instrumental, "A Nice Day for Something," is a welcome change of pace, and Musselwhite's "Blue Feeling Today" compares favorably to fine covers of Little Walter and Fenton Robinson tunes.
By Dan Forte.
**
Charlie Musselwhite- (Vocals, Harmonica);
Tim Kaihatsu- (Vocals, Guitar);
Larry Welker- (Guitar);
Fred Roulette- (steel Guitar);
Rod Piazza- (Harmonica);
Skip Rose- (Piano);
Carl Severeid- (Bass);
Lance Dickerson- (Drums).
**
A1. Tennessee Woman 
A2. Blue Feeling Today 
A3. A Nice Day for Something 
A4. Everybody Needs Somebody 
A5. I Don't Play, I'll Be Your Man Some Day 
B1. Christo Redemptor  
B2. Little by Little  
B3. I'm a Stranger
**

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Charlie MUSSELWHITE - Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's Southside Band 1967

Charlie MUSSELWHITE - Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's Southside Band 1967
VSD 79232

Blues

This is Charlie's debut and simply a killer. If you are blues fanatic such as I am, this is a must for your collection. The styling is much like Paul Butterfield's early work. Charlie is a master of the instrument and blues. This is an excellent place to start. I highly recommend all of Charlie's sets, but this is the place to start. Pure Chicago blues at it's finest. This is a must. .
**
Vanguard may have spelled his name wrong (he prefers Charlie or Charles), but the word was out as soon as this solo debut was released: Here was a harpist every bit as authentic, as emotional, in some ways as adventuresome, as Paul Butterfield. Similarly leading a Chicago band with a veteran Black rhythm section (Fred Below on drums, Bob Anderson on bass) and rock-influenced soloists (keyboardist Barry Goldberg, guitarist Harvey Mandel), Musselwhite played with a depth that belied his age -- only 22 when this was cut! His gruff vocals were considerably more affected than they would become later (clearer, more relaxed), but his renditions of "Help Me," "Early in the Morning," and his own "Strange Land" stand the test of time. He let his harmonica speak even more authoritatively on instrumentals like "39th and Indiana" (essentially "It Hurts Me Too" sans lyrics) and "Cha Cha the Blues," and his version of jazz arranger Duke Pearson's gospel-tinged "Cristo Redentor" has become his signature song -- associated with Musselwhite probably more so than with trumpeter Donald Byrd, who originally recorded the song for Blue Note. Goldberg is in fine form (particularly on organ), but Mandel's snakey, stuttering style really stands out -- notably on "Help Me," his quirky original "4 P.M.," and "Chicken Shack," where he truly makes you think your record is skipping.
By Dan Forte. AMG.
**
Barry Goldberg- Organ, Guitar, Piano, Producer, Keyboards
Bob Anderson- Bass
Fred Below- Drums
Harvey Mandel- Guitar
Charlie Musselwhite- Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals, Main Performer, Performer
**
A1. Baby Will You Please Help Me   3:20
A2. No More Lonely Nights   5:14
A3. Cha Cha the Blues   3:13
A4. Christo Redemptor   3:21
A5. Help Me   3:29
A6. Chicken Shack   4:17
B1. Strange Land   3:04
B2. 39th and Indiana   4:12
B3. My Baby   2:46
B4. Early in the Morning   4:31
B5. 4 P.M.   3:17
B6. Sad Day   5:04
**
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Charlie MUSSELWHITE - Delta Hardware 2006

