In Search Of The Blues…
A blues sojourn from Chicago to New Orleans down the Mississippi river that encompasses the very roots of America’s musical heritage derived from blues, jazz, soul and country music.
DAY 1 – Wed 21st April - Fly to Chicago
So off I went in search of the blues... and after crossing the Atlantic, I was met at the airport by our Cosmos Tour Director for the trip and transferred by long luxury limousine to the prestigious Chicago W. Lakeshore Hotel, just off Navy Pier on Lake Michigan for the next two nights. At the airport whilst waiting for our transport, I met amongst others Bill Moodie, who is himself a blues journalist for ‘Juke Blues’ magazine. We decided to hook up for the trip almost immediately after comparing notes, as we had similar interests in blues music and aspirations for the trip. Also, we could share taxis to reduce transport costs along with sharing rooms where necessary, to make sure we didn’t disturb other members of the tour when we came in during the early hours after a show. After meeting for drinks in reception, we decided to take a taxi out to Rosa’s at 3420 West Armitage to see the unmistakeable Vance Kelly & The Backstreet Blues Band. On entering Rosa’s, we were fortunate enough to say hello to Vance ‘Candylicker’ Kelly, whilst his band set up and exchanged views with him. What makes Vance’s shows so amazing is the way he can effortlessly ‘change gears’ midstream in a song giving him licence to take it virtually in any direction he chooses? I really cannot pay too high a compliment to this guy, as he really can deliver an awesome range of blues, funk and soul swinging any club reminiscent of ‘Prince’, which he duly did making this night truly unforgettable! This guy is passionate girls, so make sure you check out his 'Live at Lee's Unleaded Blues' CD if you can't get to see him in the flesh! We actually met Mama Rosa who owns and runs the place with her son Tony giving it an Italian feel and also Gus the doorman who were both really friendly people. At the end of the night Gus summoned us a taxi to take us back to the hotel. As the doors opened, we encountered 3 model sharks hung up in the entrance and videos showing sharks swimming around underwater at night, along with some pretty cool music being played in a candlelit reception until the early hours, giving it a real nightclub feel. This was all so surreal that as we turned in for the night, all I kept asking myself was: Is this really happening or am I only dreaming?
DAY 2 – Thu 22nd April – Chicago
After breakfast at a coffee bar near the hotel, we took a boat tour along the Chicago River and locks that are surrounded by landmarks, such as the 1450 foot high Sears Tower and the reflecting glass fronted 333 West Wacker building which have helped shape the Chicago skyline. Back on land, we breezed around the photo shops to see if I could download my digital photo images onto compact disc, which became something like a search for the Holy Grail! Following a much needed coffee fix, we headed straight to the fabled Jazz Record Mart at 444 North Wabash, owned by Bob Koester of Delmark Records, and this turned out to be a treasure chest of blues & jazz records! After great deliberation & restraint, we loaded our selection of CD’s into a taxi to take us to the Blues Heaven Foundation at 2120 South Michigan, formerly the famous home of Chess Records. This was later bought by Willie Dixon in order to look out for the ‘Welfare of the blues’, and was unfortunately closed on Thursday afternoons except for special excursions. So, after a photo shoot we went for a beer and pretzels in a downtown Chicago bar before walking along to Buddy Guys Legends at 754 South Wabash to pay our respects. Once past the unwelcoming figure at the door, we found a great music venue which hosts some of the best concerts in Chicago with star studded walls and memorabilia to match. After a really wholesome meal served by ‘Britney’ our waitress, we purchased our souvenirs and left to freshen up back at the hotel for yet another unforgettable blues night in Chicago. We decided to begin the evening at Kingston Mines at 2548 North Halsted, that has two stages in different rooms so someone is nearly always playing. Unfortunately, we only caught the end of Detroit Junior’s set, so we decided to finish our drinks and take a taxi over to ‘Sweet Home’ Blue Chicago at 736 North Clark Street, where one cover charge gains entry to both venues, the other one being Blue Chicago at 536 North Clark Street. This for me reached one of the highlights of the tour as playing tonight was the great Willie Kent & his Blues Gents along with singer Patricia Scott, a remarkable lady who knows more than her fair share of how to deliver a blues number and who most definitely has got her mojo working! Willie is a living testament to the blues, as he was born in the Delta and made his way up the Mississippi working all day and playing the blues by night, before ending up in Chicago like so many of his contemporaries. Willie and his band played a three-part set which gave everyone in the band a chance to show what they could do. Inevitably, class shone through with Willie showing everyone what a bluesman he really is! We had a great chat and photo session with Willie and everyone else who was left at the end as well as buying his comin’ alive! CD, which he personally insisted on signing, that I will cherish for the rest of my life! We headed back to the hotel sometime in the middle of the night, but Bill and I didn’t care what time it was, as these nights don’t come along too often in life, do they?
