Re: [Harp-L] question about earliest Charlie Musselwhite recordings

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"the_jukester@xxxxxxxx" wrote:
<     In my vinyl collection I have a number of Charlie Musselwhite's early recordings. No recording dates <are given, but the release dates are as follows:
<John Hammond - So Many Roads on Vanguard - 1965 wlMike Bloomfield, Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Jimmy <Lewis, Garth Hudson
<Chicago/The Blues/Today! on Vanguard - 1966 w/Big walter Horton, Johnny Shines, Floyd Jones, Frank Kirkland
<Stand Back on Vanguard - 1967 w/Harvey Mandell, Barry Goldberg, Bob Anderson, Fred Below
<Stone Blues on Vanguard - 1968 w/Eddie Ho, Larry Welker, Tim Kaihatsu, Clay Cotton, Carl Severeid
<Tennessee Woman on Vanguard - 1969 w/Skip Rose, Tim Kaihatsu, Lance Dickerson, Carl Severeid

"Stand Back!" and "Tennessee Woman" both include recordings of "Cristo Redentor."  It's pretty amazing to hear the difference in Charlie's sound and approach that the 2-3 years between Stand Back! and Tennessee Woman made.  By the time he made Tennessee Woman, Charlie was a mature artist with a unique sound and approach. You hear that new take on the harmonica flower on his records "Takin' My Time" and "Goin' Back Down South," both of which (like Tennessee Woman) also include Skip Rose, whose take on blues piano was as unique and original as Charlie's conception on the harmonica. 

I spent hundreds of hours listening to Tennessee Woman and Takin' My Time. Charlie's made great records throughout his career, but those are the ones I listened to (and tried to emulate) every day from my 17th through 22nd years.  It was a great school--not just for playing harmonica, but for thinking differently.

Regards, Richard Hunter
   

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