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Local writer/musician, R.B. Morris

Last Thursday’s Leon Redbone concert at The Bijou opened with local poet and musician, R.B. Morris, who treated us to a very entertaining and inebriated poetry reading that could have been entitled “The Man Who Reads Here is Loony.” Ripping page after page out of his new anthology of poems, Early Fires, Morris read several delightful and clever poems about Knoxville (d’uh), and a particularly sexy poem about the mysterious power women have over men. Later in the evening, Redbone thanked Morris for opening the show and quipped, “He’s no longer with us.”

Decked out in a dapper dark brown suit and trademark sunglasses and Panama hat, Leon Redbone, along with cornet player Scott Blake and ragtime pianist Paul Azaro, charmed the knickers off the crowd with what Redbone referred to as Dead Singers’ Society music, which included lovely jazzy renditions of My Blue Heaven, I Ain’t Got Nobody, and Mr. Jellyroll Baker. His multiple encores (“Either you people are gluttons for punishment - - or you don’t have homes to go to”) included Polly Wolly Doodle, Shine on Harvest Moon and The Sheik of Araby.

Redbone’s music was almost upstaged by his vaudeville-esque between-song banter. Scott Blake played straight man to Redbone’s daffy deadpan delivery throughout the show:

Leon: I’ve had trouble sleeping and I went to the doctor and he told me what to do and I didn’t do it.

Leon: Drink liquor 1 hour before bed.

Scott: And you didn’t do it?

Leon: I tried for 45 minutes.

Scott: What’s the name of your doctor?

Leon: What?

Scott: What is the name of your doctor?

Leon: I’m adopted?

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As an introduction to Reading Old Love Letters (Bring Memories of You), Redbone warned that “Life is full of disappointment - - and this might be one of ‘em.”

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Leon: I have good news. The Mayan calendar says we have 5 years left.

Scott: This is good news?

Leon: It is if you believe it. Take out a big loan and enjoy yourself.

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Scott: Who was that lady I saw you with on the street?

Leon: Why that was no street -- that was an alley. She said for $50 dollars she would do anything I want. Right now she’s painting my house. Two coats.

(Badda-boom! Badda-bing! The only thing missing from this schtick was a rim-shot.)

Prior to last week’s show, Leon Redbone last performed in Knoxville 15 years ago at the much treasured and sadly short-lived Ella Guru’s nightclub and restaurant in the Old City. Like many in Thursday night’s audience, he was sporting a dusting of gray in his hair. Here’s hoping he won’t stay away quite so long before returning to Knoxville. He truly is a treasure of a bygone era.