The Well

Product Description

Charlie Musselwhite returns with The Well. With musical flavors from Mississippi to Memphis to Chicago, The Well is steeped in the music of Charlie's youth -- country and city blues as well as rockabilly and gospel -- the music that inspired his signature sound. The fresh, new songs speak from his decades of experience, hard living, and his triumph over adversity.

The Well is the first full-band recording in Musselwhite's long career for which he wrote or co-wrote every track on the album, and it is the most personal and the emotionally deepest cycle of songs he has ever created. The revealing, autobiographical songs recall specific events and places in Musselwhite's amazingly colorful life. His conversational vocals and masterful harmonica work are perfectly matched with the stories he tells and the near-telepathic musicianship behind him. Simply put, The Well is Charlie Musselwhite at his very best.

Central to the album are stories looking back at hard times and personal healing. "Dig The Pain" recalls his drinking days, while "The Well" tells of his recovery. In "Cook County Blues," he wryly remembers his short stint behind bars. The most poignant song on the album, "Sad And Beautiful World" -- a duet with Charlie's close friend, legendary vocalist Mavis Staples -- is his response to the tragic murder of his 93-year-old mother in her own home (and the house Charlie grew up in) during a burglary. Each track on The Well is a chapter from Charlie's life, and in the liner notes to the CD he offers some very personal insights into the meaning behind the songs.