I will soon have a new home. The rental agency called and the house is off the tenant market. It will house my extensive blues collection. I have some very rare old albums with dog-eared cardboard covers that some say are worth a fortune. There are people like me who like to amass their favorites and find mint-condition items for display. I need a lot of space for my home theater system and shelves to keep my prized possessions visible. If you like, you can come over and make a trade. I have a few duplicates that are bound to join another group.

I am busy looking for suitable places near my old abode. I want to frequent the same bars and cafes and visit family and friends. I expect the prices will be the same if I don’t set my sights too high. I would love new appliances and spend considerable time looking at what comes with the property. I know if something breaks down, the landlord will replace it; but I don’t want to mess with a pilot on the gas water heater for example. I heard an old story on Facebook, maybe an urban myth, about a tank that blew up and wiped out the tenant’s belongings. You already know that mine are very special, and I am not referring to my clothes.

I found a great place to my liking with plenty of room for my stuff, but it had a gas connection for the water heater and stove. I thought about replacing them for the electric kind, but why spend your money on a rental. I asked the landlord about the age of these units, not wanting to give away my fear. After a long discussion, I felt that he wanted me to sign a lease, so much so that he offered to have the water heater checked out by a specialist inspector. I could be there to supervise. It is no guarantee, but it makes me feel more assured about missing some kind of boom. I don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night with singed hair.

I am enjoying my new space. I look around as I listen to B.B. King, and remember the good old days of the blues. As his website points out, this King of the Blues, began its reign in the 1040’s, so far back that he has reigned on top for as long as that of any blues monarch on the 4planet. For over half a century, he has defined the blues to a loving audience. I have been fortunate enough to hear him live in concert on Beale Street at his club in Nashville.

His guitar style is like no other harking back to Blind Lemon Jefferson and T-Bone Walker. His vocal-like string bends and left hand vibrato are unparalleled in the history of the genre and even rock and roll. He wastes nothing; in his phrasing every note counts. Let’s hear it for his genius blend of blues, swing, jazz, jump, and pop. In B.B.’s words, “When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.”