BBQ & Blues: A Match Made In Heaven

There's something about barbecue and blues that just fits.

Maybe it's the down and dirty ethos of slapping something on the pit, knockin' back a few cold ones and crankin' up the ‘ol boom box to let off some steam.

With barbecue's you're allowed to eat with your fingers, wipe the sauce with your sleeve and heck, even talk with your mouth full. With blues, you're allowed to mull over a bittersweet love affair or sing about the workin' man. You don't need musical training, just a little bit of soul.

Barbecuing and blues, often the working man's handle on life.

At places like Johnny's Bar-B-Q Pit in Pharr it's all about letting off some steam. Sure it's far from fancy and the furniture might pre-date most of our generation but this barbecue joint has what so many other don't: character.

On Wednesday night's the sounds of guitar pickin' and bass slappin' seeps through the 40 year-old walls of the dive bar out back. There, dozens of local musicians, with the occasional surprise guest, jam, exchange life stories and maybe indulge in some good ‘ol fashion barbecue.

Owner Johnny Harper Sr., 68, isn't a boisterous man and lets his bass playing to the talking.

Even after all of these years behind the pit and bass he doesn't quite know why the two are each others kindred spirit.

"Oh I don't know," he laughed. "Maybe it's just the old fashion way. When you're having parties and barbecuing you got to have the blues. And it shows everybodys feelings."

With inexpensive barbecue plates and $2 beers, Harper says locals can't ask for much more. Well, maybe a day off to recover.

Sometimes, their jam sessions go well into the night with more improv material than any musician can ask for.

Blues and barbecue isn't just for the older generation, either.

Át Johnny's people from all walks of life, and age groups walk through the doors. When they do, Harper says they become family because that's the culture around blues joints.

"It started when a friend of mine told me about Wednesday blues night," said Jorge XXX, creator of Tenet Community on his Web site. "When I got there, I was thrown back. Real blues.  The real deal. Now my friend knows that I love the blues.  I mean the real deal.  Too bad I don't know the greats' name by heart, or whatever song has been the influence of this powerful music, but that's cool.  Don't need to."

"So long as the music talks to me, I'm cool. When I first arrived, I was taken back because the music was real.  It wasn't a progressive stunt that nu-age musician's try to pull. The "Stevie Ray is the now blues standard" has almost made the genre stagnant.  Not at Johnny's. Since then, I've been jamming there every Saturday and I don't think I could have been introduced to a better place than Johnny's."

Miriam Ramirez covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4468.