Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite - Get Up (2013) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Ben Harper has teamed up with celebrated Blues legend Charlie Musselwhite for his Stax Records debut. "Get Up!" is a piercing song-cycle of struggle and heart. This striking mix of blues, gospel and R&B features ten vivid pieces, skillfully rendered in cinematic detail, all written or co-written by Harper. This album is one of the most exciting releases of 2013. Standouts include “Don’t Look Twice,” “I Ride At Dawn” and “I'm In I'm Out And I'm Gone.” Musselwhite’s searing harmonica accentuates Harper’s mesmerizing vocals, creating a thrilling listen from start to finish. Harper and Musselwhite are also joined by Jason Mozersky (guitar), Jesse Ingalls (bass) and Jordan Richardson (drums), who perform with scintillating precision.

This musical hookup between these two experienced roots artists who have more in common than it seems at first glance, is a natural evolution for both. Ben Harper seemed like an old soul, even when he began his career, dipping into classic R&B, gospel, and blues but spinning them through his dark, folk-funk persona. His work with the Blind Boys of Alabama showed him to be welcomed by veteran artists who clearly felt he was a kindred spirit. Harpist/guitarist Charlie Musselwhite's extensive résumé typically moved him past the often limiting structure of the Chicago blues where he first made his presence felt, to Tex-Mex, Cuban, Americana, swamp rock, country, and even jazz. The two connected on a 1997 John Lee Hooker session and have worked together intermittently since, both live and in the studio. This outing, tellingly released on the Concord/Stax imprint, strips the sound down, occasionally to just acoustic guitar and harp as on the opening of "Don't Think Twice," and the closing deep Delta blues "All That Matters Now," reworked into "It Hurts Me Too." But the duo also plug in for tough, rugged blues and blues-rock as on the heart thumping "I'm in I'm Out and I'm Gone," a twist on David Bowie's "The Jene Genie" riff that itself was nabbed from the Chicago blues catalog. Even with Musselwhite's substantial involvement, this is Harper's show as he produces, sings every song, and seems to be leading the music's direction with the harmonica player urging him on and adding to the already deep groove. They dip into harder rocking territory for the charging "I Don't Believe a Word You Say" with Musselwhite pulling out his Little Walter influences with electrified blowing. The skeletal, ghostly, repeated riff of the deadly gunslinger "I Ride at Dawn" is a stark reminder of how less is more as Harper's slide enhances the dangerous elements reflected in the song's ominous lyrics. The six-minute title track – the disc's longest cut – is classic Harper, marrying a funky bassline with the declaration expressed in the song's title as Musselwhite takes a few licks from Paul Butterfield to edge the track into a laid-back red zone where the singer typically thrives. But the twosome have some fun, too, in particular on the spirited, easygoing, sexed-up blues "She Got Kick," one of the few instances where harmonica is not an integral component of the mix. Ultimately, Get Up! earns its titular exclamation point as a successful combination of two talented veterans feeding off each other's dusky, creative spirit.

Tracklist:

01 - Don't Look Twice
02 - I'm In I'm Out And I'm Gone
03 - We Can't End This Way
04 - I Don't Believe A Word You Say
05 - You Found Another Lover (I Lost Another Friend)
06 - I Ride At Dawn
07 - Blood Side Out
08 - Get Up!
09 - She Got Kick
10 - All That Matters Now

Produced by Ben Harper.
Recorded and Mixed by Sheldon Gomberg at The Carriage House, Los Angeles, CA.
Mastered by Gavin Lurssen at Lurssen Mastering, Los Angeles, CA.

Musicians:
Ben Harper - vocals, guitar, slide guitar
Charlie Musselwhite - harmonica
Jason Mozersky - guitar
Jesse Ingalls - bass, keyboards
Jordan Richardson - drums


Thanks to the Original customer!