GA-20 and Charlie Musselwhite Announce BLUES NOW

Photo: Courtesy of New West Records

GA-20 with Charlie Musselwhite will release BLUES NOW on July 31, 2026, via New West Records. The 10-track set was produced by the band’s Matthew Stubbs and recorded at Rare Signals in Cambridge, MA.

BLUES NOW unites GA-20, one of today’s most celebrated young blues trios, and Charlie Musselwhite, a legendary statesman of the genre. Musselwhite’s name is synonymous with the blues, a harmonica virtuoso and esteemed vocalist with a 60-plus-year career forged in authenticity and excellence. GA-20 burst onto the scene in 2018, garnering a quick reputation for their dynamic live shows, built on a deep respect for the originators and an enduring commitment to carrying the torch forward.

Under the Karma Chief imprint of Colemine Records, the band released four studio albums, all of which debuted at either number 1 or number 2 on the Billboard Blues charts. Together with the Grammy Award-winning Musselwhite, they shine with a chemistry that blends the spirit of the blues pioneers with an electrifying modern energy.

BLUES NOW is rooted in the same Chicago blues Musselwhite helped pioneer back in the ’60s, but the injection of GA-20’s visceral style and unique instrumentation makes room for wider interpretations. Here, GA-20 and Musselwhite are a crew of equals, with Musselwhite easing into GA-20 and everybody toggling between lead roles and support. The collaboration has been a long time coming, and at the heart of it, most inherently, is the shared love of blues. Not retro blues. Just blues. Full stop.

Today, Magnet Magazine premiered the album standout, “I Can’t Hold Out.” Matthew Stubbs says, “This tune embodies Chicago blues and features the harmonica like no other. It’s a perfect vehicle to showcase Charlie Musselwhite’s legendary abilities and pay homage to one of slide guitar’s founding fathers, Elmore James.”

Relix Magazine previously shared the album’s first single and lead-off track, “Crazy Love,” as well. Penned by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Buddy Guy, 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.”

In early 2025, GA-20 booked six days of studio time and started gathering some of their favorite songs by Elmore James, Junior Wells, Eddie Taylor, and more. Also included were two favorites from Musselwhite’s lauded 1968 debut, Stand Back!

Stubbs says, “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.”

Adding, “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.”

The band and Musselwhite recorded live and worked quickly. They wanted the energy and humanity of living, breathing musicians playing together, but they also wanted the imperfections of the moment. Musselwhite says with a glint in his eye, “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.”

The terrific BLUES NOW lives up to its name, letting the music speak as strongly in 2026 as it did in 1968. It embodies a living, musical conversation that spans generations. It is an ongoing dialogue and testament to the enduring spirit of the genre and reaffirms its timeless appeal. It reminds us that the blues is a living, breathing art form.

It’s also a hell of a good time.

BLUES NOW will be available across digital platforms, compact disc, and standard black vinyl. A very limited Teal Marble vinyl edition will be available from Plaid Room Records and Seasick Records, while a limited Green Splatter vinyl edition will be available exclusively from the band.

A limited Red Marble vinyl edition, including an autographed insert by GA-20 and Charlie Musselwhite, will be available via independent retailers and is also available for pre-order now via New West Records.

BLUES NOW TRACK LISTING

1. Crazy Love
2. I Can’t Hold Out
3. I’ll Change My Style
4. Big Stars Falling
5. Universal Rock
6. The Blues Never Die
7. Strange Land
8. Stroll Out West
9. Short Dress Woman
10. Cristo Redentor

GA-20 ON TOUR

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 — Lansdowne Theatre — Lansdowne, PA *
June 21 — Live Oak Music Festival — San Luis Obispo, CA ^
June 27 — Eldorado Music Festival — Vancé, FR

July 3 — Blues Cazorla — Cazorla, ES
July 4 — 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 2 — Blues Heaven Festival — Frederikshavn, DK
October 3 — Rampelys — Silkeborg, DK
October 6 — Kulturkvarteret — Kristianstad, SE
October 7 — Medley — Malmö, SE
October 8 — Sundbyberg — Stockholm, SE
October 9 — 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
October 20 — Brudenell Social Club — Leeds, UK
October 21 — Cabaret Voltaire — Edinburgh, UK
October 22 — St. Mary’s A Creative Space — Chester, UK
October 23 — Colours — London, UK
October 24 — The Old Brewery Store — Faversham, UK

January 31, 2027 – February 7, 2027 — Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise — Fort Lauderdale, FL ^

^ Charlie Musselwhite & GA-20 Together Onstage
* Supporting Devon Allman