Charley Musselwhite

LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
edited June 2009 in Strut Central
I'm going through this collection I just got and it's got this. This is the same band as Barry Goldberg Blowing Your Mind Blues Band (Harvey Mandel, Goldberg, plus Fred Bellow and Bob Anderson). The Goldberg lp, for some reason is goes for about $75.00.This one doesn't seem to go for much.Has Cristo Redemptor which is nice and a few good cuts. On some cuts Musselwhite is horrible out of tune.Any who, of those cats, I think Mandel was the only one to make really good records. Not sure what my point is, just wanted to do a music thread I guess. I'll post up about Howard Hanger Trio as soon as the pics are uploaded.

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  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    I'm going through this collection I just got and it's got this.



    This is the same band as Barry Goldberg Blowing Your Mind Blues Band (Harvey Mandel, Goldberg, plus Fred Bellow and Bob Anderson).
    The Goldberg lp, for some reason is goes for about $75.00.
    This one doesn't seem to go for much.

    I believe Vanguard continuously kept Musselwhite's album in print, which may be why it is not as valuable, $$$-wise, as the Goldberg, which was on Epic. (However, I see Barry Goldberg's Buddah elpees all over the place for $5...)

    Has Cristo Redemptor which is nice and a few good cuts.

    Not bad, but I like the stretched-out version of "Cristo Redentor" that appeared on Tennessee Woman, a later Vanguard elpee.

    Any who, of those cats, I think Mandel was the only one to make really good records.

    I've always been iffy about Musselwhite, but I think his best albums were actually made in the last 10-12 years! Seriously, that Delta Hardware CD he did fairly recently is insanely good. As far as Mandel, I'm just familiar with two of his Janus albums, which I have on one CD. Really good blues-rock with a funk edge, but I haven't tried anything else by him.

  • As far as Mandel, I'm just familiar with two of his Janus albums, which I have on one CD. Really good blues-rock with a funk edge, but I haven't tried anything else by him.

    Mandel played on The Stones' "Black and Blue" long-player.

  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    I'd almost agree with the "Musselwhite last 10 years" statement, I saw him live too a couple years back & he was very good. I always get Musselwhite & Butterfield confused, I think I like Butterfield better though. There is a Harvey Mandel LP I own/like, I think it is the Cristo Redentor one.

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    I'd almost agree with the "Musselwhite last 10 years" statement, I saw him live too a couple years back & he was very good.

    Same thing with John Hammond. He started recording in the sixties and was never very consistent, but I have a couple of recent discs that totally FADE his 1960's records that everybody thinks is so classic.

  • discos_almadiscos_alma discos_alma 2,164 Posts
    I like this one:


  • *ding*

    I'll defend Stone Blues. Boogie, harmonica, bracing lyrics -- chicago style sped up (speeded up?). Good ish.

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    The most recent one I heard had lots of vibes on it. About 15 years ago I guess. Ehh.

    His singing sucks on the Stand Up one.
    Trying really hard to be Jr Wells. He's Not.

    I don't know who the technically better harp player is, but Paul Butterfield (as a band leader) stretched way beyond the boogie blues that Musselwhite mines. If you have not heard the 2 Better Days lps pick them up stat.

    I heard a guy drilling Geoff Mualdar about the Better Days. He didn't want to say anything about Butterfield. You could tell he didn't love the man. Finally he said that Butterfield was the best band leader he had ever worked with and that every one played on time or were out.

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts


    I don't know who the technically better harp player is, but Paul Butterfield (as a band leader) stretched way beyond the boogie blues that Musselwhite mines.

    That's the one thing that always struck me about Musselwhite. Out of all the white folks from the 1960's blues revival, he may have been the purest. He never went "rock," and when his contemporaries were still under contract to major labels, he was recording for Arhoolie (LONG before all the white blues mob turned up on indies). Hell, here he was playing for the hippies in San Francisco and never even let his hair grow!

    Matter of fact, I don't remember him really stretching beyond the blues until maybe ten years ago, when he flirted with traditional Mexican music on his Continental Drifter CD (on Virgin).

  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    I'm going through this collection I just got and it's got this.



    This was my regular poker night's official soundtrack. Love this record.

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts


    I don't know who the technically better harp player is, but Paul Butterfield (as a band leader) stretched way beyond the boogie blues that Musselwhite mines.

    That's the one thing that always struck me about Musselwhite. Out of all the white folks from the 1960's blues revival, he may have been the purest. He never went "rock," and when his contemporaries were still under contract to major labels, he was recording for Arhoolie (LONG before all the white blues mob turned up on indies). Hell, here he was playing for the hippies in San Francisco and never even let his hair grow!

    Matter of fact, I don't remember him really stretching beyond the blues until maybe ten years ago, when he flirted with traditional Mexican music on his Continental Drifter CD (on Virgin).

    Interesting point. Musselwhite keeping it real.

    Now I'm gonna be trying to think of others.

    Siegle Schwall? I never listen to those guys so I don't know.

    I'm thinking of second wave guys, more 70s, like Bob Margolin.

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts


    I don't know who the technically better harp player is, but Paul Butterfield (as a band leader) stretched way beyond the boogie blues that Musselwhite mines.

    That's the one thing that always struck me about Musselwhite. Out of all the white folks from the 1960's blues revival, he may have been the purest. He never went "rock," and when his contemporaries were still under contract to major labels, he was recording for Arhoolie (LONG before all the white blues mob turned up on indies). Hell, here he was playing for the hippies in San Francisco and never even let his hair grow!

    Matter of fact, I don't remember him really stretching beyond the blues until maybe ten years ago, when he flirted with traditional Mexican music on his Continental Drifter CD (on Virgin).

    Interesting point. Musselwhite keeping it real.

    Now I'm gonna be trying to think of others.

    Siegle Schwall? I never listen to those guys so I don't know.

    Definitely not. Corky Siegel is a brilliant harmonica player, but Siegel-Schwall always seemed a little too hippy-dippy and corny for me. Even WITH Sam Lay.

    I'm thinking of second wave guys, more 70s, like Bob Margolin.

    I don't even know if he counts, since he played behind Muddy Waters in the seventies and the Legendary Blues Band after that. He didn't really go solo until the late eighties, by which time white musicians were more likely to stick with the blues exclusively.
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