I am pleased to report that the esteemed Mr. Willie Nelson is still in fine form and voice, and delivered a thunderously good show at the old Ryman Auditorium in Nashville last evening. At almost 83 years of age, he pounded on Trigger the wonder guitar for about an hour and a half without pause. Legend has it that Trigger has been reinforced with a highly classified substance used to glue together high speed military aircraft, and I gotta believe it after seeing the pounding the old man gave the poor thing without breaking it.

Sister Bobbie, at 85, can still make a piano bounce up and down on stage. Willie's son Lucas has the lick, if not his pa's voice yet. I think the kid must have been snacking on some chittlins and turnip greens. He did some low-down, gut-bustin' blues that had the mostly white, middle-age to elderly audience acting like Saturday night in the French Quarter.

Altogether a great show, worth driving in a rainstorm to get there and a snowstorm to get home. Ain't many performers I would do that to see, but Willie is one of them.