Harping On: Charlie Musselwhite

How did you first start playing the harmonica?
I DON’T REALLY REMEMBER A SPECIFIC TIME. IT SEEMS THAT THERE WERE ALWAYS HARPS AROUND. MY DAD HAD PLAYED AND I COULD HAVE HIS OLD ONES. AS A LITTLE KID I LIKED TO GO OUT IN THE WOODS AND JUST MAKE UP STUFF - JUST LITTLE KID STUFF. LATER WHEN I GOT INTERESTED IN BLUES I'D STILL HEAD FOR THE WOODS TO BE ALONE AND PLAY AND JUST MAKE UP MY OWN BLUES. I THOUGHT THAT WAS WHAT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO - MAKE UP YOUR OWN BLUES.

What is your harp of choice and why?
FOR ME, THE BEST COMMERCIAL HARMONICA MADE TODAY IS THE SEYDEL. I LIKE ALL THE MODELS, BUT THE ONE I LIKE THE BEST IS THE 1847 SILVER. OF COURSE, JOE FILISKO HARMONICAS ARE IN A CLASS BY THEMSELVES, BUT THAT IS A CUSTOM HARMONICA.

What would you say are the most important techniques to practice?
FINDING YOUR TONE.

What about the harmonica do you love most?
IT IS SO VOICE LIKE. FOR IT'S LIKE SINGING THE BLUES WITHOUT WORDS.

Are you often approached by fans?
SURE AND I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO MEET THEM.

Your control over the harmonica is legendary. How did you develop that?
I DON'T KNOW. I JUST ALWAYS WORKED AT PLAYING WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYBODY, BUT IF YOU CAN PLEASE YOURSELF THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME PEOPLE THAT WILL LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

Many of your fans are very fond of your Christo Redemptor. What can you tell us about that song?
I FIRST HEARD IT IN CHICAGO. THE FIRST TIME I HEARD IT I KNEW IT WOULD BE PERFECT FOR HARMONICA. I RECORDED IT FOR MY FIRST ALBUM. SEVERAL TIMES I'VE TRIED TO STOP PLAYING IT BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID OF BORING PEOPLE WITH IT. I WOULD BE AFRAID THEY WOULD BE OUT THERE THINKING, "ENOUGH", OR "OH, NO, NOT THAT TUNE AGAIN", BUT PEOPLE KEEP REQUESTING IT AND INSISTING THAT I PLAY IT. I'M SURE THERE'S SOME PEOLE THAT ARE TIRED OF IT BUT AS LONG AS PEOPLE KEEP ASKING FOR IT I'LL KEEP PLAYING IT FOR THEM. I NEVER GET TIRED OF IT BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON, SOMEHOW, IT ALWAYS SEEMS A LITTLE DIFFERENT EACH TIME I PLAY IT. THE TUNE ITSELF SEEMS TO LEAD ME WHERE IT WANTS TO GO.

In your musical career, what has been your proudest moment?
QUITTING DRINKING. HA HA. I DON'T REALLY HAVE A SINGLE ONE PROUD MOMENT. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY AND I HOPE THERE'LL BE PLENTY MORE. IT HAS BEEN QUITE AN ADVENTURE.

Which harmonica players do you admire most, living or dead?
OH, ALL OF THEM. I THINK EVERYBODY HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER. I ALWAYS FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE NAMING NAMES BECAUSE I KNOW I'M GOING TO FORGET SOMEBODY THAT I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO NAME. FOR THIS TIME, I WON'T NAME ALL THE OBVIOUS ONES THAT EVERYBODY LOVES LIKE THE WALTERS AND THE SONNYBOYS, ETC. SOME OF THE MORE OBSCURE ONES WOULD BE RHYTHM WILLIE, WILL SHADE, JAZZ GILLUM, LITTLE WILLIE FOSTER, JOHN WRENCHER, BULLET WILLIAMS, PAPA LIGHTFOOT, NOAH LEWIS AND PALMER MCABEE. LATER AND PRESENT DAY WOULD BE WILLIAM CLARKE, JAMES COTTON, KIM WILSON, MARK HUMMEL, CURTIS SALGADO, ROBERT BONFIGLIO, HOWARD LEVY, RICK ESTRIN, OH, I HAVE A LONG LONG LIST THAT WON'T FIT ON THIS PAGE. I KNOW I'M FORGETTING A WHOLE BUNCH OF REALLY GREAT HARP PLAYERS. AND I HOPE IF THEY DON'T SEE THEIR NAMES HERE THEY'LL FORGIVE ME. TWO MORE: PETE PEDERSEN AND STAN HARPER. AND LOTS AND LOTS MORE.

Last words to members of HOOT?
"I-IV-V"!!! SERIOUSLY: ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR HEART.