"For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known." -- Luke 12:2

A colleague called today and we had a nice long chat. He is the best investigative reporter I know and he cited the above Scripture, saying it is his mission statement. It was nice to be reminded of how we can apply the Good Book to daily life, even in the secular environment.
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I listened to Buddy Guy's new disc, "Skin Deep," tonight and it's spot-on for electric blues. I was so taken by the music that I cranked up my Fender Strat and played along with the disc. I think Buddy and I make a good two-guitar team... but of course I was playing for an invisible audience -- sort of like singing in the shower -- so it's hard to be objective about my performance. But it sure was fun.
One thing about Guy's new disc: I think all 12 songs are in the key of E, which made it easy to jam along with. You'd think he would mix it up a little. But then again, he shreds that E key.
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My funny story about Buddy Guy: I was backstage at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Ark., around 1997 or so, with fellow Toledoans Johnny Porkchop and Lonesome Bob when Buddy Guy's tour bus pulled up. Sitting next to me were 80-something-year-old blues legends Pinetop Perkins and Robert Lockwood Jr. (Robert Jr. passed away a few years ago, he was a great man and a blues original, but gruff at first and very tough to earn his respect. Once you did, though, you were golden. We got along great.)
Guy's manager said everyone had to move because we were between the bus and the stage. That meant Pinetop and Robert, too. We protested, saying these blues greats should be allowed to stay. No go, Guy's guy said, they must go too.
So these two old men, grumbling, got up and moved. Once the area was cleared, the great Buddy Guy strode out of the bus and onto the stage, where a snifter of brandy was waiting for him, covered by a handkerchief as per his contract rider.
He started playing like Jimi Hendrix and I was mesmerized, but the true blues aficionados I was with were disgusted with his rock and roll, sell out the blues stuff. So we left... as I grumbled to no avail.
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Also listened to Donald Fagen's pop-jazz masterpiece, "The Nightfly," tonight. Fagen is the voice and keyboard genius behind Steely Dan. This solo disc is fantastic, everything flowing so smoothly and with great sound and style.
The back cover photo, a black and white shot of tract homes at night, stirs up fuzzy feelings of my childhood on Long Island, New York. Amazing how I can get that feeling from a small, indistinct slice-of-life photo.

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Sylvania, Ohio
July 22, 2008