New album lands May 16 via Forty Below Records
Blues icon Charlie Musselwhite returns with a deeply reflective new single, “Sad Eyes”, released today on all major streaming platforms. The track offers a first glimpse into his upcoming album, Look Out Highway, due out May 16 on Forty Below Records.
Premiered via Glide Magazine, “Sad Eyes” showcases Musselwhite’s unmatched ability to blend Delta, Chicago, and Memphis blues with lyrical honesty and emotional nuance. With its slow-burning groove and tender storytelling, the song adds another timeless chapter to a career spanning six decades.
“Sad Eyes is about a lonely single guy in a club who sees a girl that looks lonely with sad eyes,” Musselwhite told Glide. “It’s not love, but it’s not bad either — just two people finding company when they need it.”
A Living Legend at Full Strength
With over 60 years of touring, 20 albums, 33 Blues Music Awards, and a GRAMMY win, Charlie Musselwhite is widely hailed as one of the greatest blues musicians of his generation. His harmonica playing carries the soul of the Mississippi Delta and the grit of Chicago’s South Side, yet his delivery is as fresh and affecting as ever.
Recorded across two iconic blues locations — Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studio in California and Clarksdale Sound Stage in Mississippi — Look Out Highway features Musselwhite’s longtime touring band, including Matt Stubbs (GA-20), June Core, Randy Bermudes, and Andersen himself.
“We finished a gig at The Iridium in New York City and flew straight to California to record,” Charlie shared. “The band was dialled in from the very first take.”
An Unmistakable Voice in American Blues
Musselwhite’s upcoming album arrives on the heels of his 2022 release Mississippi Son, which earned him another GRAMMY nomination. In recent years, he’s collaborated with a wide range of artists—from Ben Harper and Bonnie Raitt to Eddie Vedder and Cyndi Lauper. In 2023, he even appeared on the big screen in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
“Working with an artist of Charlie’s caliber is an honour,” said Eric Corne, founder of Forty Below Records. “He’s one of the most iconic blues musicians working today, and we look forward to taking his legacy to the next level.”
