April 27, 2011 The PM

Sobering up, sadly, and running into familiar faces, I decide that being in a jazz and blues mecca, I should venture out looking for jazz and/or Blues.

So, I follow instructions given to me, heading out for the promisingly named Mahalia Jackson Theater of the performing Arts. There was a Blues Band playing there. I could use a good night of ear ringing loud music, haven’t had a good night like that since when? I know I was in some city that began with the letter A, and took a few airplanes to get there.

So this night, I paint myself up and parade myself over to this theater in a dodgy area, not like the fun city I have been bouncing around. I get the blister of the century, and now am walking with a worse gait than usual, forgive me, I know I look funny, leave me alone. We were lucky we made it out alive.

I go to the box office, which was not box shaped at all, and a nice lady said to me “mayhapya? And she handed me a ticket. Next thing you know I am being led around the back and out onto a stage. I did not tell them I could sing or play, I hope I was not being asked to perform. Oddly familiar, this place, yet I have never been here before, or have I? People seemed to know me and looked glad to see me. HMMMMM.

Questions asked by people who paid a lot of money to be there were not limited to but included “who is the guitar player” “how many guitar players are there” “What albums do they do”
I start running into people I know. Who would believe that we all show up on a random day in Louisiana? I still think I am being framed. Well, I make myself to my seat, and there is the stage, so like the one I saw over in Europe. Blues Band?

They did have funny accents and one played a Jazz bass, so I suppose that in the spirit of the world I was not mislead. I got all caught up in the evening, the lights the smoke machine that was looking for my car, the familiar shirts and shoes, and oh look, it is them fellows and gals that follow me everywhere. What a pleasant surprise, someone should have warned me.

Things go smoothly, tightly and sound just like the records, only better. Until, there was something new added, threw us all off, I agreed that it had never been done publicly before, and told the nice man in the middle afterwards that it was “perfect” I even knew the words, love the parts about the river, I am attracted to songs with water elements in them, among other things that attract me. Might try to get lucky and hear this again some time in the distant future.

Everyone looked well, rested, confident and happy. I hope I look the same to them, but what does it matter, really, we all play our part right from the start, and I hope to go on to the end.