DAY 3 – Fri
23rd April - Chicago – St. Louis
To be honest, I didn’t really want to leave Chicago as it is a city that doesn’t sleep, just like in Al Capone’s days, and we had both read about the host of stars who would be playing the clubs that weekend. We decided to have breakfast at an Italian bar only a block along from the hotel, before reluctantly leaving Chicago and travelling across the vast farm pastures on the way down to St. Louis, the ‘Gateway to the West’. A video about the life of assassinated American President Abraham Lincoln helped the journey along giving us a history of the race issues which led to the American Civil war. Crossing the magnificent Mississippi River as we entered St. Louis, we began our visit with a city sightseeing tour that included a ride up the towering Gateway Arch, an amazing structure which commemorates the city’s key role in westward expansion during America's pioneering days. We also toured the museum under the arch celebrating the famous expedition undertaken by Lewis and Clark 200 hundred years earlier, before arriving at the Millennium Four Points Sheraton Hotel. I now understood why Illinois was so famous for building prisons across the river as the inside of this towering monolith had a distinct lack of windows in the passageways giving it a ‘claustrophobic’ effect! We caught a cab almost instantly to visit Chuck Berry’s Blueberry Hill at 6504 Delmar Avenue which is a diner as well as a live music venue and houses the famous ‘Duck Room’, named after Chuck’s stage walk! Unfortunately, we had arrived during the Annual Darts Championships, so we left deciding to dine at Cicero’s further on up Delmar Avenue. Later, we checked out the stars set in the sidewalk along the St Louis ‘Walk of Fame’ naming famous locals such as Ike Turner, Johnnie Johnson and of course that man Chuck Berry again. I waived down yet another cab to take us back to the Soulard district of the city, where another great music venue called BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups at 700 South Broadway is located. We met owner Mark O’Shaughnessy who swiftly introduced us to singer Charles 'Skeet' Rogers, who was on stage later that evening with his band and who’s performance nearly brought the place down! What a fabulous voice he has! Directly over the road is The Beale On Broadway at 701 South Broadway, that is first and foremost a blues club, and playing there tonight was virtuoso blues/rock guitarist Rob Garland & The Blue Monks from England, who has now settled in St Louis playing fabulous blues and R&B! I switched between the two clubs whilst Bill appreciated the sweet soul music being served up by Skeet Rogers & The Inner City Blues Band. We hailed a cab near closing time and headed back to the hotel ready for yet another early morning start.
DAY 4 – Sat 24th April - St Louis – Nashville
Well, three days in and only about ten hours sleep! Our coach went back over the Mississippi River rolling south-east, where we eventually crossed the Ohio River as we arrived lunchtime in Paducah after watching another interesting video. This time it was about the life of Huey P.S. Long, who was assassinated whilst serving as US Senator for Louisiana during the depression, but not before he had built roads and improved education in the south, where we were going to view his legacy first hand! As we arrived late afternoon in Nashville, Tennessee, we did half the City tour of ‘Music City USA’ before checking in at the impressive Opryland Hotel for the next two nights. This certainly is a hotel with a difference as it resembles a Centre Parks holiday centre, but far grander of course as it also incorporates the magnificent Grand Ole Opry at 2804 Opryland Drive! So along we went into Country Music’s Mecca as each artist was unveiled to take part in the longest running radio show in history! Performing tonight were: Corrie Morgan, Ricky Skaggs, Terrie Clark, The Sky Riders, Little Jimmy Dickens, The Whites, Jeannie Seely, Standard Candy, Jim Ed Brown, Jimmy C. Newman, Bill Anderson, Alecia Nugent and supporting cast! Although brief, there were some really great performances from the stars and they do try to make this a fun occasion for everyone. The introduction of comedian 'Bubba' Bechtol certainly helped that aim and I must also give a special mention to the ‘Goo Goo Chocolate Bars’ advertisments, which when seen live really make you appreciate English ads! Afterwards, it was back to the impressive 'Opryland' for a visit to the ‘Irish Pub’ where we witnessed the interesting sights of American students celebrating leaving a Prom night, before retiring for an early night at long last!
