“Muscle Shoals has got The Swampers” …
The very last blues-research stop for us was at Muscle Shoals, Alabama – that small Southern town with a history of musical magic. This was our third visit to The Shoals – the goal being to fill in any research gaps and update the info we’d collected in the past – but we were (almost) overwhelmed by the warm welcome, being ushered into the local musical fold, the information we gathered and the people we met.
The local tourism people shepherded us around to all the sites: the studio tour at FAME, the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, the tour of the newly renovated studios of the Muscle Shoals Sound at 3614 Jackson Highway, the local guitar boutique (left Craig salivating), wonderful meals at Odette downtown and Champy’s for their “world famous” fried chicken.
A highlight for us were two concerts – one honouring local musicians at Cypress Moon Studios and the other an amazing evening of music at The Nutt House Studios, featuring many accomplished and long time Shoals studio musicians. It was amazing.
But the biggest thrill for us was a long lunch with David Hood, bass guitarist as one of the original Swampers, the studio band at FAME and the 3614 Jackson Highway who played with everyone from Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin to Wilson Pickett and Paul Simon (yes, that’s him on Kodachrome). He and Craig talked music and guitars for a good hour. He was personable, gracious and unassuming and it was the perfect way to top off what has been an incredible trip for us.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this blues voyage happen. We’ve met such wonderful people, heard great music, learned volumes about the history of the blues and the South. We’ll be bringing it all out in our blues travel book!
Thanks y’all!
Sweet
Thanks for the up-date..
Hi Jo and Craig, sounds like a blast of a trip, thanks for sharing along the way. Safe travels and happy writing. cheers, Ace and pie.