Doug McCleod: I waited a year to say this...

A year ago Michael Havens and I saw Doug McCleod in Crockett and I came away drop-jawwed and not believing my ears. I was so excited, I accidentally erased all of my photographs of him on the way home. Just as well I thought, I am way too impressed to even write a blog, nobody would take my effusive blabbering seriously.

This time, my photos made it, and my confidence in my musical taste is greater.. so here goes... I waited a year to say this...

"Dub" McLeod is one of the greatest living American bluesmen performing today. Once again he rocked the house at Camp St. Cafe in Crockett. I brought along Navasota Mayor Bert Miller and Michael had a guest as well and we all agreed he was amazing. Playing all original songs, fanning that resonator guitar like it was a red hot Karo pie, he showed such great artistic virtuosity that it nearly shamed me to think how little my ticket cost to see him. But don't worry, I'm saving my money to stock his incredible music at Blues Alley!

It is impossible for me to capture him when he is really revved-up and playing furiously on his resonator. I had to really work to get shots of him in action that were not a total blur. Dub is simply the best in his genre, drawing upon over fifty years of playing blues with the likes of Pee Wee Crayton, Albert Collins and Muddy Waters. He is a wonderful link to our Texas blues heritage, having listened and learned from some of our greatest musicians. What an honor it was to see him again. He only comes to Texas once a year, so plan to catch him the next time, and learn what awesome music you are missing out on! And maybe next time, I'll even think to let everybody know about it in advance!