Stephen Lavere

Robert Johnson--King of the Delta Blues, guitar marvel, womanizer, hobo, pact-maker with the devil--has never been more popular than today, more than half a century after his premature death in 1938 at age 27. The illegitimate son of a Mississippi Delta sharecropper left a legacy of only 29 recordings, but that music, including such tunes as "Hellhound on My Trail" and "Me and the Devil Blues," has fascinated and inspired generations of musicians and fans.

Robert Johnson--King of the Delta Blues, guitar marvel, womanizer, hobo, pact-maker with the devil--has never been more popular than today, more than half a century after his premature death in 1938 at age 27. The illegitimate son of a Mississippi Delta sharecropper left a legacy of only 29 recordings, but that music, including such tunes as "Hellhound on My Trail" and "Me and the Devil Blues," has fascinated and inspired generations of musicians and fans.

When Mark Cantor was about 12, his uncle gave him an old collection of jazz records. The youngster was enthralled. "I grew up with all kinds of music around the house," he said, "but this was special; this music struck a chord in me." Cantor spent his teen-age years listening to jazz on old 78 recordings. One day in a record store, when he was about 17, he found a film can labeled simply "Jazz Movie." Excited, Cantor brought the film home.

The Beales have always been big on stocking stuffers. As adults we all still hang stockings but realize that our continuing adolescence (not only at the holidays but throughout the year) puts an extra burden on Santa. Hence, Santa's helpers. From our stockings emerge Chapsticks from Vermont elves, dental floss from Dasher, bottles of vanilla extract from Mrs. Claus. Chapsticks? Dental floss? Vanilla? Well, yes.

Inside the pink brick estate he built with a blues fortune, 72-year-old Claud Johnson cannot shake the habits he formed when he was a poor man. Three years after moving in, he still has more rooms than he has furniture. Creamy wall-to-wall stretches across the second floor, which is mostly empty. To tell the truth, he's not sure if his wife, Miss Ernestine, has ever gone up there.