We gather traditionally for our Steppin’ Out! reunion on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It’s usually a joyous occasion but this year we lost our steel player Chris Jones earlier in the week. There was some hesitancy to bag the gig, but it seemed appropriate to forge ahead and celebrate our brotherhood in music. It was a good thing to do.

We had been doing some rehearsals over the last month or so, and were working up some new material, including original songs by Hub and Jeff. Per usual, Reid came down from New Hampshire a day early so we could practice that morning and run the set I had put together. Amazingly, we were pretty tight and were prepared for the evening’s show.

There was close to a full house and the audience was quite supportive, and we played well. We started off with a solid set of our swing stuff, and then gradually worked our way through the new stuff. Jeff’s Children of Uvalde song was poignant, as was Hub’s new one Some Day. I screwed up the lyrics to Lose My Blues, but nailed Far From Me. Kris brought a new Tom Waits song Chocolate Jesus.

There were lots of old and familiar faces in the crowd, and it was a good session after the show, catching up with friends. I had the chance to talk with Linda, Chris’s wife, after the show and she said that she was glad that she decided to attend. I’m sure it was particularly hard for her, but I’m glad we connected at the end.

  1. Choo Choo Cha Boogie
  2. She Made Me Lose My Blues
  3. Your Mind is on Vacation
  4. Bloodshot Eyes
  5. Payday / How Can I Miss You
  6. Til There Was You
  7. Twenty-Four Robbers
  8. Chocolate Jesus
  9. Don’t Call Me Early
  10. Someday
  11. Children of Uvalde
  12. What My Woman Sees in Me
  13. Got What It Takes
  14. Far From Me
  15. Ooh, Baby Baby
  16. Old Cowhand
  17. Lessons From Pete
  18. Six Days on the Road