Wel, well, well.

I went over to a friend’s place the other night to jam in their basement, something that doesn’t happen often enough these days. While in the midst of a Pixies/Sonic Youth-like noise fest in walks a tall fellow in a pork-pie hat. He opens one of his two guitar cases to reveal a gleeming new National steel guitar. Inspired by the sight I break into one of my favourit riffs.

“Hey, Goin’ Down South, right on, RL Burnside”, the new comer declares. I am aghast, not only did he know that song, but picked it out from my garbled rendition. His next words, though would set the tone for the rest of the evening: “I am so glad to have seen him play live before he died.” “Ya”, I reply ” I saw him a couple of times and h–, what do you mean, before he died?”

Seems as though I have been so out of touch with the world over the last year that I missed the passing of my favorite of all blues-men, RL Burnside.

Check out his obituary here and his discography here.