Vanguard Visionaries

by Charlie Musselwhite

Overview

This ten-cut compilation is representative of the earliest recordings by Charlie Musselwhite as a solo act who led his own bands after coming out from under the shadows of his Delta and Chicago mentors. Everything here has been released before and the previous two compilations of his work on Vanguard featured more than half of this material. For reasons of accuracy -- and since the label couldn't see its way clear to tell consumers which albums these tunes came from -- the version of Duke Pearson's "Christo Redemptor," is the original, shorter version from his 1967 debut, Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's Southside Band, not the 11-plus-minute banger from the Tennessee Woman disc with Skip Rose on piano. There isn't a weak cut in the bunch, and Musselwhite recorded for Vanguard for only three years and issued three albums. There are two other compilations of the material form this period that are recommended over this one: The Blues Never Die, released in 1994, and Best of the Vanguard from 2000. Each costs a bit more, but double the tracks. This is great as far as it goes and serves as a cheap introduction, but that's all. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	06/12/2007
Label:	Vanguard
UPC:	0015707314121
Rank:	110968

Tracks

1. I Don't Play, I'll Be Your Man Some Day
2. Juke
3. Christo Redemptor
4. Baby Will You Please Help Me
5. Cha Cha the Blues
6. Strange Land
7. Everything's Gonna Be Alright
8. Blue Feeling Today
9. A Nice Day for Something
10. Cry for Me Baby

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Charlie Musselwhite   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Elmore James   Composer
Charlie Musselwhite   Composer
Georgette Cartwright   Creative Services Director
Vince Hans   Compilation Producer
Willie Dixon   Composer
Amy L. VonHolzhausen   Package Design
Duke Pearson   Composer