Charlie Musselwhite Stand Back! Here

Vanguard may have spelled his name wrong (he prefers Charlie or Charles), but the word was out as soon as this solo debut was released: here was a harpist every bit as authentic, as emotional, and in some ways as adventuresome, as Paul Butterfield. Similarly leading a Chicago band with a veteran black rhythm section (Fred Below on drums, Bob Anderson on bass) and rock-influenced soloists (keyboardist Barry Goldberg, guitarist Harvey Mandel), Musselwhite played with a depth that belied his age - only 22 when this was cut! His gruff vocals were considerably more affected than they would become later (clearer, more relaxed), but his renditions of "Help Me," "Early in the Morning," and his own "Strange Land" stand the test of time…

"I Ain't Lyin'…" is all Charlie - original tunes penned by this Grammy winning master that resonate with the South itself - rising from the Mississippi, crossing the levy, dancing through the streets and cutting to the heart of all that matters. Charlie Musselwhite’s journey through the blues was literal from his birth in Mississippi to Memphis, Chicago and California. Arriving in Chicago in the early sixties, he was just in time for the epochal blues revival. In 1966 at the age of 22 he recorded the landmark Stand Back! Here Comes Charlie Musselwhite’s Southside Band to rave reviews. A precipitous relocation to San Francisco in 1967, where his album was being played on underground radio, found him welcomed into the counterculture scene around the Fillmore West as an authentic purveyor of the real deal blues.

Among the most celebrated harmonica players in the blues, Charlie Musselwhite rose to fame as part of the blues-rock explosion of the mid- to late '60s. Despite that, while he hasn't been averse to collaborating with rock musicians, his heart has always been firmly rooted in the blues, and his sound is a potent, muscular blend of rootsy Delta blues influences and the harder-edged tone of classic Chicago blues (a fitting blend given his formative years in Memphis and Chicago). Musselwhite is also a performer whose passion is matched by solid technique, and after overcoming an addiction to alcohol in the late '80s, he welcomed the most productive and popular period of his career after more than two decades in the music business.

Harpdog Brown takes Chicago Blues down to New Orleans for a party and the result is a unique and vibrant new sound. Harpdog Brown has earned a solid reputation as a real-deal purveyor of classic electric blues. These days he’s been touring with his Uptown Blues Band. It’s piano driven and often features slide trombone, sax and clarinet. Still a vintage vibe, just a different vintage!