My impressions of this city are unanimously positive.  I have found the inhabitants to be some of the most friendly, cheerful, and gregarious of anywhere I’ve visited.  The depth of musical history represented by Sun Records and Stax Studios alone places it on hallowed ground.  These two labels produced some of the music dearest to my heart and it was a real treat for me to visit them.  I also attended a very uplifting and joyful Sunday morning service at the First Baptist Church and basked in the gospel choir’s voices.

Friday and Saturday night were both spent enjoying local bands at nearby venues, and I also saw Booker T.  Jones perform in the warm summer evening, at a park where magnolias perfumed the air.  This, and the continual stream of quality blues and soul emanating from open doors on Beale made for a glorious week of enjoying what might be America’s greatest contribution to the world!

Memphis also boasts an extensive and monumental museum and tribute to the Civil Rights Movement, which I found deeply moving.  At once inspiring, and heartbreaking.  All these things, along with the graciousness of my hosts and the general warmth of all residents encountered, created in me a continual feeling of deep gratitude and reverence for this wonderful city.