Serenading The American Queen

Royalty is visiting us this week. After years of absence, The American Queen riverboat is back on the Ohio River and is stopping at our town of Huntington, WV, today as she goes upriver and again on Monday, as she heads back downstream. The town is hoping folks will turn out big time both days to celebrate. If you're listening to this on Thursday, June 26, be sure to drop by Harris Riverfront Park this afternoon and hear our friend Dale Jones and his Backyard Dixie Jazz Stompers. Then mark Monday, June 30, on your calendar -- that's when we in The Flood will be on the riverfront for our turn to serenade the boat crowd. We'll play from 3 to 5 p.m. Figuring nothing says "party" like a ringing banjo, we've invited our old buddy, former Floodster Chuck Romine, to sit in with us for the boat gig. Here's a tune we've been working on for the show.

Slippin' and Slidin' with Jimmy and Bob

Like any other family, the members of The Flood miss each other when they're separated for any length of time. For various reasons, we had to cancel the previous two rehearsal sessions, so when we finally got back together last night, it was joyous, turning a practice into a party. And you could hear in the music, starting with this very first song, our take on an old Jimmy Reed tune. As we serve it up, it's a blues sandwich -- with a smattering of Bob Dylan right in the middle.