My wife got us tickets to see B. B. King along with The Neville Brothers and Dr. John at Chastain last night. It was part of the Classic Chastain series. It was kind of last minute, but the concierge in my wife's office building had tickets free up.
It was really a terrific show. Three things really made an impression on me.
First, B. B. King is 80 years old, and he is still working hard. This was my first time seeing B. B. live, but I have seen a number of other old bluesmen, and I have to say that you will not find a harder working group of entertainers. B. B. did play from a chair, but he was still working.
Second, having New Orleanians Dr. John and the Neville brothers there just reminded me of what a tragedy Katrina was. That anyone even talked about not rebuilding makes me furious. New Orleans is a national treasure. There is nothing else like it.
Finally, The Neville Brothers closed their session with Aaron singing Amazing Grace. I found it profoundly moving. It may have been because I was in an especially religious frame of mind as a result of following too much of the negative response to the election of Bishop Jefferts Schori. Aaron Neville's singing was just so unaffected, so beautiful, and so clearly in touch with his deep faith, that it really moved me.
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