Mark Naftalin and Friends 2/17/18 Pequot Library Southport

The mid-winter book sale at the lovely Pequot Library was lucky to have a stage full of regional old blues men led by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and WPKN DJ Mark Naftalin to serenade patrons as they thumbed through musty cookbooks. Naftalin played piano for the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and was onstage and recorded at Woodstock. His radio show is informed and full of blues anecdotes and stories that make for a compelling listen. On a recent show, he played clips from a recording of Freddie King playing for inmates in a Texas prison. The intimacy of the recording implied that Naftalin was present at the event. On this chilly afternoon in February, Naftalin was joined by Paul Gabriel on harmonica and vocals, Crispin Cioe on sax among many others rounding out the blues "library session". Standards like Come On In My Kitchen, Kansas City were interspersed with some solid originals. In the wake of yet another senseless school shooting in Florida, Gabriel's "Put The Guns Down", was a poignant reminder that themes of human stupidity are timeless.