While it's still fresh in mind, I want to tell you all about a fabulous day yesterday(Sat. Nov. 17).

It started early at the Saturday Morning Market in beautiful downtown St. Pete with a trio gig. On my right, Lenny Austin playing guitar and singing and, on my left, T.C. Carr playing harp and singing. Thousands of people coming and going, many stopping to listen to the tunes, buy cds, and chat with us on breaks. It was a reunion of lots of old friends we hadn't seen and who hadn't seen each other in many years. Mickey Seretny was in town and sat in playing harp on 2 songs. Zoom and Laura Zumberg were in the crowd - we hadn't seen them in ages, Billy Sproul and Mickey hadn't seen each other in twenty years...it was that kind of morning! Friends, family, fans from ages ago, newfound friends and fans....how great is that!?

Many thanks to my uber-talented sidemen "The Unusual Suspects" and much gratitude to Kat, Patsy and Melinda who sold cds and kept us supplied with food and drink. Many thanks, also to David Cellon and his ever capable staff for running America's best Saturday Morning Market.

Flash forward a few hours and the magic gets even more spectacular. Originally scheduled to play the Nepa Hut solo that night, I was already looking forward to Vinnie Seplesky's sitting in on bass. Vinnie's been making the Saturday nights at the Nepa a regular stop and it puts a big smile on my face to have that big groovin' bottom to play and sing over. I also knew that Mickey was going to play some harp with us and that is always a treat. What I didn't know and couldn't have expected was the convergence of cosmic proportions that followed! Dave Williamson, T.C. Carr, Lenny Austin, and Kim Jenkins (a super vocalist and old friend since the 70s) all joined Vinnie, Mick and me to form a most serendipitous version of "The Unusual Suspects" which morphed from duo to trio, quartet and back again in too many variations to list here.

In a night full of highlights, one of the most memorable came on the penultimate number when T.C. summoned Mickey to join him on Memphis in the Meantime for a harmonica summit that just wouldn't quit! Superlatives fail me. They were blowin' like a couple of hurricanes meeting in the perfect harpoon storm! (a "harmonicanvergence" perhaps?)

We ended with a tribute to our brother in arms and former piano player Stormin' Normin' and sent up what we hope was a "Norm-worthy" version of Little Feat's "Willin."

As we unwound later over a couple of non-alcohol brews (my how times change!) , Mickey reminded me that this was the night we had been scheduled to do the big Mad Beach Band /Saltwater reunion at the grand opening of the John's Pass Boardwalk. (That opening was postponed several weeks ago.) "I'd forgotten all about that!" I said. Mickey just grinned, looked up, and pointed one finger skyward.

Thanks to everyone who was at those gigs and my undying thanks to all the "Unusual Suspects" for one of the best gigs ever!