After last night’s stellar performance at the Riviera, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite stopped by our radio station for some music and conversation with Terri Hemmert. The duo’s new album, Get Up! has received widespread attention and fame from both Blues lovers and non-blues lovers alike. Before the duo played a couple of songs, they discussed Get Up!, their musicianship, and music education.

The two first met in ’94 at a John Lee Hooker performance, “Ben was opening for John and I was playing with John, and then our paths kept crossing after”, said Musselwhite. Soon after, the two started working with one another, and were able to develop that unique musicianship that can be heard throughout their music. “The idea was to find enough time, when we both were off at the same time to be able to do a whole album, that was the trick, but finally it happened.” The album features ten soulful, blues tunes that give you that real southern feel.

The duo performed “You Found Another Lover (I Lost Another Friend)” and “Don’t Look Twice” with Harper on vocals and guitar and Musselwhite on the harmonica. The performances were filled with soul and emotion, which helped set the tone for the intimate setting. Both Harper and Musselwhite discussed various music programs that are designed to help children. “My family has a music store too and we do a lot of musical outreach and musical tours for kids”, said Harper.

Harper also talked about LIFT, a Chicago organization that “pulls people off the edge of the poverty line, brings them back and helps reconstitute with a more stable way of life”, said Harper. Find more information about LIFT here.

Stream the full performance and interview in the player below:

If you haven’t already done so be sure to purchase a copy of Get Up! here.

You can also take a look at the duo’s documentary on Palladia, listen to some free downloads and watch a behind-the-scenes look at the album.

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