Re: [Harp-L] Charlie Musselwhite

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Charlie changed my life with his recording of "Cristo Redentor" on his album "Tennessee Woman" in 1969.  That was the recording that taught me what it was all about: erasing the distance between the instrument and the heart. I listened to his 1972 LP "Takin' My Time" every day for years.  He has remained a constant inspiration.

In her novel "Queen of the Damned," Anne Rice says that as we grow older, we don't change; we become more like ourselves.  That's Charlie.  And what a beautiful self and unique voice he is.  He has a way of making lines that are unbelievably free, where the notes seem to live in their own space, beyond pitch, beyond style, one of the purest expressions of emotion I've ever heard.

For those who haven't heard him, the live set he played at the Triple Door in Seattle in 1991 is a powerful introduction, featuring one of his greatest bands on a great, great night.  Hearing drummer June Core whack the snare by itself on the breaks in the opening number tells you more about groove than 50 books will ever do.  But that's just one great recording in a career that's full to bursting with great recordings and performances. 

Regards, Richard Hunter