A sophisticated four-camera shoot captured the live action of the desert concerts and it has yielded some uniquely captivating portraits of these three undisputed masters. When the impressive package is released this fall, blues fans are certain to be struck by the seemingly effortless interplay between the musicians who shared the Rhythm Room stage. For the forty people who worked tirelessly both on-stage and off to make the event happen, the rewards far overshadow the degree of difficulty each faced—ranging from a series of technical snafus and logistical nightmares to the intimidating 112 degree Phoenix heat (OK, it was only 100 at midnight).

By the time Kid Ramos opened the show June 1 with Albert Collins’ “Don’t Lose Your Cool,” the focus was right where it needed to be—on the music. As Kid pointed out during his introduction to the festivities, Floyd Dixon, Pinetop Perkins and Henry Gray represent a combined 250 years of blues experience. Realizing the importance of supporting these giants with savvy veterans, Auerbach and Ramos assembled a who’s-who supporting cast to augment and complete their performances. These desert All-Stars who distinguished themselves throughout the two night affair and whose work is an integral part of the forthcoming HighJohn project are Ramos on guitar; Larry Taylor (founding member of Canned Heat) on bass; Richard Innes (Fabulous Thunderbirds, Big Joe Turner, T-Bone Walker) on drums; Fred Kaplan (Hollywood Fats) on piano and organ; Steve Marsh (Brian Setzer Orchestra, Lyle Lovett) on tenor sax; Troy Jennings (Candye Kane, Kid Ramos) on baritone sax and Joe Banks (Dyke & The Blazers) on trumpet.

Appreciating the concert CD and its soon-to-follow DVD may not be exactly like sitting at a front table at the Rhythm Room, but it comes pretty close. Living Blues Editor, Brett Bonner said, “You could literally reach out and touch them.” Having state-of-the-art technology at one’s disposal is a tempting proposition, but the sound and video team behind the scenes at this historic event refrained from letting it take over the proceedings, preferring to let the men, and their music, deservingly occupy center stage throughout.

Floyd Dixon remains one of the most captivating performers to ever grace a stage and several Rhythm Room audience members remarked that he looked every bit the star in his incandescent gold suit as he strutted to the stage for his performance. Once seated at the piano stool, Floyd wasted little time reminding the enraptured crowd why they were there. “Hole In The Wall”, “Cold Cold Feeling”, “I’m Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town”, “Glory Of Love”, “Caledonia”, “Time Brings About A Change,” “Call Operator 210”, “Rita” and the haunting “So Long” flowed from his fingertips and full throated voice as they have for the better part of six decades and he displayed as much vitality at the end of the show as when he first sat down.