His energy was infectious and he used it to drive the early songs home just as he did the tunes he recorded last year during the sessions for Fine! Fine! Thing!, his HighJohn Records debut. Music always gave Floyd inspiration and this year it again fueled his desire to perform live. From small clubs to festivals, Floyd has enjoyed turning on a new audience, as well as his longtime fans. Though he performed sparingly in 2006, each of his appearances was greeted with the respect and adulation one would naturally expect for such an accomplished musical hero.

Pinetop Perkins, who just turned 93, defies his age as well as the notion that there is such a thing as retirement. The distinguished Perkins, like Floyd Dixon, displays an uncanny amount of fire when he performs and his shows at the Rhythm Room literally transcended time and space. Songs like “Down In Mississippi”, “Since I Lost My Baby” and “Come Back Baby” revealed a fire and passion that must have been evident to Muddy Waters when he selected the pianist to join his band in 1969. Kim Wilson, co-founder of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, got such a kick out of sitting in on harp the first night that he hurried over the second night immediately following a T-Birds show in Scottsdale to be part of the action. Wilson had responded to his friend and former band-mate Kid Ramos’ invitation to participate and his presence underscored the love and respect he feels for the blues’ legendary architects.

Henry Gray immediately commands respect and not just for the dozen years he spent in Howlin Wolf’s legendary band. His stage presence and fiery demeanor still convey the love he feels for the music and it was abundantly evident throughout the two shows he performed at the Rhythm Room. As he did with Pinetop, Kim Wilson, added his signature harmonica touches to several of Henry’s offerings, bringing urgency and electricity to “Dust My Broom”, “Henry’s Houserocker” and “Sweet Home Chicago”. Henry’s set, in fact, was a tribute to the earthy roots of the blues and he captured its essence flawlessly.

 As Kid Ramos and Robert Auerbach contemplated this desert summit, they felt it was important to add one more element to the mix. Johnny Tucker, the HighJohn recording artist who first introduced Auerbach to Floyd, proved to be the missing piece of the puzzle. Building a natural bridge between Ramos’ fiery opening set and the star-studded night ahead, Tucker packed a wallop with his original songs and was at his finest with “Do You Wanna Dance”. His gravelly soulful voice and crowd pleasing theatrics evoked memories of the late Otis Redding as well as the recently departed Wilson Pickett and he made instant fans out of the sold out throng at the Rhythm Room.

If description serves any purpose it’s to whet the appetite for what’s being described. The Desert Summit was truly a one-of-a-kind magic moment, and the forthcoming HighJohn Records, LLC package more than does it justice. Immaculate sound and visionary video define the two-part release that will emerge on CD September 5 and on DVD at a later date. The result promises several surprises for blues fans everywhere. Please visit the HighJohn web site for updates about this forthcoming “event”.