Michael Juan Nunez and the American Electric Text and photos by Patty McGehee

One of my favorite bands to see is spearheaded by Michael Juan Nunez. He has Dudley Fruge on drums, and Chad Willis on Bass. Juan hails out of Erath, Louisiana. He is a devoted family man, but don't let that fact make you think he can't ROCK it hard as nails.

Juan plays a mean slide guitar and writes wonderful songs. He has payed his dues touring with Zachary Richard and others. The first time I can remember seeing him he was sitting in with Roddie Romero and the Hub City Allstars, a band that I follow around a lot. Juan caught my attention big time that day. I kept trying to remember where/when I had seen him play before but I could not put a finger on a specific place. After meeting Juan in person, (See previous blogs where I explain that ) Dan and I spent all last year and the first few months of 2011 following MJN everywhere: Biloxi, Hattiesberg, Gulfport, and Ocean Springs Miss., Abbeyville, Baton Rouge, Scott, and Lafayette, La.



                                                                               

View of the Sales Barn Interior: Note the cattle arena is under the stage .

My favorite show of the bunch was the Christmas show at The Richard Sales Barn, Abbeyville, La. also known as Bayou Legendaire. The Sale Barn is a converted cattle sale barn which has a amphitheater  like setting of wooden seats in the half round which creates a cozy intimate setting. It is very hard for me to describe this place. It is a "must go to see in person" venue. It is run by a non profit organization determined to maintain the music of Louisiana and the Sale Barn as  an historic building preserving the history of cattle as intertwined in Cajun culture.

At the Christmas show, Juan surprised us all by introducing a song to us about "this guy that really had a reason to have the Blues....." Then the band launched into one of the most hard core blues riffs  I have ever heard live...but...but....wait... SURPRISE! It was "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!" The song kicked off right at the moment Juan's wife, mother, and two daughters were walking in the place and the look on their faces was priceless.

He had kept that song secret from them as a surprise. It was fun to be a witness of his family's reaction to that moment.The feeling that I remember feeling the most is that at that point I felt like I was in the very best place I could ever be in that moment of time. Dan and I were cozy and relaxed, the show was great.

There were many memorable moments during our forays into the night to catch Juan. One of my overall favorite nights was a heavy Blues set performed inside at The Shed in Ocean Springs. Normally, the music there is performed outside, but the weather was cold so they set up inside.
Juan let a child play with the guitar at the end of the show, helping him get the feel of the slide. 

Dudley Fruge is a treasure. His style of drumming is all about the "details," the nuances that he eeks out of the kit. A ping here, a tap there, brushwork..... a backbeat when needed...

Voice of The Wetlands "Guitar Fight" with Josh Garrett

Voice of The Wetlands, Houma, La.

Gulfport with Drew Landry

Excellent Bassist - Chad Willis at Antlers. Lafayette, La.

MJN at Antlers Lafayette, La.

On the "Mainline"  during "Pocket Full of Jesus" - Michael Juan Nunez

Michael Juan Nunez

Chad Willis plays his heart out 

NJN at The Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, La. 

Another was the night we saw Juan at Somewhere's Else Lounge. No one was there that night except the staff, three other people, and us, but Juan, Chad, and Dudley played it as if they were in front of an arena. That show was extremely powerful and two of Juan's songs from that night stand out in my memory: "Rusted Blade" and "Pocket Full of Jesus."

Michael Juan Nunez and The American Electric was a major act during Festival International 2011. I was not there, however.  Plans changed at the last minute and we went elsewhere. After all, Lafayette is 90 minutes away and there were so many choices to make during festival season. I felt like a traitor....

I do believe it is a toss up for me to decide which of his songs I like the best, "Pocket Full of Jesus," "Rusted Blade," "Punks like You," or "Don't mind Gettin." I LOVE them all...There link to their  website so you may be able to catch one of their shows. http://www.michaeljuannunez.com


Patty McGehee

Kevin Sekhani at The House Of Blues Foundation Room, NOLA Dec.10th, 2010

I was looking at Facebook and Kevin sent out a message that he had some comp tickets for the show so I sent him a message. He put Dan and I on the list.

