Here's Charlie Musselwhite's new one that was released yesterday (May 16th). I haven't given it a "spin" yet, but it's causing quite a stir in the Blues community.
I saw him at some half-baked music festival around Baton Rouge in 1972 or '73 and my young self was mesmerized. I've never really kept up, bit thanks for this.
I had the pleasure of hanging with Charlie and his wife in 1996 in Istanbul. My little brother was his touring guitarist at the time and the band's itinerary coincided with my family's stay in the city—part of an around-the-world trip we were in the midst of. After the festival, Charlie was keen to spend more time in the city and he, his wife and my brother moved from the deluxe festival-provided accommodations to our decidedly downmarket hotel whose rooftop afforded wonderful views of the Bosphorus. It was fascinating chatting with Charlie on that rooftop—he turned out to be erudite in all sorts of ways. We talked a lot about Sufism and Gurdjieff and other mystical stuff. A few days into his stay, Charlie visited an esoteric bookshop where he was given an invitation for all of us to attend a sema—a whirling dervish ceremony—that night. Unlike the touristy dances put on regularly across Istanbul, this ecstatic dance was the real deal, going on until about four in the morning—the performers' intensity conveying powerfully across cultural boundaries. When we exited the Sufi lodge we were at once buzzed and exhausted in a very pleasant way. I'm still indebted to Charlie for having been the nexus for an unforgettable experience and am looking forward to hearing this latest release, Babs.
I saw him at some half-baked music festival around Baton Rouge in 1972 or '73 and my young self was mesmerized. I've never really kept up, bit thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteI had the pleasure of hanging with Charlie and his wife in 1996 in Istanbul. My little brother was his touring guitarist at the time and the band's itinerary coincided with my family's stay in the city—part of an around-the-world trip we were in the midst of. After the festival, Charlie was keen to spend more time in the city and he, his wife and my brother moved from the deluxe festival-provided accommodations to our decidedly downmarket hotel whose rooftop afforded wonderful views of the Bosphorus. It was fascinating chatting with Charlie on that rooftop—he turned out to be erudite in all sorts of ways. We talked a lot about Sufism and Gurdjieff and other mystical stuff. A few days into his stay, Charlie visited an esoteric bookshop where he was given an invitation for all of us to attend a sema—a whirling dervish ceremony—that night. Unlike the touristy dances put on regularly across Istanbul, this ecstatic dance was the real deal, going on until about four in the morning—the performers' intensity conveying powerfully across cultural boundaries. When we exited the Sufi lodge we were at once buzzed and exhausted in a very pleasant way. I'm still indebted to Charlie for having been the nexus for an unforgettable experience and am looking forward to hearing this latest release, Babs.
ReplyDeleteNice story, thanks for sharing, apauling!
DeleteThanks, Babs.
DeleteThank you Babs. I was lucky enough to see him at the Boston Tea Party in 70 or 71.
DeleteThanks Babs, very good album indeed!
DeleteAnd thanks as well to apauling for sharing his great Instabul story.