[Harp-L] Charlie Musselwhite - Hot Tuna Performance

[av1901@xxxxxxx]

My wonderful wife bought tickets and took me to a great show here last night in my home town. It was billed as Hot Tuna Blues and included Charlie Musselwhite on the bill! Guitar player GE Smith (former Saturday Night Live TV band leader) sat in. Charlie played some great accoustic blues and the after intermission cut loose with some razor sharp Chicago blues. I can't really describe it too well, but Charlie has a tone and a lyrical style all his own. Great 3rd position playing (Christo Rendentor) and the guy just looks, at 67 years old, like the blues - healthier than I remember him 30 or even 40 years ago. He played through a Sonny Junior Cruncher which sounded just right in the accoustically great Grand Opera House. I hear he plays Seydel harps now.

Jorma Koukkenan and Jack Cassidy (guitar and bass for Jeffereson Airplane and later Hot Tuna) played great stuff as well. Initially I had my doubts when I saw GE Smith, but he talked his way into a JB Hutto song by talking about how imprtant the 3 record album "Chicago -The Blues Today!" was to him as a youngster. That's a favorite of mine as well...... He played great Telecaster guitar. 

I even saw something I may try to talk my guitar player into - the guitar amps were mic'ed but a plexiglass shield just a little bit larger than each amp was placed @ a foot in front each amp as, I guess, a sound baffle. 

If you get a chance, this tour continues - go give it a listen. 

Andy Vincent