I had no idea what “Praying in the Blues” meant, and sat near the back row just in case… Then to everyone’s delight we got a wonderful dose of entertain ment at the official opening of the Navasota Bluesfest at St. Paul’s, Thursday night. Johnny and Lisé McNally, Jimmy Killingsworth and Mark Oakland, excellent musicians all, seemed to immediately give the church an old time Black church feel. Everyone was in the mood for some git-down sweaty blues, and they got what they came for. The air conditioning was struggling under the 100 degree strain, but local Gospel Queen Karan Chavis soared divinely through several numbers that threatened to test the stability of the one hundred-plus year old Episcopal sanctuary, as blues enthusiasts stomped, clapped and boogied in the aisles to her renditions of Will the Circle Be Unbroken and Amazing Grace. Something tells me if church was always like this, St. Paul’s would need to knock out some of those beautiful Victorian walls. Lawd have Mercy!
No comments:
Post a Comment