This was last minute, so we hurried up and got dressed and we were out the door at 8:45 headed to NOLA. We got to the Quarter about 9:05. As we were headed to One Canal Place to park, we got to see Chad Willis walking down the street with his Bass. We had seen Chad the night before at another concert with Juan Nunez, so it was a little surprise for us. Of course, we knew that these musicians all work together a lot. I was interested in hearing Chad play a different type of music.

Kevin Sekhani photo by Patty McGehee

Esther and Kevin photo by Patty McGehee

This was my first time going to the Foundation Room. It is a private club.  The decor is lavish, to say the least and The House Of Blues has spared no expense on this place. The area for the band set up is in front of the fireplace mantle. There are wonderful sofas to sit on. There are wall paintings, elaborate carved coffered ceilings, and nude statues in decorated niches  at the entrances to the rest rooms. The floor coverings in certain areas appeared to be real Persian rugs. I peeked into the dining room and it was lovely. I recognised several Saints players eating in the private dining nooks. Dan made a comment about them needing to be ready to play on Sunday and it was really a late night for them to be out.

Chad Willis photo by Patty McGehee

After looking all around,  we greeted the band and visited before the show. I teased Chad that I was "stalking" him because I had been to the last five shows he had played. We made small talk and Kevin explained that because the crowd was the "in and out" type, he would repeat his important songs when he saw waves of new people enter the club. The sets were not arranged concert style, but as background music to the happenings at the bar.

Greg Walls photo by Patty McGehee

We had to sit sharing a seat for part of the night until a group moved from a sofa and then we had primo seats right up front facing the band. It was like sitting in a comfortable living room. I was awed at how wonderful it all was. Kevin's band was made up of Kevin singing and on guitar, Chad Willis on Double Bass, Esther Tyree on fiddle, and Greg Walls on drums.

The music was very good, Americana style roots style music. Kevin had spent quite a number of years in Austin and the songs reflected that but that Lafayette roots style music rared its head up in the music. It was a very pleasing. To hear Esther's traditional Cajun style of fiddle right in the middle of the Austin sound made it unique. Chad is just about the best bass player I have heard in ages. He was awesome and Greg's drums were just powerful enough and did not over power the acoustic instruments.

Kevin's  song "Oil Field Tan" was wonderful. My favorite song of the night was "Wrong Direction." It has an emotional feel that seeps in your psyche. It got played a couple of times that night because of the changing crowd.

Esther and Chad did an intense jam at one point with emphasis on the fiddle. Esther shined. Kevin's voice has built in  heartfelt conviction: He writes all of this stuff. Impressive.

During a break, Greg Walls came over and talked to us about all of the projects he works on, including those with his other band, The Canes. It was good to get to know Greg a little better.


We left out the at night a bit shy of the end of the show. I was out of energy and had to throw in the towel. Dan drove us back to Ponchatoula. I laid back in my seat and drifted off to sleep.  I kept hearing that song "Wrong Direction" over and over in my head.

Since then, Kevin has been very popular in Lafayette and The Times of Acadiana  just published an article about his return to Lafayette from living in Austin. If you can, get out and catch one of his shows soon.

Patty McGehee

Michael Juan Nunez and Drew Landry-Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette La. 2/11/11

Michael Juan Nunez and Drew Landry

Written by Patty McGehee

Jonno, Juan, and Drew - photo by Patty McGehee

Dan, Larry, and I drove over to Lafayette Friday night to go to the Blue Moon to see Michael Juan Nunez and Drew Landry perform. In spite that it was a freezing cold night, about 100 people showed up to fill up the back porch.  The Blue Moon Saloon management had two butane heaters out there, but they barely made a dent in the chill.  

The three of us thought we were dressed warm enough, but since we rarely get below freezing temperatures here in South Louisiana, we were not prepared for the temperature as it dropped below freezing as midnight approached. I had on three layers and boots. It did no good. I got very cold in spite of this.

Patsy Grace and Jonno Frishberg took the stage first. It was hard to hear the performance because Patsy’s voice was not miked up very well and the crowd was not ready for a folk song type of performance at that point. I felt badly for her because the audience was too wound up to give her the quiet she needed to get her song across. After a few minutes the sound man upped the vocals and it made it easier to hear her beautiful voice.  It was bad circumstances. I was unable to take photos at that point because the digital camera had not cooled off to the temperature outside yet. Patsy did not introduce herself until she was almost finished. Later that night I asked her if she was scheduled to perform again sometime soon somewhere. She said, “No.” I think someone should have gone up before she started and introduced her. That would have been the polite thing to do.