DAY 5 – Sun 25th April – Nashville
A sightseeing tour of Nashville’s famous landmarks started our day along with the recording studios of Music Row. Afterwards, we visited the Country Music Hall of Fame at 222 Fifth Avenue South with its glittering costumes, rare instruments, and Elvis Presley’s solid-gold Cadillac! Also on display was the ‘Night Train to Nashville’ exhibition celebrating the R&B scene that took place in the city between 1945 and 1970. Within a stones throw of the CMHF was Broadway, which is alive with ‘Honky Tonk’ bars and of course Tootsies Orchid Lounge at 422 Broadway. 'Tootsies' walls are adorned by pictures of nearly all the country stars who hung out there before a show, leaving by the backdoor to gain entrance to the Ryman Auditorium at 116 Fifth Avenue North. This was one of the venues the ‘Grand Ole Opry’ used to be staged at before it settled in 1974 at its present location, which is a 4400-seat theatre in Opryland. We then spent the rest of the afternoon in and out of Honky Tonks listening to various country bands in The Stage On Broadway at 420 Broadway and Robert’s Western World at 416 Broadway, which interestingly is also a showcase for cowboy boots! The evening’s entertainment we had selected was taking place at Nashville’s BB King’s Blues Bar at 152 Second Avenue North, which is well worth a visit, if only to check out the fixtures and fittings! Our table was an enamelled map of the crossroads made famous by ‘Robert Johnson’. There we were entertained by Hershal Bailey and The Unit, before we left earlier than usual knowing we had some long nights ahead of us when we reached our next destination, Memphis!
DAY 6 – Mon 26th April - Nashville – Memphis
We set out early morning, this time rolling westwards and we were all filled with anticipation as we crossed over the Tennessee terrain to Memphis, that is not only the ‘Home of the Blues’, but also where so much music was born in the 50’s and 60’s out of the Sun, Stax & Hi recording studios! On arrival we had our orientation tour stopping outside the National Civil Rights Museum at 450 Mulberry Street that is set in the shell of the Lorraine Hotel. This is the very location where Martin Luther King was tragically assassinated, sparking off worldwide unrest and violent riots, putting Memphis into a period of decline before its recent 'phoenix rising from the ashes' resurgence. After booking in at the Wyndham Garden Hotel, we eagerly set off on our tour of Sun Studios at 706 Union Avenue where Sam Phillips launched Rock ‘n’ Roll, recording Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash to name but a few. Love the double-sided Gibson guitar sign outside! We then hit Beale Street where we had dinner booked at The Pig On Beale at 167 Beale Street complete with an ‘Elvis’ show featuring Radford Ellis, ‘The Voice of the King’! Great meal and entertainment! Enough nostalgia though, as we left to check out the sights and sounds of Beale Street and finally BB King’s Blues Club at 143 Beale Street. Just starting their set was The Carl Drew Blues Band featuring Joyce Henderson on vocals and make no mistake, this was blues of the highest order. Carl Drew is himself 83 years young and man, can he play blues guitar! Joyce is also a formidable artist in her own right and she came in and out of the proceedings the whole night shaking the place up! The club itself is superbly designed with an upstairs balcony and you are always in close proximity of the band, and of course they have some BB King memorabilia on display. They serve great food and have a souvenir shop next door. After Carl played his last note in the early hours, we headed back to the hotel glowing from our first day’s experience of Memphis!
