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Lou drops the needle onto a Lightnin' Hopkins record. The opening shuffle starts.
- LOUThis is Lightnin' Hopkins.
- LOUHe was born in 1912 in Texas. He picked cotton. He learned guitar from his cousin Texas Alexander when he was eight.
- LOUHe plays in keys nobody else plays in because he can't be bothered to retune.
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Jesse, listening, fingers already finding the rhythm on his thigh.
- JESSEHis timing is — off.
- LOUHis timing is correct.
- LOUHe's playing the bar the way he means it. Not the way the metronome wants him to.
- LOUThat's the blues, kid.
- LOUThe blues is what a man plays when he has the chord and the metronome can fuck off.
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Across the room. Moe and Dev at the kit. Moe demonstrating a slow shuffle on the snare.
- MOEListen. Not one — two — three — four.
- MOEOne. … And-two. … And-three. … And-four.
- MOEThe space between is where the music lives.
- MOEYou drum on industrial parts. You have space. You don't know what space is.
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Dev, trying it. Slowing his pattern. The space opens up.
- DEV…Oh.
- MOEYeah.
- DEVOh.
- MOEYeah, brother.
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Sunny, watching Dev from across the room, smiling.
No copy.