Paul Metsa's "Blue Guitar Highway" Party at the Ritz Theater

On Wednesday 19, October Paul Metsa, a musician by trade, gathered a few talented friends for a celebration. The veteran singer/songwriter, master musician, and world class mischievion, unveiled his book "Blue Guitar Highway" at the Ritz Theater, in NE Minneapolis. The evening was a musical event wrapped around a Question and Answer event, conducted by WCCO's John Hines. The musical friends, brothers and sisters, included the legendary Sherwin Litton, Willie Walker, Willie West, Mary Cutrufello, Wain McFarlane, the mighty Mari Harris, and Bobby Vandell. While a host of musical talent waited in the wings, backstage, and in the audience, John Hines interviewed the mercurial Metsa, who seemed to be more interested in playing music than talking music.
While Hines did his journalistic best to keep the truculent Metsa on task in servicing the authorship of his book, Metsa was ready to play with his friends.

This reporter had the opportunity to get a look at "Blue Guitar Highway" long before its release, during April's relief fundraiser for Japan meetings. There were guarded reservations that some of the material regarding drug doing, debauchery, and all around general craziness, might go into the Blue zone and indict some of us who are still alive. After all- what went on in the 70's, 80's, and 90's should stay.

All though there are a few discreetly veiled stories, the majority of the populace can breathe easy. Many more high profile names and instances could have been used to sell the titillation factor, but Metsa, staying loyal to his peeps, chose to veil, and delete a few juicy stories, and instances. Some situations, while fun when we were in our twenties and thirties, showed our all too frequent indulgence in alcohol and recreational drugs, and the occasionally dubious judgment that went with it.
"Blue Guitar Highway" is the memoir of Metsa's musical journey through time and space, and all the stars and super novas that he meets, greets, hangs with, and loves, along the way. If asked, Metsa can whip off stories dropping names like Dylan, Springsteen, Garcia, but he can get a wee bit touched when talking about some of the members of the local music community that have passed on. Although he can be quite the hustler for a cause, he's never been a user. Metsa genuinely loves the people and causes he takes up with. That love brings us to the "Blue Guitar Highway" party's shortlist of musical performers, a real show of love.

The highly esteemed gentleman of the local country music scene, Sherwin Litton, took the stage and began the evening, solo, with his special brand of country soul with the song "Texas in the Twilight", setting the stage for the other musical guests. Backstage there were jokes and stories regarding the origins and writing. Wian McFarlane jested how he had wanted to put one of Metsa's songs "Slow Justice" on one of his albums, but Metsa has put him off for years, claiming that the song had been slated for release as a single. It never was, but its been the source of a decade long inside tease that won't stop until McFarlane records his version of the Metsa song.

Next, Metsa and McFarlane crooned, followed by alt super gal jammer Mary Cutrufello, who belted what she felt on " Walk In A Woman's World". The two Willie (West and Walker) bought their divergent signatures of soul to "When The World Breaks Your Heart". Walker and West sang long, with emotion deep, for their friend, doing Metsa's guitar playing justice and in turn, giving the audience quite a show.
The highlight of the evening came when songstress Mari Harris joined Metsa onstage to lead Metsa on his song.
 
Harris began by ribbing Metsa and warning the audience that the song that they were about to hear," Like Father, Like Son"- while Metsa's song, would be sang a bit differently than written. What followed was musical magic. The audience was transfixed. Harris and Metsa, literally brought down the house. Harris' naturally sassy attitude brings another dimension to an already well written song-Harris et al took care to present of Metsa's songs with love. The crew of musicians that night made sure the songwriter Metsa's songs "got did real good"!
 
The entire evening was weaved together by moderator, WCCO's John Hines, whose timely and well read questioning (of the anxious and barely containable Metsa) gave the audience a coherent picture of how well "Blue Guitar Highway" is written.
 
Look for and buy Paul Metsa's book, "Blue Guitar Highway" published by University of Minnesota Press, and if you get an opportunity go see Metsa at local venues, you'll be watching a legend in the making.