The Rock School Blues Band

continued

There are three guitarists and a drummer on stage with Dave. One guy is wearing sunglasses and a tie, but he's so obviously excited he looks like a combination of a kid at Christmas and a blues god.

"Good evening, Tap Room Annex," shouts Dave into the microphone. He gives a speech about the Ann Arbor Music Center and jokes that he was grading the musicians as they set up. The first song is "Dust My Broom," and it's the blues all right, a song about how sad and betrayed the poor guy feels, yet off in search of another woman. I think there's a drinking reference in there too. I'm not a blues scholar or even familiar with many of the standards Dave listed for me earlier, but I know good old-fashioned blues when I hear 'em.

Dave cues the goateed drummer, who stomps his floor drum and launches into a darn good solo. Next, Dave introduces the bass player as the son of the guy wearing the sunglasses. He's the only minor in the house. The father moves to the keyboards, and the group plays Jimi Hendrix's "Red House." They switch guitarists, and the new guy saunters onstage. He's got a pretty pearl-inlaid guitar, and apparently he isn't intimidated by reproducing a Hendrix solo, because cause he lays out his riffs with utter confidence. No show, no presentation — just slow, sexy Hendrix.