Search - Charlie Musselwhite :: Best of the Vanguard Years

A Solid Set of Blues

Alex | Colorado | 11/28/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Without question, Charlie Musselwhite is one of the finest harpists working the blues scene today. Certainly, he is one of the most versitle, able to play over a wide variety of styles, as some of his newer albums demonstrate. This disc goes back to Musselwhite's days with Vanguard, some of his finest work ever, for an extended look at his early recordings.The first five songs of the set are from his first record, Stand Back. I would rate these as my favorite songs of the disc. The band is just plain tighter and Charlie's song selection is better than anywhere else on the album. Particularly memorable is his rendition of "Christo Redemptor," an interesting jazz number where Charlie plays some of his most creative harmonica.The tracks that follow come from several of Charlie's less well known records, but they still hold up very well in the set. Two Little Walter covers, "Juke" and "Gone and Left Me" are nice. Tracks 9-14, taken from Tennesse Woman, are also very strong, albiet not quite as good as the tracks from Stand Back. "Rockin'My Boogie" is also outstanding, though it's more a Big Walter feature. "O Yea!" is an okay tune from a session with John Hammond, "So Many Roads, Soi Many Trains" is a much better tune from the same session. "Too Hot To Touch" provides a nice does of funk.If I fault this album any, it is for the last two tracks, which feature horrible sound quality, and for using the Stand Back version of "Christo Redemptor" rather than the Tennesse Woman version. Still, this disc provides a very ample helping of Musselwhite's blues and is overall one I'd reccomend."