(Groovestress): “Hey Shufflemonster --- You know how you’re always alluding to how things were, ‘back-in-the-day’?”

(Shufflemonster): “What’s on your mind, Groovestress?”

(Groovestress): “Well, maybe some of us would like to know your perception from your lengthy career of how the music scene has changed over the years--Maybe, you could clarify what you think was so inspirational and special about ‘back in the day’’?”

(Shufflemonster): “---Those were ‘happy days’, ‘glory days’. There seemed to be more good humor, good will, integrity, humanity, soulfulness, and RESPECT. Most importantly, there were MORE GIGS. Also, there was Less desperation, deceit, and decibels.”

(Groovestress): “There you go idealizing, romanticizing, even spiritualizing the ‘Good Old Days’, but you’re just generalizing. Even your bio section of the GrooveQuest web site [www.GrooveQuestproject.com] has been left incomplete/’under construction’ for 2 1/2 years now!!!”

(Shufflemonster): “What would you specifically like to know, Groovestress?”

(Groovestress): “---OK ---What was it really like playing with Roy Buchanan?”

(Shufflemonster): “Somethings are hard to remember. Somethings are hard to tell. Somethings no one would believe anyway.”

(Groovestress): “See ---I told you. There you go again, [holding back].”

(Shufflemonster): “[pondering momentarily --- then, in a quiet, almost distant voice] ---It was at Rands Rock n’ Roll Club circa 1966 --- I was 19 years old, playing drums in the House Band, ‘Sony Gordon’s Original Outcasts featuring Roy Buchanan’, seven nights a week, five sets per night, plus an all day jam on Sundays. Rands bristled with organic Rock n’ Roll energy and colorful street life. The band catered to an ‘In-Crowd’ whose primary passion and purpose was jitterbug dancing --- they called it ‘DC SWING’. The DC Swingers always seemed to sense when Roy was particularly ‘hot’, at which time they would storm onto and basically ‘take over’ the dance floor. Roy would play ‘right to them’, getting more and more intense and inspired in his playing as they did in their dancing. I had never heard (no one back then had ever heard) sounds like Roy could make on the guitar. He made the whole building dance, spin, and whirl. Just when it seemed that it would be impossible for the guitar to get any more exciting or intense, Roy would seemingly shift into another space – a riveting laser beam groove-space, wherein everything became calm and intense at the same time. At some point, as enthralled as they were, dancers would begin to leave the dance floor. Ultimately, only the best couple would remain, and, as if by instinct, move to the middle of the floor. Roy and the remaining dancers seemed to lock together in some type of ancient groovalistic ritual --- an electric guitar and dance encounter from an alternate universe, perhaps, where, instead of breathing air, the inhabitants existed (yea thrived) on Maximum Groove.”

(Groovestress): “That’s awesome.”

(Shufflemonster): ”Yes. Awesome is a fair description. But it got better. Roy would focus more and more, squeezing from his guitar melody, harmony, rhythmic complexity, lyricism, optimism, hope, faith, karmic abundance; a rainbow of sounds, tones, effects, colors, textures, and feelings. Then another ‘shift’ from Roy, and time would begin to bend, become slow motion --- stand still, and finally melt away all together. And then, that’s when ‘it’ would happen ---.“

(Groovestress): “Please continue Shufflemonster.”

(Shufflemonster): “For the past nearly four decades I’ve had this indelible impression of what occurred next ---Well, OK, You asked for it. It seemed that amidst all the whirling, spinning, time-distorting, cascading kaleidoscope of electric guitar sounds, and the sensation (to me) of floating on a magic carpet through different dimensions and between alternate realities, a very bright amber and gold light arose from Roy’s guitar and formed an arc from Roy to the couple on the dance floor. And after an indeterminable period of time, the light streamed over to the stage on my immediate right, then moved to the left across the bandstand, completely engulfing me (and my drum set) in light, ultimately returning to Roy and forming a perfect triangle of gold and amber groovaliciousness.”

(Groovestress): “--- ‘---Perfect triangle of golden groovaliciousness ---’ For Sure! But, not before making a direct pass right through Shufflemonster’s heart!”

GrooveQuest is--- From the Heart---From the Soul-- Essential Spirit of Rock and Roll --Through the Groove--To You!

[footnote: During the time of the above events, as throughout most of his career, Shufflemonster was into physical fitness and healthy living -- he was drug free!]