If you ever get the chance to hang out with D.K. Harrell and his band, make sure it's over the breakfast table. The conversation flows fast and thick like our biscuits and gravy and the subject matter ranges from everything family and friends, good times, hard times and all things music. The entire band is well-versed in the latter and all speak fluent blues, jazz, soul, R&B and roots dialects. Not only young and talented, they openly display a shared enthusiasm and serious commitment to the music they love. You see it clearly when they acknowledge influences or when praising those who paved the way, but it grabs you by the throat when they step on stage and you witness it up close and personal with every note they play.

Detroit's reigning Queen of the Blues; Thornetta Davis recently graced Southern California with a royal visit courtesy of the San Diego Gourmet Blues Series. Ms. Davis' performance made it perfectly clear why she was honored with the Female Soul Blues Artist of the year at the 2023 Blues Music Awards in Memphis last May. Thornetta and her Motor City entourage follow a musical path that is uniquely their own and the songbook they work from contain the crown jewels of soul, blues, rock and funk. For more than two hours she reminded So Cal's blues faithful what the true meaning of Detroit's thriving music scene is all about. "Detroit, man! Give it up for Detroit musicians! Don't sleep on us!"

Filipinos have a very strange language called Tagalog. Although many of the words are spelled the same way, putting the accent in different places can change the meaning completely.