Patty and  Drew  - photo by Dan McGehee

Drew Landry got up and sang two 

songs by himself. Drew writes songs 

with profound lyrics that have a 

deep connection to the soul of 

Louisiana. I am very much 

impressed by his writing abilities. 

Drew Landry - photo by Patty McGehee

After he was warmed up, it was wonderful to hear him play with a full band. Michael Juan Nunez was on lead, Chad Willis on bass, Jermaine Prejean on drums, and Jonno on fiddle. This set was fun to watch because Drew was excited and very happy to be on stage backed up by such talented friends. He played the song that he recorded with Dr. John about the oil spill. My favorite song was “Ninety Proof.” Drew gave me a copy of a CD with that song on it awhile back. I have wanted to hear a live performance of that song ever since. I was not disappointed.

Becca - photo by Patty McGehee

Drew sang “Would You Carry My Cross” accompanied by his mother, Becca Begnaud. She was beaming and very happy to be singing with her son. Becca and Drew sing harmony very well together and that was a treat. This is an especially well written, touching song. Drew’s dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback named  Jackson was up on stage, getting into the action by stepping on Juan’s pedals, eating ice, and just snooping around. He finally went to sleep on top of Chad’s jacket right in the middle of all that music.

When writing his songs, Drew taps into the culture and traditions of native Louisiana, past and present. The next two songs he performed exemplified that experience. “Grobec,” the song also known by some fans as “The Game Warden’s song,” is haunting and forceful. It tells the story of a stubborn old timer that refuses to respect the importance of wild game conservation and lives to regret it. I really LOVE IT.

Juan and Drew - photo by Patty McGehee

The second song is about cock fighting. I think the lyrics go, “You can’t make a living with a chicken on a chain.” As I have mentioned before, cock fighting is part of my family history. I am not proud of it, but it “was what it was.”  The lyrics of  this song (written by a Mr. Richard) do not glorify it, either. It is about the sad fact that life fortunes and livelihoods were caught up in the ins and outs of gambling at the expense of the lives of chickens in a very inhumane manner. (Cockfighting was made illegal in Louisiana on August 15^th, 2008.)

Drew,  Jackson, the dog,  and Chad - photo by Patty McGehee

Drew Landry - photo by Patty McGehee

Jermaine Prejean - photo by Patty McGehee

The crowd was wound up and really into the performance, while taking turns huddled up to the butane heater. I found it impossible to get up under the heater because there were so many people there. I got progressively colder and colder as time went on.

Drew ended the set with a song named “The Family Farm” and stepped down to let Michael Juan Nunez set up for his part of the show. Juan’s show had the same lineup except for Joe Gary (Hawley Joseph Gary III) on drums. This was because Dudley Fruge is on a cruse with Roddie Romero and The Hub City Allstars. At first I was disappointed to see Dudley gone, but Joe made up for the disappointment when he kicked ass on several of the songs.  

Michael Juan Nunez - photo by Patty McGehee  

Juan’s set was very clean. He played quite a few songs: “Water and Steel,” “My Cadillac,” and “Bulldog Bite.”  His slide playing is impressive. 

Jonno was hanging in there adding a bit of psychedelic fiddle.Juan got the crowd wound up during "Pocket Full of Jesus,”  yelling into his “Mainline” telephone/microphone. The crowd loved it!

MJN on the Mainline - by Patty McGehee

Michael Juan Nunez - photo by Patty McGehee

Chad Willis -photo by Patty McGehee

In my opinion, the two best songs of the night were “Don’t Mind Gettin,’ and “Rusted Blade.” During “Rusted Blade,” Chad took out a bow to use on the double Bass and Jonno made these wicked noises with the fiddle that made that song just a might bit more sinister than it already is. It was amazing.  

Jonno Frishberg and Michael Juan Nunez - photo by Patty McGehee

  

After Juan’s set, Drew came back to do an encore of sorts. He began to play the crowd pleasers, like “Mid South,” a song about wrestling that requires audience participation. Everyone there knew when and what to sing. Almost at the end of the  the night, he played a funny off color song just for his sister, who was in the audience. It was hilarious.  The final song was the Bobby Charles Guidry tribute song, "He ain't worrin' no more."

