Page 80 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2018

Kofi Burbridge of the Tedeschi Trucks Band Photo by © Marilyn Stringer

Thomas’ songs have since been revived by folk, rock and
blues musicians. Among the first of these was “Honey Won’t
You Allow Me One More Chance,” which was revamped
by Bob Dylan in 1963 as “Honey, Just Allow Me One More
Chance.” Others include “Don’t Ease Me In” covered by
the Grateful Dead; “Fishing Blues,” recorded by The Lovin’
Spoonful in 1965, Taj Mahal in 1968 and the Nitty Gritty Dirt
Band in 2002; and “Bull Doze Blues,” which was reworked
and recorded as “Up The Country” by Wingy Manone in
1927 and 1930 and became the basis for Canned Heat’s
“Going Up The Country” in 1968.
Perhaps the greatest current exponent of the quills
tradition is the young multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons,
founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, who was
taught quills by another creative artist, Mike Seeger. Both
musicians are well documented and have kept the acoustic
traditions alive for the next generation of wind players and
blues men alike.
I started my musical journey with the saxophone at the
age of 12 and started playing flute two years later. My world
was forever changed after my older brother, Frank Jr., brought
home a friend from college to give me some brief tutoring and
insights on being a professional musician. Ari Jackson was a
classically trained flutist from the U.S. Virgin Islands, who was
studying at Southern University with Alvin Batiste. Ari stood
in our dining room and played some of the most technically
flawless, beautiful and expressive flute I’ve ever heard. I can
still remember the resonance reverberating the room, walls
and floor. The sound was haunting and magically revealing. I
heard his soul, breath and life-force pouring out through that
flute, and he was right there in front of me, up close and
personal. Two years later, another brother, Charles, took me
to a theatrical performance at the high school and introduced
me to Vince Williams, whose solo performances on alto sax
and flute stole the show. Once again, I was transformed by

78 Blues Festival Guide 2018