Charlie Musselwhite & Robben Ford

Charlie Musselwhite and Robben Ford, both versatile artists enthralled with the blues, go way back to the early '70s, when harmonica ace Musselwhite hired the young guitarist for his band. That band didn't last long, but the pair have played and recorded together on scattered occasions in the intervening decades. This summer both are touring with their bands, and thanks to considerable tweaking schedules, the Dakota has managed to be the only place to get them onstage together. Each band will do a set followed by some combination. Among the premier contemporary mouth harpists, Musselwhite, initially a guitarist, learned the blues growing up in Mississippi and Memphis, migrated to Chicago where he picked up harp tips from the likes of Little Walter, and wound up in San Francisco. His fierce style, reflective of both country blues and the Chicago electric variety, is full of grainy nuance and texture, as is his distinctive and impressive voice. Musselwhite's blues have gradually expanded to embrace country, jazz, gospel, and Tex-Mex. Ford has also ranged from blues to jazz, playing with everyone from Jimmy Witherspoon and Joni Mitchell to Miles Davis. He was also a founding member of the jazz/R&B/rock Yellowjackets. $45 at 7 p.m.; $30 at 9:30 p.m.
Mondays, Sundays. Starts: July 13. Continues through July 14, 2008