JUKE JOINT TOUR 2007

We began our "pilgrimage" in Memphis, an old river town with a rich blues history, and were privileged to hear great performances there from the likes of Preston Shannon and Ms. Zeno. Last night, we ended our blues quest in another old river town with a rich blues history, and we once again hit paydirt, as we happened to find a performer of exceptional talent in Randy McAllister, who was playing at BB's Blues & Soups downtown, across from Busch Stadium. We had just spent the early evening milling around Laclede's Landing (nightclub/restaurant district) with thousands of other blues fans, moving from one stage to another (there were three). The talent was OK - in fact, the headliner act was John Mayall, known as the "Father of British Blues" (what do the Brits have to be blue about anyway?). However, the crowds were a bit much, and we decided to walk down to BB's to get away from the madness.

What a great decision! Randy McAllister and his band have several Grammy nominations, and you can quickly tell why. Those guys are superb performers, and McAllister himself is especially wonderful. He's a Texas lad, can play drums, harmonica, and washboard (yes, washboard) with equal ease, and does much of his own songwriting. He had the place hopping in no time! We met a couple from the St. Louis suburbs who sat by us and we quickly became friends. They really helped make the night special. Thank you guys! Hope to see you back at BB's again soon.

It was impossible to leave until the end - you wanted to see what other interesting musical creations this group could deliver. We shut them down, then walked back to our hotel around 1:30. Late? Yes. Happy? Yes.

To all of you who followed our little journey, thank you. We couldn't wait to get into our hotel each night to see if anyone had posted any comments for us. It really made our day, knowing that you were out there and participating in the trip with us. And, to our wives, we thank you for letting us fly the coop for a few days and take this memorable trip. However, get ready - we're coming home today, and will soon be underfoot again.

Love to all,

Steve & Dennie