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Review: Bishop, Musselwhite pair up for vigorous blues fest

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Review: Bishop, Musselwhite pair up for vigorous blues fest

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Review: Bishop, Musselwhite pair up for vigorous blues fest

This cover image released by Alligator Records shows “100 Years of Blues” by Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite.




Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite, “100 Years of Blues” (Alligator Records)

Two Southern boys who both hit the big time in 1960s Chicago — Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite — have over a century of blues experience between them.

Their first album together, “100 Years of Blues,” plays on that longevity but neither Oklahoma guitar ace Bishop, nor Tennessee harmonica legend Musselwhite sound ready for retirement just yet.

With mighty fine support from Bob Welsh on guitar and piano and album producer Kid Andersen on upright bass, the duo revs up one fabulous tune after another, trading licks and showing off an easy chemistry based on their common musical roots.

Opener “Birds of a Feather” celebrates the blues’ power to join people in celebration and, like most of the songs, was written by one or both of the men.

Two exceptions are Leroy Carr’s mournful and heartbroken “Midnight Hour Blues” and the desperate but dignified “Help Me,” from Willie Dixon and Sonny Boy Williamson II.

“What the Hell?” despairs about the country’s great divides — “Why can’t we halfway get along?” — while “Old School” champions life without, among other things, social media or tattoos. It could be the album’s motto, too.

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