Charlie Musselwhite & GA-20: Together Onstage

Musselwhite’s name is synonymous with the Blues, a harmonica virtuoso and esteemed vocalist with a 60-plus year career forged in authenticity and excellence. GA-20 burst onto the scene in 2018, garnering a quick reputation for dynamic live performance, built on a deep respect for the originators and an enduring commitment to carrying the torch forward. Together with BLUES NOW (New West Records), the Grammy award winning Musselwhite and Billboard chart-topping GA-20 shine with a chemistry that blends the spirit of the Blues pioneers with an electrifying modern energy.

BLUES NOW is rooted in the same Chicago Blues Musselwhite helped pioneer back in the ‘60s, but the injection of GA-20’s visceral style and unique instrumentation, make room for wider interpretations, including old-school R&B (“Can’t Hold Out”), Heavy Blues (“Crazy Love”), even spiritual Jazz (“Cristo Redentor”). “I’m always open for keeping things interesting,” adds Musselwhite. It’s a new way to have some fun with the Blues.” “We’re high energy and loud, so people think it’s just rock and roll,” says Stubbs. “That’s fine by me. It doesn’t have to be a history lesson every second, but so many other genres have had revivals—soul, bluegrass, country. We’re doing our best to help start that revival.” In other words, this is not retro Blues. It’s just Blues. Full stop.

GA-20 quickly earned a reputation for their raucous live shows and a fresh take on electric Blues. Under the Karma Chief imprint of Colemine Records, the band released four studio full-lengths and three live releases, all of which debuted at either number 1 or number 2 on the Billboard Blues charts. But even as the band proved itself on the road and in the studio, Stubbs always relished the idea of recording and producing a full record with Musselwhite - not as his backing band, but as a crew of equals, with Musselwhite easing into GA-20 and everybody toggling between lead roles and support. Here Nilsen and Musselwhite take turns on lead vocal throughout, with one prodigious duet on “Big Stars Falling,” a stand-out among many.