04-05-2004, 12:44 AM
Every Labor Day weekend St. Louis has the Big Muddy Blues Festival. 3 days and 4 stages. Constant music every day from noon to 10 pm. in 2002 Robert Jr. Lockwood and Henry Townsand did a guitar/piano duet for over an hour. Just spectacular.
Bennie Smith and his Urban Blues Experience play all around the town, and I've seen them often. My friends Adam and Jeremy (Harp and Guitar) sat in with him last Wednesday as they often do. Bennie sits in with their blues trio alot. Bennie is 75 and played with Ike and Tina before they left St. Louis in the early 60s. Bennie plays that guitar smoother than a baby's fresh talc'd butt.
The funny thing is, if you look at a lot of modern musicians, you see them sweating, contorted grimaces on their faces as they play. These old blues cats get up their in a 3 piece suit and hat and never crack a sweat. They make it look so easy. Comes from playing for 40 or 50 years.
Bennie Smith and his Urban Blues Experience play all around the town, and I've seen them often. My friends Adam and Jeremy (Harp and Guitar) sat in with him last Wednesday as they often do. Bennie sits in with their blues trio alot. Bennie is 75 and played with Ike and Tina before they left St. Louis in the early 60s. Bennie plays that guitar smoother than a baby's fresh talc'd butt.
The funny thing is, if you look at a lot of modern musicians, you see them sweating, contorted grimaces on their faces as they play. These old blues cats get up their in a 3 piece suit and hat and never crack a sweat. They make it look so easy. Comes from playing for 40 or 50 years.