Event

An Evening with Charlie Musselwhite

Arena Theater presents legendary bluesman Charlie Musselwhite in concert. Charlie Musselwhite is the leading blues-harp player of his generation. Musselwhite's periodic visits to Arena Theater have always been a hit with local blues-lovers, dancers, and fans of the great musicians who came of age in the 1960s. His touring band includes Musselwhite on harp and vocals; lead guitar: Matt Stubbs; bass guitar: Mike Phillips; and drums: June Core.

As one of the "white bluesmen," Musselwhite was reportedly the inspiration for Dan Aykroyd's Blues Brothers. Musselwhite's career took off with the success of his breakthrough Stand Back! album in 1966 on Vanguard Records. He took advantage of the clout this album gave him to move to San Francisco where he was the king of the blues in the countercultural music scene.

Since then, Musselwhite has released over 30 albums, as well as guesting on albums by many other musicians, including Bonnie Raitt, The Blind Boys of Alabama and Tom Waits. In 2002, he was featured on the Bo Diddley tribute album performing the title songÂ "Hey Bo Diddley". He has won fourteen W.C. Handy Awards and six Grammy nominations, as well as Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Monterey Blues Festival. Musselwhite reports the key to his musical success was finding a style where he could express himself. He has said, "I only know one tune, and I play it faster or slower, or I change the key, but it's just the one tune I've ever played in my life. It's all I know."