Charlie MUSSELWHITE - Delta Hardware 2006

Blues

As authentic as the lines on his forehead and his droopy eyes, veteran bluesman Charlie Musselwhite gets better with age. (At 62, he's a respected survivor with dozens of albums to his credit.) On Delta Hardware the journeyman musician pays tribute to, and revels in, his Mississippi roots. Although he's spent time in Chicago and on the West Coast, for this album of churning swamp and deep Southern blues he taps his formative years in the town of Kosciusko. Musselwhite's poignant voice and crying harmonica convey loss and sadness on the tense, swirling "Black Water," one of two tracks dealing with Hurricane Katrina. His full-bodied, amplified harp cuts like Paul Butterfield and especially Little Walter, two of whose songs he covers here. Give Musselwhite's backing group credit too, especially guitarist Chris "Kid" Anderson, who slices into the slow, riff-based, Walter-penned "Just a Feeling" with Ronnie Earl-styled precision. Even on the straight-ahead shuffle of "Blues for Yesterday," the band nails a sweaty, edgy groove that's as genuine as it is driving. Producer Chris Goldsmith keeps the sound lean, mean, and just muddy enough to conjure images of the band churning out these dark, dusky Delta blues on a porch in the midst of a sweltering summer's night. The no-frills approach is perfect for Musselwhite's otherworldly harp playing to express his years and miles on the endless blues highway.
By Hal Horowitz.
**
While Charlie Musselwhite has always been an adventurous musician -- take into consideration his fine Cuban inflected Continental Drifter, the Americana drenched One Night In America, and the rollicking rock and soul on Sanctuary -- the Delta of his upbringing has never been left out of the mix entirely. Musselwhite may have had a reason to dig so deeply into the hard-edged roots of Delta by way of Chicago blues on this set: he lost both his parents in 2005. The CD booklet is filled with pictures of the sites of his life in Mississippi. Delta Hardware was recorded with Musselwhite's road band, and it has the feeling of motion along with its looking into the past. Guitarist Chris "Kid" Andersen, bassist Randy Bermudes, and drummer June Core hop into the heart of the electric trancelike blues that have been a part of Musselwhite's backbone his entire performing career. The question is, why didn't he record with these guys before? Delta Hardware is a raw, squalling album heavy on brittle guitars, trancelike rhythms, and of course, Musselwhite's harmonica filling the gaps where his world-weary voice shouts, hollers, and bellows. Musselwhite and band dig deep here. The set opens with the strolling minor-key rock & roll blues of "Church Is Out," where Musselwhite offers an autobiographical sketch with boasts worthy of Jay Z. This shimmy shaking electric blues is merely a portent of things to come. On the track that follows, "One of These Mornings," all hell breaks loose. A call and response between Musselwhite and Andersen shuffles like a train off the track to Core's triple-time drums. When he sings, it's more like a roar; unfettered, full of power and the grit necessary to wail above a band playing their asses off. His harp solo is just a scorcher, and it all happens in two-minutes-and-thirty-seconds. "Sundown" is a classic one-four-five shuffle, but with dueling slide guitars popping over the top of Musselwhite's voice. The blunt edge of the blade comes home to roost on "Black Water," where Musselwhite, his harp, and Andersen's guitars are a wandering band of prophets from the old testament warning of the perils of the present age; Musselwhite sounds sad but determined; he's unflinching in his terror-vision and it is bleak. The music is sad as well; it's trancelike, Junior Kimbrough-styled -- repetitive, percussive, snaky -- and when it's time for his brief harp solo, the instrument sounds like it's weeping. Little Walter's "Just a Feeling" is just plain slow and mean. It's a swampy moaner and Andersen's guitars are like fine forged steel with a serrated edge. When Musselwhite digs into his spoken word bag over the tough-assed blues as on the opener and "Invisible Ones," there's not a second that doesn't work. His jeremiad is pure working-class poetry. There is proof in the pudding too, where the crowd expresses its appreciation for the hip-shaking "Clarksdale Boogie," recorded at Red's Juke Joint in that very town. Delta Hardware is the kind of record only a veteran could make, full of backbone, spit and vinegar; it is an early candidate for blues record of the year.
By Thom Jurek, All Music Guide.
**
June Core- Percussion, Drums
Chris "Kid" Andersen- Guitar
Randy Bermudes- Bass
Charlie Musselwhite- Bass, Harmonica, Guitar (Electric), Vocals
**
01. Church Is Out 3:32
02. One of These Mornings 2:36
03. Sundown 4:06
04. Black Water 5:40
05. Clarksdale Boogie 3:38
06. Just a Feeling 5:15
07. Gone Too Long 2:58
08. Invisible Ones 3:32
09. Town to Town 3:16
10. Blues for Yesterday 5:23
**
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Charlie MUSSELWHITE - Continental Drifter 1999

Charlie MUSSELWHITE - Continental Drifter 1999

Blues

**CONTINENTAL DRIFTER was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for;
Full DescriptionBest Contemporary Blues Album.**

