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.

My wife was just asking about Mr. Nelson's sister. She was wondering if she was still with us. Her piano playing on the Red Headed Stranger album was suberb. Glad to hear she is still with us.

Art