Among the most celebrated harmonica players in the blues, Charlie Musselwhite rose to fame as part of the blues-rock explosion of the mid- to late '60s. Despite that, while he hasn't been averse to collaborating with rock musicians, his heart has always been firmly rooted in the blues, and his sound is a potent, muscular blend of rootsy Delta blues influences and the harder-edged tone of classic Chicago blues (a fitting blend given his formative years in Memphis and Chicago). Musselwhite is also a performer whose passion is matched by solid technique, and after overcoming an addiction to alcohol in the late '80s, he welcomed the most productive and popular period of his career after more than two decades in the music business.