BLUES LEGENDS ELVIN BISHOP AND CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE

BLUES LEGENDS ELVIN BISHOP AND CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE TO PERFORM LIVE IN TUCSON!

“Bishop’s soulful, fuzzed-up, blues-rooted picking and Musselwhite’s rich, hard-edged smokin’ harp style [are] exquisite. They mine the chemistry and down-home vibe to cook up a blues menu that’s as comfortable as a big ol’ plate of biscuits and gravy.”
–Living Blues

“Two old friends celebrate a century of entwined tradition and innovation. Exquisite harmonica-guitar duets like Muddy Waters and Little Walter, or Johnny Shines and Shakey Horton. Mature, masterly, endlessly rewarding. Four Stars.”
–MOJO

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame guitarist Elvin Bishop and Grammy Award-winning music legend Charlie Musselwhite will perform at the Fox Tucson Theatre in Tucson on Wednesday, September 28, 2022.

The duo’s award-winning Alligator Records release, 100 Years Of Blues, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. The album is front-porch, down-home music with Bishop and Musselwhite trading licks and vocals on 12 rootsy, spirited songs, mixing nine originals with three reimagined classics. Although Bishop and Musselwhite have known each other since the early 1960s and recorded as guests with John Lee Hooker (and other friends), this is the first time that they ever teamed up to make a full record. According to Musselwhite, “This is us sitting down to play the music that we love and resonating together effortlessly because we’re ‘coming from the same place.’ Musically it’s like fallin’ off a log. It’s so easy and it just makes sense.” On June 3, 2022, Charlie Musselwhite released his new Alligator Records album, Mississippi Son.

Concert information is as follows:

Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Venue: Fox Tucson Theatre
Address: 17 W. Congress St.
City: Tucson, AZ
Phone: 520-547-3040
Showtime: 7:30pm
Ticket price: $32.50-$62.50
Website: www.foxtucson.com
*See website for complete performance information

The idea for the album was sparked in 2017 when the two icons laid down the original version of the song 100 Years Of Blues for Bishop’s Big Fun Trio album. They realized that, with their soul-deep understanding of the blues, they had a special musical chemistry between them. In 2019, Bishop and Musselwhite played a series of stripped-down shows – along with their mutual friend, master pianist/guitarist Bob Welsh – swapping songs and telling stories. The audiences went wild, and Elvin and Charlie had so much fun they knew they had to capture the magic in the studio.

100 Years Of Blues is blues at its deepest, warmest and most engaging. “It all fell together so quickly and easily,” says Bishop. “We each brought about half the songs and recorded them all in one or two takes.” As for his cohorts, Bishop says, “Charlie is the real deal. He didn’t learn his licks off of records; he lived them. He’s always himself. And Bob Welsh is so versatile on guitar and piano. When you play with people who are real good, it ups your game too. I just did the best job I could.” Of Bishop, Musselwhite says, “Elvin is always a joy to play music with. We see things pretty much the same. Musically it’s like fallin’ off a log. It’s so easy and it just makes sense.”

The album was recorded at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studios and Bishop’s Hog Heaven Studios in northern California. It was produced by Andersen and co-produced by Bishop, Musselwhite and Welsh. The laid-back, spontaneous nature of 100 Years Of Blues highlights the heartfelt passion of each performance. The richly detailed, autobiographical title track (freshly recorded for this album) tells Elvin’s and Charlie’s tales with sly good humor, recalling specific times and locations in their amazingly colorful lives. The potent What The Hell? finds Bishop taking on current events, winking an eye while speaking truth to power. Throughout the album, the interplay of guitar, vocals, harmonica and piano is virtually telepathic.

Bishop and Musselwhite have continued touring with their own bands and creating critically acclaimed, award-winning music. Their stories – rich as they already are – are still being written, and this album is a new chapter. Their subtle, soulful musicianship and relaxed, conversational vocals fuel every song. Infused with their deep understanding of the blues tradition mixed with the good-time spirit these two old pals stir up, 100 Years Of Blues is one of the finest, most memorable recordings of either artist’s career.