As soon as the music ended, the people left abruptly. Usually after a show at The Blue Moon, people mill around and visit but it was below freezing and most people were miserably cold. I had an urge to high tail it to the car myself, but not before telling Juan goodbye. He was freezing cold and exhausted at this point. He hugged me and shook hands with Dan and Larry. After a few exchanges of pleasantries, it was apparent that he needed to just pack up and get out of the cold. We bowed out, telling him and Drew we would see them on March 11^th at Bourque’s Social club.

I tried to drive back, but while driving over the Atachafalaya Basin, I realized I was too tired to drive. Once off the bridge, I let Dan take over the wheel. I got in back and drifted off to sleep while the three of us were plotting out next trip to see Juan at Bourque’s on March 11^th. I slept all the way back home. It was a very good night and I think somewhere around Baton Rouge, I began to get the feeling back into my frozen feet.

Joe Gary on drums way in the back - photo by Patty McGehee

The Wayne Blue Burns Band at The Wild Salmon, Lafayette, La. 1/28/11

Tee Don Landry invited me to The Wild Salmon to see his band, so we slipped out of Ponchy around 7:00 Friday night and drove over to Lafayette just in time to have a short visit with the band members before they kicked off a set of traditional Blues, Delta style. In an area of Acadiana where Cajun and Zydeco music is King, it is refreshing to see a   standard Blues band for a change.

 Tee Don Landry was on drums, Wayne Blue Burns on lead and rhythm guitar, Bobby Matthews on bass, and Matt Vogel was on rhythm and lead guitar. Tee Don is an accomplished rub board player who says that the drums are his favorite instrument to play. Tee Don, Blue and Bobby have impressive credentials. They have  toured with several legendary Louisiana bands in the past. Blue toured with Clifton Chenier, Ernie K Doe, and Buckwheat and  and Bobby toured with Sunpie Barnes and Nathan Williams. Tee Don played rub board with Lynn August, Zydeco Joe, and the Creole Zydeco Farmers.Matt Vogel is the young blood here, holding his own with the big dogs very well.  Rather repeat what has been written down before, I will include a link to their web bio so you can see for yourself how impressive their collective talents are.

We got to The Wild Salmon just after 9:00 expecting the band to be up and running. Instead, the band was having an issue with the set up. They had sent a sound man over earlier to set up, had done a sound check and all was well. They had left and relaxed the afternoon away to find that someone had come to the club after they had set up and had taken a section of the sound system off of the premises.

So Mojo, who was working the sound system, had to piece together things at the last minute. The band was unable to kick off the gig at 9:00 as they had planned, due to no fault of their own. Tee Don visited with us for a while explaining the problem. I spent the time wandering around taking in the place. It is a large place, very messy, with lots of stuff covering the walls. I went into the bar area to find very friendly people raging in age from 21 to 80, all relaxing together and getting along just fine. People were fast to introduce themselves to me and the bar staff waited on me quickly.

I was taking in the stuff on the walls, an eclectic mix of Americana folklore from vintage TV, Nascar, old  Rock n roll pictures, photos of patrons and beer posters. Assorted junk lined the walls arranged in no logical  fashion.  Dan and I found a table second back from the band and found two chairs that looked as if they might just hold us with out breaking. Most of the furniture had seen better days.

After getting situated, I left Dan at the table to go meet Blue and Matt. Blue is tall and lean, in great shape for his age. Matt is even taller an seemed relaxed and ready to play. Bobby slipped in right before they started and I was unable to meet him at that time. Tee Don was telling me all about the band and everyone's connections to the music world. It was fascinating stuff. At that point, Mojo was working hard to straighten out the snafu with the sound system. In a little while, he had the band do a necessary sound check and they were prepared to be up and running in no time.

