Reviews from Bluesbaby

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At least six words was what I promised and there they are. All the rest is just filler but I'll try to make a couple of points. I will say, however, this being the first cruise experience for me, it had to be the best I could have chosen.

Imagine a full week of being catered to with no responsibility by the crew of the Norwegian Sea. Imagine a full week of sun in the middle of January when it's the dead of winter at your Wisconsin home. Then, imagine all that surrounded by a world of music, musicians and fans in the sunshine.

There's no phone, no TV, nothing for you to see to except whatever YOU want to do. All this is taking place in the company of congenial, gregarious people. There's time to converse, to be alone, to read, wander. Firm friendships are being cemented, passing aquaintances amuse, the one thread common to all is the music which suffuses the entire week for everyone.

And the music! I cynically expected that the projection of 19 artists and 45 performances during the week would probably be something like 5 different guys getting up to sing and then maybe they'd do one a number together and call that five performances. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed to learn that all the advertised performers brought their own groups, put on full, all-out performances, and were often available to join in with other groups when they weren't on themselves.

As a matter of fact, you would probably never see these musicians play better at any time than they did on this cruise. The fact that they knew and respected each other put them all on the spot to perform at the top of their games. And, all had shows scheduled two or three times during the week so it wasn't necessary to miss any one of them.

For a day-by-day account of our expedition I will refer you to the Austin Chronical, (Vol. 19) February 4, 2000 issue, lead article by Margaret Moser: Sea Cruise. You can access it at auschron.com and go to the archives. She has a fine fifteen pages of description which took me right back out to sea again. Luckily for me, I got to know her while on board ship.

The accompanying article by Christopher Gray, Fish Out of Water, explains why I never got to meet, or probably, even lay eyes on him.

So, I came home with some new friends, quite a few e-mail contacts, wonderful memories, and a firm decision to sign up for Sandy Beaches # 7 in 2001 as soon as they are taking reservations. I recommend to serious Blues Fans that they start saving up for the next one, too. (See: www.delbert.com or info@delbert.com or dial 1-800-delbert)