DAY 7 – Tue 27th April – Memphis
It's not everyday you get to visit 'The King of Rock n' Roll', but this morning’s platinum tour was of Elvis Presley’s Graceland estate where we were guided via our personal audio guide through the 15,000-square-foot mansion. This is where I took a wrong turning in the garden and ended up unknowingly standing in front of where Elvis is now laid to rest. That was a very moving experience for me as I paid my respects to the King! For the uninitiated, Elvis not only changed the world with his music, but was also a very special human being who never lost sight of his roots, and he gave generously to a multitude of good causes! Across the road we viewed his private cars, planes, plus shops containing all his memorabilia. By midday, we were getting really excited as we decided to get in a taxi to take us directly to Stax Records and Museum of American Soul Music at 926 McLemore Avenue. This is where Memphis Soul music history was made with legends Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Isaac Hayes & Booker T & the MGs (the list is endless)! Although this fabulous museum lies on the wrong side of town, it is an absolute must for any music fan visiting Memphis, as they have made such a tremendous job putting all the items on display there! All these museums were making us thirsty so we headed back downtown to ‘The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium’ at 130 Peabody Place on Second Street, that has countless different beers on offer, before heading along the road to the Gibson Guitar Building at 156 Lt George Lee Avenue. This is where you can take a tour to observe just how Gibson guitars are made and it also houses the Memphis Rock n’ Soul Museum, where you can see and hear how Memphis music made history via a personal audio guide. This is the only time I have ever wanted to visit three different museums in one day, but every single one of them contained not only what changed music and the world as we know it, but Bill and myself also! We checked out Beale Street one more time before finally making it back to the hotel to freshen up for our last night in Memphis. Now where shall we go? Where else, but back to Beale Street of course with all its bars and nightclubs! We quickly discovered that Ruby Wilson, the reigning ‘Queen of Beale Street’ was performing live at BB King’s Blues Club at 143 Beale Street, where we had been the night before. Ruby is certainly a blues & soul diva whose delivery leaves you in no doubt that you are in very special company! Memphis is a vibrant city and had certainly won us over in the short time we were there, and to be quite honest, we didn’t really want to leave as we had so much unfinished business there! Still, we could always come back again?
DAY 8 – Wed 28th April - Memphis – Amtrak® City of New Orleans train – Lafayette
Now today was going to give us an entirely different experience to what we had previously encountered! We hopped on and left the coach at the railway station to board that famous train ‘The City of New Orleans’, which took us on our eight hour journey right through to the Mississippi delta and onwards to the railway station in Hammond, Louisiana. Later, down the line our coach was waiting for us for the short drive into the heart of Cajun country and Lafayette, first settled by French Acadian Catholics driven out by the British from Nova Scotia during the 1700s. After booking in at the La Quinta Hotel, a group of us decided to head downtown to explore Lafayette. We ended up at the newly refurbished 307 Jazz & Blues Club at 307 Jefferson Avenue, that has some really cool enamelled artwork of Robert Johnson and John Lee Hooker on the walls! Entertainers for tonight where Steve Hagan & Bika Fisher, who were performing a Country music set. Even though we had another interesting evening, we couldn’t but help our longing to be back in all the excitement of Memphis or Chicago! Alternatively, we could have gone with the main group to experience Mulate’s Original Cajun Restaurant at 325 Mills Avenue in Breaux Bridge, which has live Cajun music and dancing? Anyway, we saw an opportunity to finally get a decent nights kip and eventually decided to return back to the hotel and have an early night in preparation for the final leg of our journey to ‘Nawlins’!
DAY 9 – Thu 29th April - Lafayette – New Orleans
The last leg of our coach tour led us to St. Martinville, where we saw the famous oak tree from Longfellow’s poem ‘Evangeline’, before boarding our boat at McGees Landing for a cruise through ‘gator’ country and the swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin. Afterwards, we continued to Baton Rouge to tour the Capitol Building, the tallest in America commissioned by Huey P. S. Long. This gigantic structure was unbelievably finished within 14 months, mainly due to the fact that it was built during the great depression and ironically it was the same building in which he was later assassinated! Finally we entered our final destination, swinging New Orleans otherwise known as ‘The Big Easy’, famous for everything being simpler, slower and more easy-going from what we had previously encountered on our journey, and also of course Jazz music! We booked into the La Quinta Inn & Suites Hotel which is situated on Camp Street, only a stones throw away from Canal Street and the beautiful French Quarter. We immediately made plans for the evening and Bill being an accomplished harmonica player himself, decided to direct us to the Delta Blues Grill at 542 S. Jefferson Davis Parkway for a ‘Blues Harmonica Blowout’ hosted by Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone. The next few hours turned out to be an unexpected feast of talent, with one artist after another jumping on stage including: Greg Izor, Benny Maygarden Marc Bancroft, Smoky Greenwell, Sunpie Barnes & more! By the time we decided to head back to the hotel, we were well and truly ‘blown away’!
