Charlie Musselwhite: Continental Drifter

Charlie Musselwhite can play the hell out of the harmonica. Always has and always will. He is not, however, a great singer. Never was and never will be. Still he summons up a charming rough-hewn quality as frontman on Continental Drifter (Pointblank 47130 2; 56:52). Divided into three sections, it features Musselwhite with his juke joint flavored touring band (“No,” “Can’t Stay Away From You,” “Voodoo Garden,” and an instrumental rendition of Barney Kessel’s “Little Star”), in a Delta flavored solo setting (“My Time Someday,” “Blues Up the River,” “Please Remember Me”), and four tracks in collaboration with Cuban friend and colleague Eliades Ochoa and his group Cuarteto Patria. An interesting cross section of material with the blues harp and the human voice as the common link.

Originally Published September 1, 1999