We had wonderful gigs this weekend in Durham and Asheville, North Carolina. Now we are home in Atlanta with our feet up, basking in the afterglow.
In Durham Delta Moon shared the stage with Michael Burks. We first met Michael and his band a couple years ago when we played a festival together in Denmark, and it was a pleasure to cross paths with those guys again. They play a great, straight-ahead blues show. For several songs I sat behind Wayne, the B3 player, studying the way he constantly worked the Leslie speed switch and drawbars with his left hand. I love to watch a good Hammond player. There’s way more to it than just the notes.
Mel Melton, who owns Papa Mojo’s, told me a story about watching other musicians. Besides being a terrific Cajun chef, Mel is an excellent blues harmonica player. Back in Lafayette, Louisiana, he played in a band with Sonny Landreth, and they remain good friends today. Once he and Sonny drove to Texas to see the master, Freddie King.
On the way home, Mel said, “After what we just saw, is there any point in us continuing to do this?”
“Yes,” Sonny said. “Yes, there is.”
