TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Musician, 95, Has His Mojo Working

ADVERTISEMENT

By HOWARD ALTMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 11, 2009

TAMPA - Halfway through a rocking first set by the Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin band, the old blues man in the red suit and red fedora was helped up to the stage and eased into the seat in front of the Yamaha keyboards.

Ambulating was the only help Pinetop Perkins would need.

Once seated, the 95-year-old legend, who did stints with some of the biggest names in blues, took over from there, nimble fingers dancing across the keys.

His musical talents would be impressive if Perkins were 59.

Or 29.

But the boogie-woogie ivory-banger from Belzoni, Miss., was born in 1913, started playing gigs about 1927 and toured with the likes of Muddy Waters, Robert Nighthawk and B.B. King.

The packed-liked-sardines crowd at Skipper's Smokehouse ate it up.

Margolin, a blistering blues axe-master and engaging showman in his own right, shared his amazement that four decades after first playing with Perkins in the Muddy Waters band, both were not only alive but on stage together.

Over the course of a baker's dozen songs on a chilly Friday night, Perkins ran through a list of blues gold standards, opening with "Chicken Shack," and hitting "Down To Mississippi," "How Long" and "Got My Mojo Working" along the way before closing with a rousing boogie jam.

As he played, Perkins peered out from under the brim of his fedora, his eyes twinkling as he soaked in the adoration.

Though at times his voice was hard to hear, there was never a moment when Perkins' fingers weren't working the mojo.

"I am only 46 and my fingers get aches and pains," said one woman in the crowd, amazed at Perkins' dexterity.

She flexed her own fingers in awe of what she was seeing.

"I can't believe someone so old can do that."

Editor Howard Altman can be reached at (813) 259-7629.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT