“Everywhere I go fans keep saying they want me to get out and play again,” Betts told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in December. “I think the time is right.”

‘First Class Life’ brings Zito full-circle. Mike Zito’s return to the blues is, in a word, triumphant!

“I’m just gifted and blessed. I feel pretty good once I’ve got the ladies on the side of me, and I’m always learning.”

Here are the 10 vinyl masterpieces, in alphabetical order, that we’ll be looking for on our Record Store Day excursion Saturday. What’s on your wish list?

“…We feel extremely grateful for the overwhelming support we have received from both fans and artists over the years to create some truly historic and incredible memories in this space.”

“We thrive on the energy coming from the crowd so the different energy coming from the audience makes us play differently, makes us respond to each other differently…”

“Not to say I wouldn’t have been pissed off if Zeppelin made a disco record in 1975. I would have been furious, but they didn’t. They always pushed the envelope.”

“You wouldn’t find this place on any blues tourist map. The white musicians on the Northside largely had no idea it existed, or if they did, they didn’t really understand what was going on there. This place should have been a national treasure!”

For the 12th Annual Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival, organizers have once again selected some of the top international, national, regional and local artists to perform.

Producer James Fairs said, “Allman Goldflies Band hold a card in one of the best decks around.” Yes sir, and it’s an ace!