Alligator

In the title track, Charlie Musselwhite – offering his first-ever full-band recording for which he penned every song – recalls the 1987 event when a Texas toddler found her way to the bottom of a well, where she remained for more than two days until rescuers scooped her out. For blues veteran Musselwhite, the incident provided perspective: he quit drinking and remains sober today. The Well is Musselwhite’s most personal album to date: part autobiography, part confessional – cautionary but never maudlin or condescending. Evoking childhood memories, adult mishaps and folks who’ve come and gone – “Sad and Beautiful World” with Mavis Staples recalls the murder of Musselwhite’s mother five years ago – the harpsman/vocalist keeps his cool while digging deep inside for often painful inspiration.