Charlie Musselwhite and GA-20 to release “Blues Now”
GA-20 and Charlie Musselwhite will release their collaborative album BLUES NOW on July 31, 2026 via New West Records. The 10-track album was produced by GA-20’s Matthew Stubbs and recorded at Rare Signals in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The project pairs GA-20, one of the leading young blues trios on the scene, with veteran harmonica player and vocalist Charlie Musselwhite. GA-20 has built a strong following since forming in 2018, with four studio albums reaching No. 1 or No. 2 on the Billboard Blues chart. Musselwhite brings more than six decades of experience to the collaboration.
The first single from the album, “Crazy Love,” has also been released. The song was written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Buddy Guy.
GA-20’s Matthew Stubbs said, “This song has all of the elements we look for: the attitude, Chicago blues-based, with a soul/garage approach. Buddy Guy is a favorite, and this tune is not one easily found. It’s a hidden Buddy Guy gem.”
According to the band, the material for the album was chosen in part because of Musselwhite’s personal connections to many of the artists represented.
Stubbs said, “We tried to find songs that Charlie had a connection to or artists that he knew personally from Chicago, but also just songs that we liked and thought we could do justice.”
He added, “The GA-20 sound historically has been in that ballpark of raw Chicago Blues from the late ’50s and early ’60s, but we didn’t want to simply re-create Stand Back!, we just wanted to be influenced by it. We wanted to capture the spirit of that record.”
Musselwhite said of the recording sessions, “We’re so good we have to make mistakes on purpose. Everything went smoothly. Making this album was as easy as falling off a log.”
BLUES NOW will be available digitally, on CD and vinyl. Limited color vinyl editions will also be offered through select retailers and directly through the band.
TRACK LISTING
- Crazy Love
- I Can’t Hold Out
- I’ll Change My Style
- Big Stars Falling
- Universal Rock
- The Blues Never Die
- Strange Land
- Stroll Out West
- Short Dress Woman
- Cristo Redentor
TOUR DATES
May 01 – The Town and The City Festival – Lowell, MA
May 22 – Mauch Chunk Opera House – Jim Thorpe, PA
May 24 – Ocean Mist – Matunuck, RI
June 10 – Warner Vineyards – Paw Paw, MI*
June 11 – Ludlow Garage – Cincinnati, OH*
June 12 – Kent Stage – Kent, OH*
June 13 – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille – Warrendale, PA*
June 16 – The Warehouse – Fairfield, CT*
June 17 – Newton Theatre – Newton, NJ*
June 18 – Blue Ocean Music Hall – Salisbury, MA*
June 19 – Landsdowne Theatre – Landsdowne, PA*
June 21 – Live Oak Music Festival – San Luis Obispo, CA^
June 27 – Eldorado Music Festival – Vancé, FR
July 03 – Blues Cazorla – Cazorla, ES
July 04 – Rockin’Fest – Madrid, ES
July 10 – Åmåls Bluesfest – Åmål, SE
July 11 – SALT – Oslo, NO
August 14 – Homer Center for the Arts – Homer, NY*
August 15 – Songs At Mirror Lake – Lake Placid, NY*
August 20 – Big Top Chautauqua – Bayfield, WI*
August 22 – Chenango Blues Festival – Norwich, NY^
August 23 – Dakota – Minneapolis, MN*
August 25 – Redstone Room – Davenport, IA*
August 26 – Castle Theatre – Bloomington, IL*
August 27 – The Acorn – Three Oaks, MI*
August 28 – Sharon Wilson Center – Brookfield, WI*
August 30 – Mercury Ballroom – Louisville, KY*
September 19 – Telluride Blues & Brews Festival – Telluride, CO^
September 24 – Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club – Portsmouth, NH^
September 26 – Narrows Center for the Arts – Fall River, MA^
September 30 – Jazz Dock – Prague, CZ
October 02 – Blues Heaven Festival – Frederikshavn, DK
October 03 – Rampelys – Silkeborg, DK
October 06 – Kulturkvarteret – Kristianstad, SE
October 07 – Medley – Malmö, SE
October 08 – Sundbyberg – Stockholm, SE
October 09 – Hunker Junker – Söderhamn, SE
October 10 – Roda Kvarn – Ljusdal, SE
October 11 – House of Blues – Borlänge, SE
October 14 – G Livelab – Tampere, FI
October 15 – G Livelab – Helsinki, FI
October 16 – Apollo – Turku, FI
October 17 – Elojazz Klubi – Oulu, FI
January 31, 2027 – Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise – Fort Lauderdale, FL^
^ Charlie Musselwhite & GA-20 Together Onstage
- Supporting Devon Allman