Meanwhile, I slipped back to watch and visit with some boys playing a game new to me. They were playing Beer Pong. They had a ping pong table set up with cups of beer on each side. They threw the ping pong balls, trying to get them into their opponents cups of beer. If the ball went in your opponents cup, the opponent had  to drink the beer. The object was to get the opponent drunker than you were. It looked like  all four  guys were getting equally drunk to me. They  were washing the balls that fell on the floor in a cup of beer on the side. It was hilarious stuff.  It got sillier and sillier as time went on. They were very nice to me and explained it all to me and even offered me a chance to play with them. I would just have to buy six beers to be "in." They were using Pabst Blue Ribbon cans at the time, and red and blue cups. Their t shirts were all splashed up with beer and they seemed to be having the time of their lives. I bowed out and went back to sit with Dan.

The band kicked off their first set to play standard blues. It was a clean set, with Matt and Blue taking turns on lead and rhythm. I was pleased to hear that Matt was holding his on with sophisticated  rhythm that backed up Blue's lead quite well. Tee Don had great timing, the bass and drums holding down the groove in synch. Blue sang  the Blues  standard "The Thrill is Gone" with a hint of vibrato at the end of the phrases that made it become his own.Dan and I were in agreement that the set was tight and well done.

Bobby, Blue, Tee Don and Matt by Patty McGehee

Tee Don Landry by Patty McGehee

Bobby, Blue, and Tee Don by Patty McGehee

Blue and Matt by Patty McGehee

Blue Burns by Patty McGehee

The band took a break and Tee Don came over and we visited for a while. He introduced me to Mojo. I then realized that Mojo was the MUSICIAN Mojo of the Bayou Gypsies, a band that I have heard of but have never gotten to see. He explained that he was off on the road most of the year and did not play locally. We  began discussing all sorts of stuff about touring, who knows who and other assorted stuff. Tee Don had to slip off to get out of the cigarette smoke for a while. I got to talk to Blue again, and I met Matt and Bobby.

Matt, Patty, and Bobby

Tee Don, Patty, and Blue

The second set kicked off and two other musicians showed up and the  show shifted into another groove. There was a third guitarist, Norman "Slim"  Hammer and a harmonica player named  Sonny J. This set was not as dynamic as the first set because the two newcomers did not know how to enter in and out of the Jam as well as Matt and Blue did.  It was still good, but the real hard core synch was gone and the band focused on being a dance band. The crowd was up and  dancing, having a ball.

Bobby  Matthews by Patty McGehee

Blue and Matt by Patty McGehee

The smoke got thick and  I had to retreat out front to get away from it. Young women were piling in at that point, paying their cover, and walking back to watch the Beer Pong players. I guess we watched about 20 young women come in at that time. After a break outside, where we could still hear the music very well, we went in and stayed back towards the door getting fresh air.  Dan and I found ourselves dancing a bit. The band covered "I got Loaded," which was a crowd favorite.

Mojo, Patty, and Slim

Bobby and Patty

Second break found us and all of the band outside getting away from the smoke. Bobby and I had a long conversation about how he had stayed home not touring for about 15 years and was eager to get back into  touring again. We visited and had a nice time out there for about a half hour, taking photos and just talking. The band went back for a third set and Dan and I stayed for about three songs. I had about enough. It was late, about 12:30 by then, and I was staring at the reality that we had an  hour and a half ride was ahead of us.

It was hard to slip out without saying goodbye, but I knew I had some things to do Saturday morning that meant I had to hit the road. As we walked out, I looked back to see that three couples were up and dancing. The place was packed and everybody was having a great time.

http://wayneblueburnsband.com/page1/

The Ultimate Juke Joint: Musings about Jay's Lounge and Cockpit , Cankton, Louisiana 1973

For my 19th Birthday in  October of 1973, my friends took me to Jay's Lounge and Cockpit to see Clifton Chenier. For a solid week before that night, my friends  had talked on and on about what we were going to see. I did not understand why they were so excited about going to a club smack dab in the middle of nowhere. I had been to many shows by that time, and scoffed at any idea that this could possibly be any cut above any I had already had seen. This was my first introduction a real Cajun Dance Hall. I walked in to find two men dancing on the dance floor with roosters in their arms.

I had seen fighting Cocks before in Biloxi, Mississippi. My father had taken me to a cockfighting pit on Christmas day in 1963. I remember that day like it was yesterday. The building was a round wooden building with backless theater seats encircling the pit. Everything was painted stark white.The whiteness of the arena seemed to accentuate the splattering of the blood. I don't recall being grossed out by it. I was interested in which cock would win, hoping Daddy would win his bets. He won big and stopped on the way back to  Jack Rodriguez's  house to buy whiskey, snacks, and cold drinks for my brother and I. We were Jack's guests for Christmas that year.  Even though I was a girl, my Daddy never sheltered me from much. He was a beatnick of sorts, and a piano player as well, who played gigs in New Orleans.

