A few months ago we went on a music cruise to the Caribbean. The cruise was organized by Delbert McClinton and featured him and many other bands that play similar music. If you like blues music with a bit of honky-tonk, country, and rock and roll, you probably would have enjoyed the cruise. McClinton won a Grammy several years ago for the Best Contemporary Blues Album. He also won a Grammy with Bonnie Raitt in 1992 for best rock vocal duo (“Good Man, Good Woman”). Being on the cruise was like going to a blues concert all day and night for a week. We loved it.

One of the musicians that I learned to like a lot on this cruise was Red Young. He’s an exceptional pianist and organist, but you won’t find a lot of records he’s made. I’m not sure he has a regular band, and he didn’t lead a band on this cruise. However, he played with just about every band that performed. It seemed like every concert we heard, he was sitting in with the band. He usually played the B3 but sometimes played a keyboard.  I really developed an appreciation for his music when I attended a late-night session where he was the main attraction. He played more blues and jazz, which I really love.

After that late concert I spotted Red on the pool deck and asked him if I could take a picture. I handed my phone to a stranger who was nice enough to take the picture. After the picture, I blurted out “I love you, man”.

I’m not sure why I wasn’t able to come up with a more erudite statement or question, but that’s what came out. After I said that, I was embarrassed and was at a loss for words. So, I just walked away. I went back to the spot where we were watching the concert and had another beer.