On Old Maxwell Street, Saturday, May 15, 1999

by Steve Balkin


Blues jams

weather permitting,

every weekend now.

Jumpin Willie,

and his Fireballs.

nice not too warm

not too cold.

But kind of dusky, could rain.

**

The folk were out

Lot of vendors

Liking to get

their picture taken.

Perfume,

incense,

T-shirts,

God's name on it,

yo yos,

dish towels

in so many colors,

then socks

and socks.

**

But the musicians didn't show,

except Jumpin Willie

and Frank Scott.

Say's jumpin Willie,

waking him

from a sleep

in the van.

"They played last night.

They didn't show today.

They had money

in their pocket

and they tired."

**

Frank brought the band here.

He is Mr. Maxwell Street,

Sonny, Little Sonny,

Frank Scott Jr..

Pat calls him Frank Scot Keys.

He's got a mess of names.

But he doesn't play anymore

except jangling house keys.

It's a soul

filling sound.

Inspires

the musicians.

Caldwell always likes

Frank to play keys.

And the babies,

they loves the keys;

and want to play too.

**

Frank was a drummer,

guitar and harmonica too.

Every Hours Blues Boys,

Freddie King and Jimmie Lee too

was his band,1950s.

Picked cotton in Texas,

sharecropping, done everything.

Making crosses now. So cool.

Maxwell Street crosses.

Sacred symbols for sacred spaces.

Each one different.

Imperfect,

Unfinished,

humble.

Just as we are

Or ought to be.

**

Busses and cameras

Eco Justice conference tour

from Churches all over the nation.

Walking through the warehouse

and the gardens

Yes, they listened.

They wanted to learn.

Taking Save Maxwell sheets

Buying crosses,

a piece of the street,

from Frank.

Some really knew

Others not a clue.

**

Carolyn come down.

Boy was she pissed off.

Came down from the

mid West Side

in her man's car,

hoping for

human

connection.

teasing,

music,

dancing.

Roosevelt, her man,

died

6 months ago.

They've been together

for 19 years.

Cancer it was,

racked all though

his body,

his organs.

She lit a candle

and prayed to God.

Let him come home.

Give me

the strength

to take care of him.

They put machines

in her house

and she took care

of him to the end.

She's sad.

Tears in her eyes,

some fear

but she's rooted.

**

Disappointed

not to hear

the live blues

today.

"Ummmm, on Kedzie and Jackson,

these big ass women

know how to dance.

Wiggle wiggle.

Let's get the people dancin.

I told these Blues women

to come here.

Blues is not just a music.

I can hear the music at home.

It gettin together. Havin fun together.

Outside on the street.

**

Carolyn sold

in the old

market?

"I hustled, I had a still

and made

corn whiskey.

Oh shit,

when I had nothing,

really nothing.

I would come down

here to Maxwell Street.

I'd be able

to pick up stuff.

Left over stuff, vegetables.

And people would

give me stuff too.

They knew me.

People would take care of me.

But I had to figure away to get here."

**

Got any buttons,

video of me

pictures of me.

I had but not with me.

**

Merlyn, the Mayor

of Maxwell Street

comes by.

Jewish and Irish.

Can I be your vice mayor

or the mayor of vice?

"You can be a vihsa mayor.

A Yiddish pun.

Merlyn is a care taker.

He takes care of the street, cleans it,

watches it.

Always taking to Streets and San.

He also gets along, part of the people.

Living right on Maxwell Street.

Sees Cassandra walking on Halsted.

She's eating french fries.

A pretty little lady

Time for picture.

Merlyn kisses her,

a friendly kiss.

She's friends with Tasha.

"Don't tell Tasha, Merlyn's wife.

It's Ok. It was just friendly

for a good picture."

**

Bahai Abdul comes by.

Selling incense and beads.

"It's my dad's birthday.

May 18, 1918, from Arkansas.

Came to Maxwell

Street in 1922.

(noises from behind us;

came here in the 1940s).

He sold pops,

peanuts,

shoeshine,

delivered Coal,

a tailor, put buttons on.

He's been around the world.

He loves Maxwell Street.

He's getting weaker.

Maybe his last year.

**

Willie, the fruit vendor

out of his car.

A vegie dollar store

on wheels.

A southern gentleman,

a Maxwell Street veteran.

Worrying about

Maxwell Street:

"If they make us unwelcome,

people are not going to buy."

Bahai gave him a dollar

And got cukes and tomatoes.

You know, just what I gave you, the dollar.

"Yes, you did"

Oh yes. I have a lot of respect for you."

And I respect you.

I bought cucumbers too.

I'll take a dollars worth.

Ok Stop, enough,

How about Tomatoes too.

Making sure.

People got their money's worth.

Relationship face-to-face capitalism.

Inefficient, some say

but the it the kind that works.

**

End of the day,

the family,

two sons.

God Side cap.

Across the street,

by Adams Joseph,

a man yellin at me.

My seat belt is stickin out.

strangers they help you here.

Nate Duncan said

"you're a stranger here

only once".

I hate to leave.


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