Page 96 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2024 LIMA

Up until eleven years ago, I knew noth‐ yourself,” they said. “Bring a costume for the pa‐
ing about the blues. Sure, I knew who B.B. rade.” I decided to pack my left-over Halloween
King, Muddy Waters and Etta James were, nun’s costume. Another newbie asked, “I'm retired
but I’d never heard of Howlin’ Wolf or John and ready to cruise, but is there a chiropractor on
Lee Hooker or any of the other famous board?” The answer: “No, but if you purchase the
players of the past or present Then that beverage package, you’ll forget you even have a
changed. I travel the world for work, often spine.” I asked, “When do you sleep?”’ The answer:
to places where I don’t speak the language. “When you get home.” Someone said, “Bring your
But there’s another way to communicate: axe for the pro-am jams.” I don’t play guitar, but I
through music, our universal language. took a couple of harmonicas with me, because you
I decided to learn the harmonica be‐ never know.
cause it looked easy and was small enough The ship, Holland America’s luxurious Konings‐
to fit in my pocket. I joined a beginner’s dam, was waiting for us in San Diego. I was un‐
blues harmonica jam camp in Clarksdale,
Mississippi. Unfortunately, the harp (not to
be confused with the standing instrument
with strings, but rather this comb-sized
thing with ten little holes which musicians
call the harp) turned out to be extremely
difficult to play. Every time I blew a note, I
sounded like a bleating sheep. Not one to
give up, I took Skype lessons and have
been taking them since, going from a raw
beginner to a half-baked intermediate.
I’ll never play like the masters, but
wouldn’t it be great to hear famous har‐
monica players like Rick Estrin, Charlie
Musselwhite and Dennis Gruenling all in
one place? And how about some of the
other famous bands who’d be onboard? Taj
Mahal, Los Lobos, Elvin Bishop, Carolyn
Wonderland... the list was endless, and the
blues ranged from classic to R&B, rock,
soul, funk, rhumba, boogie-woogie, swing
and take-it-to-church Gospel.
In preparation, I checked out the
cruise’s Facebook page which offered ad‐
vice to blues cruise virgins like me. “Pace