CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE
One Night in America (Telarc Blues)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner

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The uptempo opener on Charlie Musselwhite's Telarc debut, "Trail of Tears," sets the stage for a dozen cuts that capture Charlie Musselwhite in top form. The Ace of Harps continues to be one of America's most talented bluesmen and remains as vital today as when he first recorded Stand Back! Here Comes Charlie Musselwhite's Southside Blues Band in 1966. One Night in America captures many styles of American music, including straightahead blues, traditional country and western, and rock and roll. They all take their place on this disc, just they did when Musselwhite was growing up in Memphis, Tennessee. "Blues Overtook Me" features guitarists Robben Ford and G.E. Smith backed by Michael Jerome on drums and T-Bone Wolk on bass. Marty Stuart flavors "Rank Strangers to Me" with his mandolin, along with Kelly Willis' background vocals, and of course, great harp work from Charlie that sets just the right mood for this soulful song. The band really gets behind the boogie woogie of "One Time One Night," and the way Peter Re's organ and Christine Ohlman's wrap themselves around the song got me right up out of my chair. This takes its title from that Los Lobos song, and it fits.

Track List:

Trail of Tears * Cold Grey Light of Dawn * Blues Overtook Me * In a Town This Size * Walking Alone * Rank Strangers to Me * One Time One Night * In Your Darkest Hour * Big River * Ain't It Time? * I'll Meet You Over There * Ain't That Lovin' You Baby

© 2002 - Eric Steiner