MUSINGS & RAMBLINGS

We got there just before downbeat and the place was packed!
Standing room only and we made our way up front to say Hi to Lucretia and other blues buds and she had saved us seats!
She is such a sweetie.
I was in heaven. She sat me down right smack in front Chris Cain's amp!!
I have to say that with each time I see Cain -LIVE- I have a bigger appreciation of his playing.
Yes, he is fast and plays a million notes a minute but it's clean!
Clear, precise, and grounded in the blues, he doesn't go too far out there.

His Cds are alright but to see and hear him live is a must!!
I say 'see' because some of the fun is watching him really put himself into his playing. There's a few players that literally express their playing thru their bodies and he's one of them. Mostly his head. He just bounces that thing around up & down, back & forth, all around, and it's all in sync with his playing.
I liked it when his hair was longer a few years back and his curls just bounced all over the place.
But his real talent is in his playing and singing. Amazing guitarist and I will not wait so long to go see him again.

Up next was Joe Louis Walker!!
I was really anxious to hear him again.
Just saw him at the the Mystic a couple months back and it was so great to hear he's back!!
Since his return from living in Paris, the old Joe is back.
His playing was the old Joe from years ago when I first saw him and he ripped!
I must say, and I've probably said it before, but right before he left, his playing was not so great. I'm not sure what was going on but to put it bluntly, I wasn't going to see him no more because it just wasn't what it used to be. But now he's back.

The guy to me is one of the best up there belting out those gospel drenched vocals and steppin' up on that guitar playing and making it JOE'S show.
A real blues veteran professional feel to his shows with those long but not drawn out guitar solos that build up and get more intense with each go around that have you crawlin' on the floor begging for more and begging him stop at the same time because you just can't take no more!

He introduced a song he wrote about a "New Direction" he said he found while living in Paris until he came back here and found his "old direction".
I just hope it's a good "old direction" because I really like this new direction he's a headin'.
Yep, Joe Louis Walker is back and it's great to see.
For purely selfish reasons of course ;-)

Up next was Magic Slim and the Teardrops!!
Here he comes....this big black bear of a man, walking up on stage, it was so great to see him again!!
His presence was huge and he wreaked of bluesman.
He's got a real deal feel to him and for good reason- he is the real deal!

They played forever, took a break and played some more.
Slim's singing was the best. He's still got that signature growl he throws in every so often. "And you know dats right....."
Seems like he's gettin tired in the hands but it's still there in his guitar.
It's just great to see him and I look forward to seeing him again.
I picked up a Cd of his, "Black Tornado".

You know you can't go wrong with any of Slim's cds. He has many and all of them I've ever heard are consistantly good. All of them have that Magic Slim drive to them. I have several already and I can't think of a song on one of them that I don't care for. So I had a few extra bucks to support the band got one. I don't have Black Tornado yet but I ended up giving it to Dee. She mentioned she didn't have any of Slim's cds yet and I know things are real tight for her. As a matter of fact....I think that was her first time ever seeing him. She loved the show!!
She had to have him sign it so after the show we waited at the bar for him to return with a sharpie so he could. He finally made it back, sat in the chair, Big Mike placed a bottle and a glass at his table, he settled and the downhome feel of this man really started. Talked a bit and then he signed his name and Dee was taking it back and he said, "wait a minute...wait a minute" and commenced to writing something else.

In careful writing, nice and slow, with a slight shake to it, he spelled out.... L -O-V-E... in big capital letters just like that there.
It was a heart melting moment and we hugged him goodbye. As we were walking out, his final words to us were, in his signature growl of course...."you know dats right, baby" and we headed back to the van.