Down That Big River

Skippin' in the Mississippi dew...

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

-Mark Twain

Tomorrow, the first day of June, I start my canoe trip down the Mississippi River. I should say, I’ll re-start my journey just south of here at Brownsville, Minnesota, where I left off in August 2020:

The journey ends way down yonder in New Orleans on or about July 9th.

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On this journey, I intend to continue sharing my standard Saturday morning updates with trip reports. I’ll share trip photos, stories, and relevant music - focusing on the river towns and cities along the way.

That Big River called jazz is deep and wide, an artistic stream with many branches and tributaries influencing its flow. It seems only natural that I should explore this great river itself. I’m heading back to the roots.

The idea is that blues and jazz music moved up the Mississippi River from New Orleans to St. Louis, and then spread on the railroads to Chicago and east to New York City. Now, over 100 years later, I’ll go down the Mississippi River to retrace some of those steps.

In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, when he finally decides to betray his upbringing and steal away with his enslaved friend Jim, Huck says, “All right, then, I’ll go to hell.” They then “lit out” on the Mississippi River, where they could be “free and satisfied.” Now, I “lit out,” where I can be free and satisfied and only time will tell if I meet both objectives.

As I prepare for my journey, I’m reminded that the force of nature can be cruel. John Mayall’s Force of Nature from his 1971 album Back to the Roots plays in the back of my mind:

So true, “The force of nature: King of worlds around.”

By chance, one day in the mid-1970s in my brother’s room I found Mayall’s Back to the Roots by his record player and a harmonica on his desk and discovered music. Although I didn’t know it, that’s when I officially jumped into a canoe and started my long journey down that Big River called Jazz. Now, a half-century from that day, I jump back into a canoe and start a new journey.

Journeys transform us, for better or worse. I set off with eyes wide open, searching for the fair winds.

So, there it is. My home for the next month or so, God willing. It’s New Orleans or bust…

Turn it up. Let’s get started on the Upper Mississippi Shakedown:

Come on down to the upper Mississippi shakedown

Streets started early ain′t nobody minding the store

Shutting down early headed for the river shore

There's a message that you gotta believe

Tell them to meet me down by the river

Come on down to the upper Mississippi shakedown

Next week, I’ll be reporting from somewhere around Mississippi mile mark 430, downriver from the Quad Cities.

Please hit this link to buy me a cup of coffee, if you’d like to show your guide some appreciation for this and past journeys. Know in advance that I thank you for your kindness and support.

If you like what you’ve been reading and hearing so far on our journey and would like to share this with someone you think might be interested in learning more about our great American art form, Jazz, just hit the “Share” button.

From Astaire to Sun Ra: A Jazz Journey is a reader-supported publication. If you feel so inclined, subscribe to my journey by hitting the “Subscribe now” button.

Also, find my playlist on Spotify: From Fred Astaire to Sun Ra.

Feel free to contact me at any time to talk shop. I welcome and encourage that.

Until then, keep on walking….