The first time I saw Slick perform was at the Simply the Blues Festival 2005. What came to mind when I approached the stage was, "who is this young fella, in his pajamas, toting a Gibson as big as himself?" Then he proceeded to jump off the stage, making his way through the crowd with moves The King would be envious of.
After the festival, back at the host hotel, I attended the after-jam. Slick and John Richardson (Blue Mercy) had some serious axe grinding to do.
A few months later, I had a chance to see Slick headlining at Theodore’s Blues and BBQ in Springfield, MA. I was not sure what type of blues he performed. Meaning, it didn’t seem to be Delta or Chicago style. As if he read my mind, he announced that it was called Junkhouse blues.
During the break at Theodore’s, I purchased his CD, Mississippi Soul, and got him to sign a few pictures I took at the festival earlier in the year. He seemed blown away when I produced the photos for autographs. “Ma’am, I would sure like me to have a few of these pictures,” he said to me. I asked him for his email and he said that he didn’t have a “puter”. So, he gave me his mailing address and I sent him some nice 8x10’s and a disc of all the shots that I have taken. When I saw him on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise this past January, I asked him if he got the photos and the disc that I sent. He was playing an acoustic number down in the merchandise room; he stopped playing, and gave a brilliant smile. He thanked me about ten times.
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