Get Up!

by Charlie Musselwhite, Ben Harper

Overview

This musical hookup between these two experienced roots artists who have more in common than it seems at first glance, is a natural evolution for both. Ben Harper seemed like an old soul, even when he began his career, dipping into classic R&B, gospel, and blues but spinning them through his dark, folk-funk persona. His work with the Blind Boys of Alabama showed him to be welcomed by veteran artists who clearly felt he was a kindred spirit. Harpist/guitarist Charlie Musselwhite's extensive resume typically moved him past the often limiting structure of the Chicago blues where he first made his presence felt, to Tex-Mex, Cuban, Americana, swamp rock, country, and even jazz. The two connected on a 1997 John Lee Hooker session and have worked together intermittently since, both live and in the studio. This outing, tellingly released on the Concord/Stax imprint, strips the sound down, occasionally to just acoustic guitar and harp as on the opening of "Don't Think Twice," and the closing deep Delta blues "All That Matters Now," reworked into "It Hurts Me Too." But the duo also plug in for tough, rugged blues and blues-rock as on the heart thumping "I'm in I'm Out and I'm Gone," a twist on David Bowie's "The Jene Genie" riff that itself was nabbed from the Chicago blues catalog. Even with Musselwhite's substantial involvement, this is Harper's show as he produces, sings every song, and seems to be leading the music's direction with the harmonica player urging him on and adding to the already deep groove. They dip into harder rocking territory for the charging "I Don't Believe a Word You Say" with Musselwhite pulling out his Little Walter influences with electrified blowing. The skeletal, ghostly, repeated riff of the deadly gunslinger "I Ride at Dawn" is a stark reminder of how less is more as Harper's slide enhances the dangerous elements reflected in the song's ominous lyrics. The six-minute title track -- the disc's longest cut -- is classic Harper, marrying a funky bassline with the declaration expressed in the song's title as Musselwhite takes a few licks from Paul Butterfield to edge the track into a laid-back red zone where the singer typically thrives. But the twosome have some fun, too, in particular on the spirited, easygoing, sexed-up blues "She Got Kick," one of the few instances where harmonica is not an integral component of the mix. Ultimately, Get Up! earns its titular exclamation point as a successful combination of two talented veterans feeding off each other's dusky, creative spirit. ~ Hal Horowitz

Product Details

Release Date:	01/29/2013
Label:	Stax
UPC:	0888072338746

Tracks

1. Don't Look Twice
2. I'm In, I'm Out, I'm Gone
3. We Can't End This Way
4. I Don't Believe a Word You Say
5. You Found Another Lover (I Lost Another Friend)
6. I Ride at Dawn
7. Blood Side Out
8. Get Up!
9. She Got Kick
10. All That Matters Now

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ben Harper   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Slide Guitar
Charlie Musselwhite   Primary Artist,Harmonica,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
C.C. White   Vocals (Background)
Marti Walker   Vocals (Background)
Danny Clinch   Director
Jesse Ingalls   Bass,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass)
Jordan Richardson   Drums
Jason Mozersky   Guitar
Pebbles Phillips   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Jim Watts   Mixing,Engineer,Recording,Mixing Engineer
Danny Clinch   Photography,Camera Operator
Jesse Ingalls   Composer,Producer
Bill Mims   Engineer
Jordan Richardson   Producer
Chris Goldsmith   Producer
Ben Harper   Composer,Producer,Recording Producer
Erich Talaba   Engineer
Jason Mozersky   Composer,Producer
Will Botwin   Management
Larissa Collins   Art Direction
Tom Dolan   Design
Jason Grossman   Engineer
Lindsay Brown   Management
Gary Ashley   Camera Operator
Coran Capshaw   Management
Patrick Jordan   Management
Taryn Gould   Editing
Kevin Faulkner   Photo Assistance
Josh Haycraft   Location Sound
Virginie Drouot   Production Coordination
Todd Heater   Photography Director
Christine Kane   Management
Jimmy Hole   Package Design
Sheldon Gomberg   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Recording,Mixing Engineer
Gavin Lurssen   Mastering,Mastering Engineer