DAY 10 – Fri 30th April New Orleans
Our next morning was dedicated to the sights and sounds of New Orleans, the ‘cradle of jazz’ featuring a tour that included the French Quarter landmarks: Pirates Alley, St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, and a visit to a unique cemetery where everyone is laid to rest above ground (due to the fact that New Orleans is actually below sea level)! Interestingly, they decided to build a massive old people’s home right next to the main cemetery? Also nearby, someone had apparently recently introduced Piranhas into the lake which somehow didn’t surprise us, given all the Voodoo and such going on in this City! In the afternoon, after hearing that the Jazz & Heritage Festival had been rained off, we decided to check out New Orleans for ourselves, down in the beautiful French Quarter and of course, Bourbon Street! This area is supposed to represent old Europe complete with horse drawn carriages, and although having a continental feel, I can honestly say I have never seen anything quite like this! At first, it all seemed surreal in a strange sort of way, especially at night, but as I later discovered, it leaves an endearing impression that doesn’t go away! Anyway, back to reality and we decided to take a taxi out to the Rock ‘n’ Bowl at 4133 South Carrollton Avenue. Here Tab Benoit was to be playing downstairs onstage followed by Sonny Landreth. Playing upstairs next to the Bowling Alley was Kermit Ruffins followed by The Rebirth Jazz Brass Band. As you’d expect, a whole multitude of people descended here for different reasons, and needless to say we spent most of the night downstairs witnessing two of the most exciting guitarists in New Orleans for the Jazz Fest. Tab Benoit played a great set of cajun blues, and Sonny Landreth, whose blues slide guitar playing is becoming increasingly popular, caused a real frenzy! So on we went to Donna's at 800 N. Rampart Street where we experienced jazz pianist Henry Butler playing with his band for a late night session! We met a lovely bunch of people out there as well and all in all, had a fabulous night out leaving you wondering, just how good does this all get? Back once more in the early hours to get a couple of hours sleep before the much awaited Jazz Festival.
DAY
11 – Sat 1st May - New Orleans
Sun was up and it was a great day to venture on out to the 35th New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2004 at the Fair Grounds Race Course! We booked a round trip from the agents nearby and were dropped off directly outside in time to catch Sonny Bourg & The Bayou Blues Band start their set on the Sprint Stage, before heading off over to catch Henry Grey & The Cats in Popeye’s Blues Tent. Henry Gray, who has been playing blues piano for more than 50 years, helped define the Chicago blues keyboard sound and played with all those great bluesmen at Chess records including Howlin' Wolf! Immediately back onstage in his own right afterwards came L’il Buck Sinegal, who had backed Henry Gray playing lead guitar in part of the previous set and he didn’t disappoint! Back it was to the Sprint Stage, after refuelling with a ‘Muffulleta’ (a great Italian deli sandwich) & Beer for yet another set from Sonny Landreth, who had impressed me so much the night before, playing lots off his new album, 'The Road We're On'! Next on the Acura Stage was Santana who ended up being the only artist I wasn’t able to get up close to, as so many thousands of fans had turned out to pay homage! Luckily, I wasn’t too disappointed as I’ve been fortunate enough to witness his unique brand of music on previous occasions. We saw what we could on the giant screens before moving back for some more liquid refreshment outside the Rhodes Gospel Tent. Something compelled me to enter the tent, where I discovered the gospel according to Dorinda Clark-Cole, who gave her absolute all and is a ‘diva’ if ever I’ve seen one! This was one of the greatest ‘happenings’ I’d ever witnessed, with people all around me praising the lord for what they were receiving onstage! Check her out ‘in concert’ if you can as she is truly amazing! I tried to buy her ‘Live’ CD directly afterwards in the Virgin Record Tent and they had not surprisingly ‘sold out’! Totally uplifted, I proceeded back to Popeye’s Blues Tent’ to see the legendary Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown with Gate’s Express, who plays a unique blend of blues, R&B and jazz on a multitude of instruments including: guitar, violin, harmonica & drums. You began to kick yourself to make sure you weren’t dreaming all this! So it was, back to the hotel and a well earned rest after all this excitement. As Bill and half the party were going to be leaving the following morning, we all decided to go out and sample some more of that famous New Orleans cuisine and of course to mull over yet another memorable day!
