One night slam at the Flickerlite

Apparently, the boys were missed. One of the Flickerlite's biggest weeknight crowds to ever elbow its way to the bar filled the Hollywood landmark last night for a chance to hear guitarist Michael Locke reunite with saxophonist "One Night Stan" Waldman on home turf. And these exceptional musicians didn't disappoint, keeping the place hopping way past midnight with thundering, horn-fueled Texas roadhouse-meets-Southside Chicago blues.

Bassist Reece Lincoln and drummer Mike Tate, who play with Locke back home in Ohio, laid down the snaky grooves and solid shuffles, as Locke launched into highly individualized renditions of classics by Freddie King, Junior Wells and John Lee Hooker, as well as some firebreathing originals. A version of King's instrumental "Hideway" served as a springboard to all kinds of improvisation, as Locke segued into several other tunes and then wound his way back. Same thing happened with Slim Harpo's "Scratch My Back," which showcased Locke's mastery of the idiom — he perfectly re-created the watery reverb and bumblebee sting of the original — as well as his dazzling creativity.

Waldman is simply a master of this style of blues, blowing one great tenor solo after another. His brawny tone is matched by a great sophistication and deep knowledge of the vital connections between blues and jazz, something he no doubt learned from observing Ira Sullivan for many years. A truly generous sort, Waldman welcomed a couple of protégés up to the stage (both named Anthony) to muscle up the horn section and add their own individual voices.

Locke introduced his original instrumental "Nitro" by saying he titled it after the greasiest cat he knows, a nod to San Francisco mentor Johnny Nitro, I assume, and that's just the way he and Waldman played it. The track also kicks off Locke's latest recording, The Lost Files, which is available at Michaellocke.net.

There were so many highlights to the evening, it's hard to pick just one, but I don't think anyone who stayed to the end of the final set will forget Locke's breathtaking solo encore. Pulling up a barstool, he proceeded to pick a lightning-fingered medley of Stevie Ray Vaughan instrumentals that concluded with a gorgeous, jazzy read of SRV's "Lenny," which made judicious use of the whammy bar to get that shivery sound.

A photo on a poster outside the Flickerlite showed Locke and Waldman from many years ago, grinning broadly and displaying the easy camaraderie of boyhood pals. As evidenced by last night's performance, their sheer joy of blowing the roof off remains undiminished.