music clip of the day

old school

Charlie Musselwhite (1944-; vocals, harmonica) with Big Walter Horton (1918-1981; vocals, harmonica), live, Chicago, 1981

Charlie’s playing is wonderful: it both swings and sings. And he’s got great presence. But listen to Walter, whom I had the chance to work with in the ’70s when I was with Alligator Records. He’s not onstage long; this was only months before his death. But there are moments, when Walter’s playing, where time seems to stop (16:11, 18:03, 18:22, 19:57, etc.).

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lagniappe

reading table

You can fall a long way in sunlight.
You can fall a long way in the rain.

The ones who don’t take the old white horse
take the morning train.

—Robert Hass (1941-), “August Notebook: A Death” (excerpt)