That’s two more than any blueswoman requires to get busy.

Joyanna, give it up!

Much respect.

You need to write a book, or at least a detailed retrospective, about what you have seen and lived.

Thank you for educating me, based on your life experiences in St. Louis.

Keep writing!

We have Chuck Berry, our hometown grown…the inspriation of the Beatles, who stills plays once in a while.

I myself, was a musician here for well over 35 years, and played with all the great muscians in town. I worked sometimes six nights a week, and played all styles.

Once, during the industrial revolution, St. Louis was the second most important City after New York, when Mark Twain used bring in his riverboats. There was once a “gaslight” square where Striesand sang and actually got fired as a young twenty year old.

Louie Armstrong was always coming by on the riverboats from New Orleans.

During the war, there was a wonderful river boat called the “Admiral” where played, and Benny Goodman, Dorsey…and where my mom and Dad met once fateful night, and danced and for the first time, while the floor cleared to watched them.

I also watch with great sadness, this once distinct city, die…

There is not much jazz here now. Even the old dixieland bands have all died and gone. I don’t know where you live DadWith2Girls…but as a musician that spent my whole life living and working in St. Louis…every word I said was true.

I played in every single bar here. And most of them no longer exist.

You can find some punk bands in a few certain sections…and the last of the old blue greats have died..not to be kept alive, at least not in this city.

Nellie actually tried to honor St. Louis, and became a big success for awhile.

We do have a small section of town, where once a year…some gather, but it’s not year round.

After Katrina, many of the last of the great jazz musicians, wanted to come to St. Louis..but there just ain’t much work here. All the big companies and industries are gone. The only one left is the Busch Brewery.

There is a plan to build a sort of “entertainment” area around the new ball park, but that’s remains to be seen.

So…I know quite a lot of history about St. Louis, from the famous Dred Scott, to the great ragtime, to Frank James living here for years and working as a bouncer.

And I’ve watched it die.

And if you think you will find much going on in music…you might find some Frank Sinatra singers…in the expensive restaurants downtown…but St. Louis is, I hate to day…pretty much dead.

There are still a few spots, but trust me…not many people want to live there.

Nevertheless, it had a glorious run.

As for the Masons….they still have their businesses…and they still keep on ticking.

I stopped reading your [post when I understood that you were condemning St. Louis.

The only reason Chicago exists is because back in slavery days, freed blacks were able to make it to St. Louis, and then later, to the north.

St. Louis is the very heart of the Blues migration — fer christ’s sake, Miles Davis was from your town!

Girl, I luv how you write.

But please, read some history, OK?

In the future?

But all these Masons. In long dresses. With tiaras. Do they have Gays in the Masons, there? Maybe they could do a take over of the Mardi Gras – there have to be some modern business opportunities for them – and you could go and sit on the benches again.

So many friggin’ gays around that all we normal folk can do is sit on the friggin’ benches.

Frig.

(Secret sign)