Charlie Musselwhite's is the voice of experience. One can hear it on every note of Continental Drifter, where the relaxed feel of the experienced bluesman is evident in the main harmonica riff of "Little Star" and the smooth, Delta-style guitar of "Blues Up the River." Several of the songs have a strong Cuban-Brazilian feel, and Musselwhite is joined on several of these by friend Eliades Ochoa and his band, Cuarteto Patria. Musselwhite's primarily known as a harmonica player, and it's easy to hear why on this album; whether he's spicing up the Cuban-blues mix of "Sabroso" or soloing over the jumpy rhythm of "Can't Stay Away from You," he's always bang on the note.
By Genevieve Williams. AMG.
**
Musselwhite became a blues legend by capturing the soulfulness of blues's greatest harp player, Little Walter, while still injecting an undeniable originality into his playing. Musselwhite's thick, driving sound is featured to fine effect on CONTINENTAL DRIFTER, from the straight-ahead 12-bar shuffle of "No" to the swinging, "Tequila"-like rhythm of "Can't Stay Away From You." What makes this recording unique in Musselwhite's catalogue though, is the incorporation of pronounced Cuban and Brazilian influences. "Little Star" is a bright Barney Kessel tune given a jazzy bossa nova treatment. "Que Te Parece, Cholita?" is one of several songs recorded with Cuban musicians in the traditional folk style of that country. Bringing things full circle, the two sparse tunes that close out the album have a Delta blues flavor, though Musselwhite is accompanied by Cuban musicians here as well. CONTINENTAL DRIFTER is proof that there are still some new places to take the blues.
CD Universe.
**
Continental Drifter is comprised of music which, according to Charlie, "reflects who I am today as a musician and a human being." The tracks on the album are divided into three sections. The first section, "The Band Session" features Charlie and his touring band, whom he says, "can play whatever I have a mind to play." Session two, "The Solo Session," incorporated the Delta sounds Charlie grew up with. For the third section, "The Cuban Sessions," Charlie recorded four tracks with his Cuban friend and colleague, Eliades Ochoa and his group Cuarteto Patria. Many of the album's tracks are entwined with Cuban and Brazilian sounds that have been a major influence on Charlie's music over the years. "My experience with the Cuban and Brazilian musicians whom I have met and played with is that we are all excited by the possibilities of blending the musical cultures, sometimes just for the joy of playing together, sometimes in the hope of fostering understanding and tolerance between our cultures."
**
Eliades Ochoa, Humberto Ochoa- (Vocals, Guitar);
William Calderon- (Vocals, Bass);
Eglis Ochoa Hidalgo- (Vocals, Maracas);
Roberto Torres- (Vocals, Percussion).
Charlie Musselwhite- (Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica);
John Wedemeyer- (Guitar);
Joe Heinemann- (Piano, Organ);
Felton Crews- (Bass);
David Rockeach- (Drums, Percussion).
**
01. No (4:49)
02. Can't Stay Away from You (3:58)
03. Voodoo Garden (8:02)
04. Little Star (5:21)
05. Que Te Parece, Cholita? (What Do You Think, Cholita?) (Featuring Eliad (6:41)
06. Chan Chan (Charlie's Blues) (Featuring Eliades Ochoa and Cuarteto Patri (5:46)
07. Sabroso (Delicious) (Featuring Eliades Ochoa and Cuarteto Patria) (6:50)
08. Siboney (4:03)
09. My Time Someday (4:22)
10. Blues up the River (2:34)
11. Please Remember Me (4:21)
**
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Charlie MUSSELWHITE - Cambridge Blues Live 1988

Charlie MUSSELWHITE - Cambridge Blues Live 1988
Label: Blue Horizon


Blues

Yet another intriguing setting: Musselwhite in an essentially acoustic trio format, backed by pianist Bob Hall and acoustic guitarist Dave Peabody, both from England, live at that country's Cambridge Folk Festival. The crowd's thunderous response says it all, a rare and satisfying night by three great blues players,
each skilled in the art of supportive interplay.
By Dan Forte. AMG.
**
Charlie Musselwhite - Vocals and Harmonica
Dave Peabody - Guitars (and Vocals on "Take A Little Walk With Me")
Bob Hall - Piano
**
01. Miss Bessie 5:50
02. Big Legged Woman 4:41
03. Key To The Highway 4:32
04. Take A Little Walk With Me 5:13
05. Up And Down The Avenue 6:37
06. Need My Baby 7:02
07. Skinny Woman 5:10
**
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Charlie MUSSELWHITE - Leave The Blues To Us 1975

Charlie MUSSELWHITE - Leave The Blues To Us 1975
Label: Capitol

Blues

Musselwhite's major-label debut was unfortunately a lackluster run-through. This isn't a bad album; it's just that there's nothing very special about it. His working band centered around Kaihatsu and Sevareid (again, from Stone Blues), with the addition of saxophonist Ray Arvizu, a honking tenor as opposed to Robben Ford's jazzy alto. Cameos by Barry Goldberg and Mike Bloomfield only add to an inexplicably cacophonous mix; Goldberg's organ on "Keys to the Highway" is especially obnoxious. Charlie's singing and harp playing are well and good, but this sounds surprisingly low-budget compared to his previous independent releases.
By Dan Forte. AMG.
**
Reynaldo Arvizu- Horn
Michael Bloomfield- Guitar, Piano
Lynn Carey- Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
Barry Goldberg- Organ, Piano, Keyboards, Producer
Tim Kaihatsu- Guitar
Larry Martin- Drums
Charlie Musselwhite- Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
Skip Rose- Piano
Karl Sevareid- Bass 
**

01.Stranger  Musselwhite  3:44
02.Business Man  Dixon  4:00
03.Skinny Woman  Musselwhite  5:12
04.Key to the Highway  Waters  3:25
05.Candy Kitchen  Musselwhite  6:57
06.Long as I Have You  Musselwhite  3:50
07.Just Take Your Time  Musselwhite  2:02
08.Early in the Mornin'  Traditional  6:04
**
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