Blues harpist Charlie Musselwhite is often compared with his contemporary Paul Butterfield, both artists blowing through the mid-1960s Chicago blues scene like a hurricane. Whereas the Chicago-born Butterfield's chops mimicked those of his Windy City heroes, masters like Little Walter and Junior Wells, Musselwhite came to town after making his bones studying with Memphis blues legends like Furry Lewis and Will Shine, a distinction that always lent a certain amount of Delta grit to Musselwhite's recordings.
Musselwhite relocated to the San Francisco area during the late-1960s, and through the years that have followed, has earned a reputation as a soulful vocalist, trailblazing harmonica player, and dynamic live performer. Over the course of four decades and close to two dozen albums, though, Musselwhite's reputation as a live performer has been ill-served on album. With the release of Rough Dried: Live At The Triple Door, Musselwhite delivers an impressive live document that should satisfy his long-suffering fans.
Charlie Musselwhite's Rough Dried
Musselwhite and the band hit a quick lick with the album-opening "River Hip Mama," coming out of the gate with a harp-driven locomotive of a performance. With Musselwhite's manic harmonica blasts thrown alongside his rough-hewn vocals, the band choogles along behind like a steam-engine as guitarslinger Kid Andersen lays down a funky thread of squonky six-string notes.
The live set only amps up the sonic storm from here, each performance crackling with raw energy and pure Delta grit. "Strange Land" begins with a laid-back shuffle, kind of like the Doors' earliest blues-rock approximations. Musselwhite's voice is right up front here, strong vox punctuated by his slip-and-slide harpwork. The biographical "Blues Overtook Me" is a Chicago-styled romp featuring Musselwhite's best Little Walter impersonation and po-boy lyrics about "fast woman and whiskey."
Wild Wild Women
What would the blues be without a song about that "Wild Wild Women"? A slow-paced blues-burner with a red-hot ember at its heart, Musselwhite mangles his harp with such emotion, his vocals so drenched in hurt one has to wonder what that women from his home state of Tennessee did to poor old Charlie. "She May Be Your Woman" is another slow blues number, and it represents the other side of the coin, and Musselwhite's soloing here is deliberately-paced, marching in step with Andersen's fluid guitar lines.
The band swings recklessly through the up-tempo "Movin' And Groovin'," Musselwhite's subtle harmonica blowing sounding more like a muted trumpet as Andersen fills in between the fast-walking rhythms with flurries of jazzy guitar licks. A cover of jazzman Duke Pearson's classic instrumental "Cristo Redentor" displays a different side of Musselwhite and his band's talents. Slowing down the pace to a mournful, moody dirge, Andersen's elegant fretwork is paired with Musselwhite's tearful harp. Bassist Randy Bermudes and drummer June Core prove that, often times, less is more as they keep the rhythm rolling with an emotional groove.
The Reverend's Bottom Line
By blues standards - with popular performers like Pinetop Perkins and Honeyboy Edwards in their 90s, B.B. King in his 80s, and Buddy Guy in his 70s - Charlie Musselwhite is a relatively young bluesman at the age of 65 years. But at an age when bankers, lawyers, and accountants are looking to retire, Musselwhite still has plenty of blues fire left in him, and he torches the stage damn near every time he performs.
Rough Dried: Live At The Triple Door is a rock solid live document, Musselwhite and crew masterfully mixing houserockin', scorched-earth tunes with slower, tear-jerkin' blues numbers to thrill the audience and keep them on the edge of their seat. If you've wondered what a Charlie Musselwhite show sounds like, this is as close as you're going to get to the real thing. (Henrietta Records)
Musselwhite relocated to the San Francisco area during the late-1960s, and through the years that have followed, has earned a reputation as a soulful vocalist, trailblazing harmonica player, and dynamic live performer. Over the course of four decades and close to two dozen albums, though, Musselwhite's reputation as a live performer has been ill-served on album. With the release of Rough Dried: Live At The Triple Door, Musselwhite delivers an impressive live document that should satisfy his long-suffering fans.
Charlie Musselwhite's Rough Dried
Musselwhite and the band hit a quick lick with the album-opening "River Hip Mama," coming out of the gate with a harp-driven locomotive of a performance. With Musselwhite's manic harmonica blasts thrown alongside his rough-hewn vocals, the band choogles along behind like a steam-engine as guitarslinger Kid Andersen lays down a funky thread of squonky six-string notes.
The live set only amps up the sonic storm from here, each performance crackling with raw energy and pure Delta grit. "Strange Land" begins with a laid-back shuffle, kind of like the Doors' earliest blues-rock approximations. Musselwhite's voice is right up front here, strong vox punctuated by his slip-and-slide harpwork. The biographical "Blues Overtook Me" is a Chicago-styled romp featuring Musselwhite's best Little Walter impersonation and po-boy lyrics about "fast woman and whiskey."
Wild Wild Women
What would the blues be without a song about that "Wild Wild Women"? A slow-paced blues-burner with a red-hot ember at its heart, Musselwhite mangles his harp with such emotion, his vocals so drenched in hurt one has to wonder what that women from his home state of Tennessee did to poor old Charlie. "She May Be Your Woman" is another slow blues number, and it represents the other side of the coin, and Musselwhite's soloing here is deliberately-paced, marching in step with Andersen's fluid guitar lines.
The band swings recklessly through the up-tempo "Movin' And Groovin'," Musselwhite's subtle harmonica blowing sounding more like a muted trumpet as Andersen fills in between the fast-walking rhythms with flurries of jazzy guitar licks. A cover of jazzman Duke Pearson's classic instrumental "Cristo Redentor" displays a different side of Musselwhite and his band's talents. Slowing down the pace to a mournful, moody dirge, Andersen's elegant fretwork is paired with Musselwhite's tearful harp. Bassist Randy Bermudes and drummer June Core prove that, often times, less is more as they keep the rhythm rolling with an emotional groove.
The Reverend's Bottom Line
By blues standards - with popular performers like Pinetop Perkins and Honeyboy Edwards in their 90s, B.B. King in his 80s, and Buddy Guy in his 70s - Charlie Musselwhite is a relatively young bluesman at the age of 65 years. But at an age when bankers, lawyers, and accountants are looking to retire, Musselwhite still has plenty of blues fire left in him, and he torches the stage damn near every time he performs.
Rough Dried: Live At The Triple Door is a rock solid live document, Musselwhite and crew masterfully mixing houserockin', scorched-earth tunes with slower, tear-jerkin' blues numbers to thrill the audience and keep them on the edge of their seat. If you've wondered what a Charlie Musselwhite show sounds like, this is as close as you're going to get to the real thing. (Henrietta Records)
Personnel:
Kid Andersen (guitar)
Randy Bermudes (bass)
Stu Blank (keyboards, background vocals)
June Core (drums)
Charlie Musselwhite (vocals, harmonica)
Tracklist:
01. River Hip Mama (Jones/Musselwhite) 4.25
02. If I Should Have Bad Luck (Musselwhite) 5.10
03. Strange Land (Musselwhite) 5.38
04. Rough Dried Woman (ClayWilliams) 3.56
05. Blues Overtook Me (Musselwhite) 5.28
06. Feel It in Your Heart (Azevedo/Musselwhite) 5.16
07. Wild Wild Woman (Young) 6.11
08. She May Be Your Woman (Musselwhite) 8.04
09. Long Lean Lanky Mama (Thackery) 5.18
10. Movin' and Groovin' (Musselwhite) 6.42
11. Drop Down Baby (Musselwhite) 7.36
12. Cristo Redentor (Pearson) 7.55
ARMU 2061
ARMU 2061 (zippyshare)