Willie Nelson was great at the House of Blues in New Orleans last Thursday. He played there Friday, too.

One of my favorites he did, besides all the stuff you know Willie’s gonna do when you see him, is a new song called “Over You Again.”

It will be on his new CD scheduled for release on Jan. 29, called “Moment of Forever.” The title track is from a Kris Kristofferson song Willie also performed last Thursday.

The new CD is mostly made up of cover versions of songs, like “Louisiana” by Randy Newman, “Gravedigger” by Dave Matthews and “Gotta Serve Somebody” by Bob Dylan.

Willie’s son, Lukas’ band 40 Points opened the show and Lukas played a part in Willie’s “Family” band afterwards. If you saw Willie over the last few years you would have seen Lukas do a little solo thing in the shows, usually “Texas Flood,” which they cranked up again last week at the House of Blues.

Check out 40 Points at www.myspace.com/40pts and/or www.40pointsmusic.com.

Lukas’ voice sounds like Willie did 40 years ago. His music has an almost psychedelic bend to it, though, and you hear some Beatles-type, Santana-like influence with it among other varied tastes … a Hendrix-sounding lick here, a little Stevie Ray there, even some of his old man.



Wear your best ripped T-shirt



Something else coming up in New Orleans is the 22nd Annual Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival. It is scheduled for March 26-30.

Participants this year include: Emmy Award winning journalist Linda Ellerbee; Tony Award winners Terrence McNally (playwright) and Gregory Mosher (director); singer-songwriter Tift Merritt; film critic Rex Reed; and authors Claire Cook, Valerie Martin, Lee Smith, Al Young, and Betsy Carter.

Two days of master classes will be offered as well as panel discussions and celebrity interviews.

Theater highlights will include the Los Angeles production of “Bent to the Flame — A Night with Tennessee Williams” directed by Michael Michetti and starring Doug Tompos.

Jeremy Lawrence also will reprise his one-man show “Everyone Expects Me to Write Another Streetcar: Another Evening With the Playwright.”

There will be a “Tennessee’s Got Talent” competition that includes a Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest from “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

Most of the events take place in New Orleans’ French Quarter. A Festival Panel Pass is $60 ($50 for students); a One-Day Pass is $25; theater and special events range from $10-$50; master classes will cost $25; walking tours are $20; Group rates are available on request.

For more information call the Festival office at (504) 581-1144 or visit the Web site at www.tennesseewilliams.net.



Remembering Eddie



Eddie Nobles was one of the kindest souls I met soon after coming to Meridian. Eddie passed away last week. We usually worked on getting news in the paper about concerts coming up at St. Patrick Church. This Sunday at 4 p.m. Dr. John Paul will be in concert. The performance will be a tribute to Eddie. Dr. Paul is organist and choirmaster at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral in Jackson. We’ll have more on this in an upcoming issue of The Meridian Star.