Son House

There's some new art in the South Wedge. The traffic control box on South and Gregory now sports a portrait of Son House. You don't usually think of icons like Muddy Waters or Robert Johnson as having had influences, but Son was a major inspiration to both. He lived in Rochester from the mid 40's until 1964, when he was tracked down by a couple fans, a discovery that spurred him back out on the road... to Carnegie Hall, among other venues. He kept at it while his health allowed, and died in Detroit in 1988.

It's nice to meet his gaze on my way to work or the corner store or the bar, and especially on Thursday nights when Beale Street Cafe across the street hosts Son House Night. Gordon Munding and friends celebrate his music every week. Son takes it all in, while the lights turn from red to green and back again.