Best of the Vanguard Years

Charlie Musselwhite | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 22, 2000)
• Original Release Date: February 22, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Vanguard Records
• ASIN: B00004BYZL
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #266,626 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Set of Blues, November 27, 2001

By 

Alex "Harpskier" (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best of the Vanguard Years (Audio CD)

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.

4.0 out of 5 stars If You Like the Blues This is for you..., December 8, 2010

By 

Dickie B (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best of the Vanguard Years (Audio CD)

I had heard Charlie in a few songs and decided to pull this down. If you like the blues and are thinking about your first dive into Musselwhite, go for this. It has some great classics on it. You won't regret any time spent learning more about Charlie!

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine selection of early Musselwhite, September 10, 2006

By 

Pitoucat (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best of the Vanguard Years (Audio CD)

Charlie Musselwhite's superb harmonica blowing is, as ever, a perfect complement to his blues vocalisations. Just two tracks stick out like a sore thumb, and these are the ones with John Hammond - 'Oh Yea!' and 'So Many Roads' - with the latter's Jaggeresque intonations well in evidence. The first five tracks are from Charlie's 1967 album, produced by Sam Charters, and featuring Fred Below on drums, with some dazzling guitar work from Harvey Mandel. Charlie's second album is represented here by three cuts, including a fine reworking of Little Walter's harp classic 'Juke'. 'Tennessee Woman' is the first of six titles from the 1969 LP of the same name, Charlie's last for Vanguard, and one of his very best. Pianist Skip Rose's jazz-flavoured piano helps drive things along splendidly, and the set includes a worthy couple of self-penned numbers by Charlie.

Also to be found here is the excellent track, 'Rockin' My Boogie', from 'Chicago, The Blues Today, Vol.3', featuring Walter Horton, Johnny Shines, and Floyd Jones. The number soon develops into a version of 'St. Louis Blues', providing a superb showcase for Charlie's harp virtuosity. The final three cuts appeared on the 1994 anthology 'The Blues Never Die' and include an undated session captured on a domestic tape-recorder in Shakey Jake's Chicago basement, with Magic Sam on guitar and Lester Dorsey on drums. The sound may be less than perfect, but the music is sublime.