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KF: Well, at that time, it was definitely what I wanted to do. I wanted to play with harmonica
players because I was so involved in learning traditional blues and learning about Chicago
blues and all of those different things and playing with a harmonica player, in my opinion, is
such a great way to dive right into that. Most harmonica players really demand that you play
pretty traditional and really stick to the recordings and that’s really good schooling if you
want to play traditional blues and things. Charlie was a little bit more open to different things
because he had been through all that already, so he was just trying to make music and not so
much concerned about playing things exactly like the record, but he did expect you to have
some familiar, some common ground there.

BiTS: Yes, right. When did you start working
with The Fabulous Thunderbirds?

KF: That was 2004. I had already played with
all the people around LA harmonica players and
traditional blues scene. First, I played with Kim
Wilson in his blues band. Then Charlie
Musselwhite. Then I went and joined The
Fabulous Thunderbirds – a lot of fun.

BiTS: Tell me something about your favourite
musicians around about that time. Do you have

favourites?

KF: Yes, absolutely. I came from playing in
church and R&B and funk and all that kind of
stuff, and blues was really a good thing to kind
of cement a good foundation, so it was great
that I was able to go through that school a little
Kim Wilson bit and some of my favourite musicians around
that time was a lot of Chicago blues musicians –
Eddie Taylor, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rodgers,
Sonny Boy I and II, Tommy Johnson, Johnny
Young, Otis Rush. Obviously, B.B. King. Magic Sam, all of those guys. I was listening to those
guys heavily and Little Walter I liked to try and accompany him behind the harp. That was
definitely what I was listening to at that time.

BiTS: Speaking of B.B. King, there’s a clip on YouTube that I saw of you playing something
which I think is called Lucille, or maybe it’s B.B.’s guitar or something of that kind. Is that just
a made up on the spot thing?

KF: Yes, I think so. More than likely [laughing].

BiTS: Do you remember who the bass player is in that because he’s absolutely terrific?

KF: I’m trying to think which clip exactly it was. Was it for Gibson Guitars?

BiTS: Yes. Yes.
KF: Oh, yes, that was probably Anton Nesbitt, this guy from Nashville. I currently live in

Nashville, and he’s a local bass player here who’s just incredible. He’s worked with Robben
Ford and a lot of different people around and he’s just fantastic and that drummer was
Marcus Finnie and those two are just incredible. Hopefully, I’ll get to play some more with
them, actually.