Sunnyland At The Keys

Glad to include this song by my old Mugar cadre mate David Hofstetter. It tells the tale of the Boston music scene back in the days when we used to stay out late! Dave was a giant help on The Sunnyland Blues book, the Just You and Me record and more. He was not just our official photographer, he was also East Coast promo man for Proud Truth Publishing.Come with us now to those fabulous  days of yesteryear. I love that Dirty Water!






Sunnyland At The Keys


By David Hofstetter

At the Tam and at the Channel
In black silk and in red flannel
The music burrows deep into your brain
Hubert Sumlin and Roy Orbison
And a whole lot more of them
Just one listen and you'll never be the same

And the crowd is up and dancing
Lots of sweat, lots of romancing
It's July and the AC has broken down
But there's still cold 'Gansett
And the effect is nearly tantric
On the couple in the tux and the wedding gown

(Chorus)
And Sunnyland at the keys
He's making me believe
That the blues - it's true! - can really set you free
Every field shout and holler
Every thump and loosened collar
Gives the crowd another taste of sweet relief

At the break at the next table
There's a gasbag spreading fables
Trying to get two girls back to his place
Says he drummed last year for Mayall
They call that a total fail
'Cause they know lately Mayall's only using bass

And if you take another "T" branch
You'll wind up at the Hillbilly Ranch
And up on stage there's Mr. Sleepy LaBeef
He's a mountain of a man
With a baritone, goddamn
That can make your heart vibrate just like a reed

Across from Fenway, there's the Rat
So if you got a Mohawk or a tat
Lou Miami will rock you to your core
When the barkeep yells "last call"
And you thing you've heard it all
Lou'll blow your mind with a To Sir With Love encore.

(Chorus)

Down on Boylston, there's Paul's Mall
And you can haunt its hallowed halls
With Sonny, Monk, Mingus, and Sun Ra
All the greats they do come by
So while you groove to Groovin' High
You'll forget the blizzard right outside the door

Out in Somerville, there's the Zircon
And if your driving skills need work on
You can try the rotary in Union Square
If you make it out alive
There's a chance that you'll survive
James Montgomery's blues punching through the air

And I did it all with you, love
Forty years, my brilliant she-dove
And there ain't a day that I don't wear your ring
Save us a table in the sky
I'll be there by and by
And I'll kiss your eyes when the band begins to swing

(Chorus)

           Sunnyland Slim, Eldora St., Boston, circa 1978 - Photo Credit: David Hofstetter