Just the same, I was amazed to see the two men dancing with these two roosters, with RAZORS hanging off their spurs!  I was astonished but excited.

I walked back to see the pit. It was wild in there, and very hot. I stayed about 5 minutes.The scene at Jay's was not as civilized as the pit in Biloxi was. It was loud and crowded in there.

I had a cane with me that night. It belonged to my boyfriend Reinaldo. It was a carved ebony cane. Over the next few months I went to Jay's quite often with that cane and danced to Clifton Chenier's band. Reinaldo's hand was broken and he was unable to use the cane at the time, so he gave it to me to use "as protection." I never quite understood why he wanted me to carry it, but it seemed to be a cool thing to do. The cane was a fascinating object, designed to be adored and fawned over. I loved carrying it. It was festooned with a carved man's head. Reinaldo had affectionately named the little man "Voo."


Clifton's band was the best dance band that I HAVE EVER SEEN. There is no way that one could be there and not get up and dance all night long. Clifton played a piano accordion, while Cleveland played a custom  frattoire  made by Willie Landry. The wives of the band members sat  at a table up to the right of the stage. I was aware at that time that that was the first time I had ever been in an establishment where both whites AND blacks were in attendance.

I was uninterested in who else was in the band at the time because I was too busy chasing boys and dancing. There were many people who played with Clifton over the years and I am sure I saw them all. Three others I know about are Wayne Blue Burns, Paul Lil' Buck Senegal, and Sonny Landreth. (I can't recall any names of anyone else, and since I am writing from personal experience here, I don't wish to research any of it.) 

Years went by. I would catch Clifton's Red Hot Louisiana Band at various locations: Cahoots in BR, Rock N Bowl: NOLA, Tipitina's in NOLA and at festivals. It always was the best Zydeco Blues, hands down.The band would play three songs. Then Clifton would get up and  play for 3 and a half hours. He would then leave the stage and the band  would play three more. It was always four hours of solid dance music.

At Festival Acadiene in 1987, I was standing in the middle of the grass about 50 yards back from the stage next to the water faucet. Clifton and Cleveland Chenier walked over to where I was and Cleveland said to me, "We have not seen you in a while. Where's your "stick?"

I was astonished that he would remember the carved ebony cane and me. Of course, I had to tell Cleveland that the "stick" was not mine and I had given it back to the man who owned it.  It had been loaned to me by Reinaldo Barnes, its' superstitious owner who had a personal belief that the cane would protect me from evil.  The cane had mysterious origins. Reinaldo had acquired the cane when he was in the Navy by winning a game of bourre.' After having the cane with me for 8 months, Reinaldo's hand healed and he asked me to return it. I was honored to have had it in my presence for those 8 months, and returned "Voo" to him.

They both shook my hand, expressing how good it was that I was there to see their show. They then walked onto the stage, where they proceeded  to  put on a killer show. That was the last time I got to see Clifton Chenier and his Red Hot Louisiana Band.

Patty Fuller McGehee

Eric Lindell at Ruby's Roadhouse - Jan 21, 2011

Last Year I bought Eric Lindell's limited edition silk screened covered  LP  titled "Between Motion and Rest"  after his gig at The Rock N Bowl. It was an impulse buy. I am glad I bought it. A CD was tucked inside the custom cover. I had just seen his show and really enjoyed the  live performance. I played it for a while quite a bit and then decided that I really loved to hear him sing live rather than on CD. He has a certain voice quality and voice inflection that I don't feel gets across on recordings. I feel this way about Willie Nelson, too. I don't care much for  Willie's recordings, but I love to hear him sing live. My husband Dan says I am too picky about voices. He rarely learns lyrics, never figures out what a song is about, and goes by what he calls, "how a song feels."  I take in the little things, the nuance of the voice and instrumentation, the lyrics and meaning, and of course, then I take in the overall "feel."