DAY 12 – Sun 2nd May - New Orleans
So, all good things must come to an end, well at least for some of us, as Bill and my new found friends headed off to the airport saying our farewells after breakfast. I felt a certain sadness with my buddy leaving as so much had transpired during our time together, and I know every cab driver we'd kept busy down the Mississippi would miss him too! We had certainly witnessed more than some music enthusiasts would have in a year of concert going, and others a lifetime! We both admitted we had found a ‘kindred spirit’, and I’m sure we will remember all our times and experiences on this trip for the rest of lives! I'd extended my stay for another 2 days, so I got ready for another gruelling day over at the Jazz Fest. Well, after all, someone’s got to do it! I climbed aboard the minibus late that morning full of anticipation of what was about to unfold, especially as the previous day had been such a revelation on what I had expected! Mem Shannon & The Membership were playing Popeye’s Blues Tent as I arrived and Mem, who is a former New Orleans Cab driver, played a really groovy funky blues set. I then managed to catch Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble on the Fais Do-Do Stage, who were delivering their own brand of Zydeco music. That put me in the mood to sample some more of that great New Orleans cooking and of course some liquid refreshment, before trekking over to see Paulette Wright & Volume of Praise in the Rhodes Gospel Tent for a rousing gospel chorus! A short step over into Popeye’s Blues Tent gave me the chance to savour the acoustic roots style of Chris Smither, who really brought the place down by delivering a sensitive and at times humorous acoustic set! I left to check out the rest of the festival and refuel again before returning to reserve my seat for the last 2 acts billed in Popeye’s Blues Tent. First on was Marva Wright & The BMW’s, who could easily have performed her powerful set in the gospel tent. Marva’s vocals drive through blues, gospel and R&B standards with ease and she certainly underlined her status as 'The Blues Queen of New Orleans', which incidentally is the title of her latest album! Finally, Robert Cray took to the stage and began a performance which approached 'meltdown'! Bobby literally blew the place away with his fiery guitar and soulful singing, proving once and for all that he truly is a living blues legend! His extended rendition of 'Time makes two' off his new album was simply mouth-watering! I can’t speak too highly of this guy’s live performances and being fortunate to have witnessed a few in the past, this was certainly one of his best! As I made my way back to the hotel, I sensed that this was going to be a very special day indeed, as I was next going to make my way over to the House of Blues at 225 Decatur Street, and hopefully buy a ticket off the street for a sold-out concert by the blues legend himself, Buddy Guy. I struck lucky and really dug the venue with its cool restaurant and bar downstairs leading to doors for ticket holders who wanted to see the show. Inside, it resembles a theatre making it worthy of hosting some of the best concerts you’ll find in New Orleans! Buddy was certainly on form, and performed one of his long late night sets! What better end to my blues sojourn could I have envisaged? One of the best days of my life if the truth be known! Enough said!
DAY 13 – Mon 3rd May - New Orleans
Last day in ‘The Big Easy’ and so I decided to just wander the streets in the French Quarter and take it all in by sampling the bars and delicious local cuisine as well as doing the last of my shopping. There is a great atmosphere here, and the more you explore its fascinating streets, the more unusual sites you end up discovering, whilst being serenaded by countless street musicians playing jazz, zydeco and blues rhythms that echo around the place! New Orleans is ‘Party City’ and there is always some form of celebration going on throughout the year, and I doubt if anyone could come here and not be drawn into the almost jubilant atmosphere that blows through the streets! One place really worth mentioning for music collectors is the Louisiana Music Factory at 210 Decatur Street, that has two floors specializing in jazz, blues, gospel, R&B, zydeco and cajun music as well as live artists playing music downstairs. It is situated directly opposite the House of Blues. I bought my last souvenirs there and made sure I was back to the hotel in time to get an early night in preparation for my journey home. Strange feeling really, as I had just experienced two of the best weeks in living memory and yet felt like I needed a holiday! I also came in search of the blues... and found it in abundance plus a lot more besides, so maybe I'll have to go back again?
DAY 14 – Tue 4th May - New Orleans – Return to the UK
Transfer to New Orleans airport for the overnight flight home.
DAY 15 – Wed 5th May - Home landing
Back in the UK.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Blues Connections would like to thank the following people:
Richard Knight who provided the inspiration for this trip by writing 'The Blues Highway'!
Judy Porchia and Chuck Krause at Cosmos Tourama for making the journey so enjoyable!
Bill Moodie of Juke Blues for his knowledge and guidance throughout the tour!
All the musicians who played for us along the way which made this journey so worthwhile!