Tradition! Tradition!...Al's got them...Al keeps them...

Submitted by Al Kanovsky 3/26/13

Monday night was the first night of the Jewish holiday, Passover. I went out for a traditional meal. 

It would be at one of my favorite restaurants, Cristina Wans in Ft. Lauderdale. Tradition held strong.

 Won-ton soup, Egg-Foo Young, a sip of hot sake and a dish of coconut ice cream. To continue commemorating the Israelites escape from the Pharaohs I headed for BJB's. A few well known rabbis would be there. Danny Burger, the drum rabbi, Jeff Prine, the guitar rabbi, Bobby Freeman, rabbi of the Hammond B3 and the Queen of the Je----- BLUES, Juanita Dixon. Celebrating the holiday with me were the indefatigable Babette, Alfreda, the Mom and daughter from Saturday, Gloria and Hope and a packed house of Juanita fans.

Juanita carries the torch of BLUES tradition. Bessie Smith, Big Mama Thornton, Big Maybelle and others helped lay the foundation of women in BLUES. Ms. Dixon joins them in song. She opened the set with "Down Home Blues". If you have ever been "down home" you could feel this song in your bones. When she does "You Can Have My Husband" every woman in the room seems to know exactly what Juanita's singing about. It's not the same old world anymore. "When There's Something Wrong With My Baby" tears at your heart strings. They closed the evening with B.B. Kings "I Like To Live the Love That I Sing About" When I asked Juanita about her favorite line in a BLUES song, she replied, "Why I Sing the Blues". It is part of another B.B. King hit. A word about Jeff Prine. I heard him soon after my arrival in south Florida, seven years ago. My first impression was that he just "alright". Jeff has dedicated himself to the music and last night he showed that it paid off. Technique, style, creativity all were present in his performance. I personally applaud his perseverance.

Juanita's renditions of some of the old BLUES tunes brought make other memories of days gone by. Maybe because of Paulette Dozier's portrayal of Billie Holiday, thoughts of her pervaded those memories. The great recordings with Lester Young (the Prez). Billie's recordings with Artie Shaw and Basie bands. Her passing in the same year as her musical soul mate Lester Young. Appearances at Peacock Alley and the Oasis in New York. Pleasant and sad. Just like the BLUES.  

They were closing the joint so I had to go home. I got the Real Tracy Fields to ride home with me. She had Melton Mustafa join us. A little later on Ms. Fields got his brother Jesse Jones Jr. and Dr. Lonnie Smith to play "I'm Goin' Home". She closed her show saying "It's always good for me". Me too, Tracy.

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