Eric's voice is sugar laden and filled with emotion and passion. It has that quality that melts a woman's heart, yet has that "bite" of authentic quality Blues. The lyrics are sweet, love stories, phrased with whit. They reflect a lot of feeling and well thought out ideas about love situations, a recurring theme in his lyrics.

I have a very casual acquaintance with Saxophonist Derek Huston. I send him photos and he sends me one or two sentence  responses. I have noticed over the years that he shows up on stage in so many surprising places. Derek fascinates me because he is one of the rare people to play a Baritone saxophone. I have seen him perform with so may people, in so many genres, that it is mind boggling. When he showed  up with Lil' band of Gold last year, I realized what others thought of him. It was a nice affirmation to see him on stage with LBG. It meant that my take on his prowess as a performer was right on target. Derek is a very successful free lancer.


Derek asked me to come see the show at Ruby's roadhouse in Mandeville, Louisiana, and made it possible for me to do so. I was both honored and excited. Ruby's is one of my favorite Juke Joints. It is built out of  Cypress wood  and it has incredible acoustics. Owner Fred Holland makes sure his sound system is in tip top shape and has a qualified sound man. There is a well worn  wooden dance floor.  There is a patio out back for smokers, but most people keep smoking inside for some asinine reason.

We got there just as Derek came in and we visited for a bit.  Derek went about setting up while I had Eric Lindell autograph the  "Between Motion and Rest" LP. Dan and I kicked back on the pool table to watch the set up. Derek came over to show off his newest Saxophone to me. It was a new for him circa 1961 MK VI  Selmer Baritone saxophone. He showed me that it had a special extra low note that other saxophone do not have. I marveled over its' intricate etched designs.  He told us a charming story about how he had acquired it. I wanted to know all about the weight of it and how  he felt physically after the shows. It weighed about 25 pounds! He talked about  the ins and out of gigging with a 25 pound instrument. He mentioned  shoulder pain and  some of the problems he encounters trying to keep his breath in smoke filled venues.

Derek Huston By Patty McGehee

Derek went off to finish setting up and we waited making small talk with people nearby. The show started and I left Dan at the pool table seat to go take the show in from right in front of Derek. Eric was facing that way also, so it was easier to catch a photo from the right of the stage.

Eric plays a sold groove on his guitar using mostly  rhythm style licks interspersed with a few leads to emphasize his groove. I found it hard to discern if he was playing rhythm, lead, or a combination. I decided on the latter. His rhythm is all his own, phrased in a way to compliment his sexy vocals. The groove is infectious, solid, and addicting. Derek's saxophone subs in to fill any void that any overt lead guitar would fill.

I found myself trying to figure out what genre he belonged in. It is definitely Rhythm and blues, with a hell bent hard core Blues edge to it. As the show went on, it seemed that Eric went out on a limb and started adding more and more  lead guitar in there as if he started out afraid to show that he CAN play some solid licks of lead guitar. His voice mesmerizes me. I love the  emotional inflections of his voice. He pulled out a harmonica and wowed me with that. Backing him up was a sold drummer, Will McMains, upright double bass player Myles Weeks, and of course the wonderful saxophone playing of Derek Huston.
The crowd was all wound up dancing and hooting and hollering. They enjoyed the band very much.

Eric Lindell by Patty McGehee

As the night went on, Dan and I were dancing a bit.
Eric moved from one song to the next without a lull for the introduction of the songs, not leaving time for the crowd to show their appreciation.I found this a bit awkward. At one point Eric was having trouble with his amp but he did not let it un-nerve him. The band kept up the groove until it was fixed, minus his wah wah pedal.

Eric Lindell By Patty McGehee

 Eric Lindell taken by Patty McGehee

Eric Lindell picks up band members at whim, so he may show up for a show with completely different musicians on board than the last show you may have seen him with, but he has a knack of selecting professional seasoned musicians that know the New Orleans groove very well. I have seen him with completely different bands every time I have seen him. It was a fine night and we enjoyed talking to Fred Holland, owner of Ruby's Roadhouse after the show as well as Derek.

Myles Weeks by Patty McGehee

Derek Huston and Patty McGehee

Patty McGehee and Eric Lindell

Will McMains on drums & Derek Huston by Patty McGehee

Patty hugs Fred Holland, Owner of Ruby's Roadhouse