Robert Jr. Lockwood (b. 1915), Henry Townsend (b. 1909) and Homesick James (b. 1904) opened the five night stint of first generation Delta Blues Legends at Yoshi's on Wednesday, thrilling an audience whose only doubt about these masters was "can they still do it?" The answer borne out by two extraoradinary sets was a resounding yes-- with attitude. As Robert Jr. put it: "You better come back for the rest of the shows because we're gonna throw a bitch!"

"Kindhearted Woman" and "Ramblin' On My Mind" harkened back to a mythic time when the Delta Blues coalesced as a music form. Lockwood invoked dusty summer days on a porch deep in the Delta voodoo when he learned guitar from the King of the Delta Blues, Robert Johnson. Lockwood has recently recorded a new cd with B.B. King, and played dates with a Chicago Blues allstar band, and roots jazzman Randy Weston. His jazzier side was apparent at Yoshi's when he accompanied pianist Henry Townsend whose solid figured flourishes at the keys blasted straight out of a 1930's Mississippi riverside honky tonk. Townsend, a reclusive performer, brought Lockwood onstage for "Hard Pill To Swallow" which connected with emotive soul vocals, deeply funky leads from both men and a spirit of commeraderie only available to men who have played together in maybe 7 different decades.

Not to be upstaged, Homesick James played three solo numbers in each set, riffling off slide lines which he taught to his more famous cousin Elmore James with relish on an electric guitar which he built himself in 1949.

Song List for The Second Set Yoshi's 7/17/96: