Tuesday 27 November 2012

Welcome, mes amis!

From callow bohemian to weary pilgrim, here’s a little of the journey so far. The city streets of my boyhood; steam heat rising off the Mississippi; the railroad; grits and gravy; the Cardinals and the Dodgers on the radio; summers in Kentucky and the Ozarks; Jimmy Reed at The London House East, Bobby “Blue” Bland at the Cosmo Hall; Muddy at the Moonlight Lounge and Slick’s Lakeside; the High Plains of east Colorado on a winter morning; the Charlie Company Boogie; all those nights in all those rented rooms; the wind off the ocean; the winter storms; the tough break and the heartache; the dust of Mexico; twilight on the Seine; the evening breeze, the distant thunder, the sweetness of the rain; the light and the laughter in my children’s eyes; the constant struggle and infinite joy of love.

15 comments:

  1. Hello, Jim, just wanted to let you know I have included some info about you at my blog as part of Vancouver Views. There are photos of you with Cory Weeds at the Cellar Jazz Club. I and my hubs are longtime fans, and remember first seeing you on the Vancouver Show. Hope you don't mind.

    http://dghudson.blogspot.ca/2013/05/music-in-cellar-vancouver-views.html

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  2. i'm sitting here mesmerized by your show...i'm serious! takes me back to such a sweeter time...4th ave vancouver before chemical row on 8th....black swan cafe....a conscientious objector named sorry...from his us sargeant and it stuck, wreck beach at sunset......
    Ever coming this way to montreal for a show? count me in!

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  3. Hi Jim...an old friend sent me a utube with you singing...I remember way back when in Vancouver around the time of Sherman Doucet and all the bands, hanging out with you in the blue's clubs...I have been living all over the world and now have an organic Ranch and farm out East in Ontario, gorgeous place...You may remember the name on the photo's...website www.lifespringfarm.com...Wishing you all the Best, Regards...Anastasia

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  4. Hi Jim, I'm probably from the wrong side of the universe and 30 years too late! But I've recently discovered your music and am loving it! It really speaks to the depth of human existence without having all the answers. Life often doesn't have the answers.
    Anyway, not sure you'll get this since I see this blog hasn't been active for the last couple of years, but just wanted to drop you a line to say that some one out on the southern tip of Africa loves your music and is bummed that music stores here don't seem to know who you are. Maybe we can change that....

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  5. Finally I'm getting around to getting something down about your show last Sunday at Joe's Cafe, here in St. Louis. It was a beautiful day... inside and outside. I loved the small but packed venue; a very personal show. Your new album... the tribute to St. Louis... is a gas. You show a range and depth I hadn't heard before, like the old neighborhood pulled you in and pumped you up. Great music... and love your band... the clarinet is a nice touch. Highly appropriate. I got a couple good photos I'll try to send somehow. Great seeing you. Be well.

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  6. Hello Jim see your online... I'm still in New Orleans.

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  7. You ever heard of a band called,
    "Delta Pride"? Lulu Berge

    p.s. I think you are pretty cool....

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  8. jim.... what ever happened to the sax player from the 70's...nik-named... ''the big beef''....i wonder if he still has the purple and yellow lapel jacket i gave him...?
    remember ....''the shackletts''...?

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  9. Hi Jim
    Please contact me, my husband rick just had his feet and hands amputated due to illness, and Iam asking you to sing at his fundraiser, I don't know how else to get ahold of you. And we are both huge fans. Saw you last at the Burnaby bluesfest

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. Hello Mr. Byrnes. How nice to find you have a website! I met you and Mr. Adrian Paul at the Calgary Comics and Entertainment Expo in Calgary, AB Canada, a few years ago. Got a couple of pictures taken with the two of you at the photo ops. Adrian Paul wrote on one of them, "There can be only one." I remember I also asked you if playing the guitar is easy. You said yes so I went and bought one. Guess what? No it isn't! I stink at it! �� I wish I could play as well as you do. I'm trying to teach myself because I can't afford lessons. Maybe sometime I'll get better at it.
    Anyway, then I went home and went online and watched Highlander: The turkey, er oops I meant The Source. It was the only Highlander movie I hadn't seen and it was sure no loss! Yick! It really WAS a turkey geez! The only good part was Joe Dawson getting killed, though I was really sad that he did. I cried like a baby when he took his last breath. I loved Joe's love and loyalty for MacCleod. I wish you guys would make one last good Highlander movie - you, Mr Paul, Mr. Wingfield, and that Ms. Elizabeth Gracen, to make up for that stinky Source movie! Anyway, I'm going to keep up with the guitar playing. Maybe you can make a CD or DVD of guitar lessons and sell it on your site. I'd sure buy it! Well, glad you're still well and kicking things up with your guitar. Bye for now!

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  12. Hello Mr. Byrnes. How nice to find you have a website! I met you and Mr. Adrian Paul at the Calgary Comics and Entertainment Expo in Calgary, AB Canada, a few years ago. Got a couple of pictures taken with the two of you at the photo ops. Adrian Paul wrote on one of them, "There can be only one." I remember I also asked you if playing the guitar is easy. You said yes so I went and bought one. Guess what? No it isn't! I stink at it! �� I wish I could play as well as you do. I'm trying to teach myself because I can't afford lessons. Maybe sometime I'll get better at it.
    Anyway, then I went home and went online and watched Highlander: The turkey, er oops I meant The Source. It was the only Highlander movie I hadn't seen and it was sure no loss! Yick! It really WAS a turkey geez! The only good part was Joe Dawson getting killed, though I was really sad that he did. I cried like a baby when he took his last breath. I loved Joe's love and loyalty for MacCleod. I wish you guys would make one last good Highlander movie - you, Mr Paul, Mr. Wingfield, and that Ms. Elizabeth Gracen, to make up for that stinky Source movie! Anyway, I'm going to keep up with the guitar playing. Maybe you can make a CD or DVD of guitar lessons and sell it on your site. I'd sure buy it! Well, glad you're still well and kicking things up with your guitar. Bye for now!

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  13. Hello Mr Byrnes, am Fan French woman , I love your song and série " un flic dans la mafia ! big kiss for you .....Bye Marie

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  14. Hi Joe,
    My name is Beth Athy Grosser and you went to primary school with my mother. She has talked about you and has fond memories of her childhood. She was shy, but I was wondering if you would remember her. Her maiden name was Mary Ellen Parnell.

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