All right — he ain't exactly a band, and he ain't terribly old, neither. But Tom Hall has made the rounds at enough local bars and as the featured guitarist in enough bands to make him an ambassador of acoustic blues music (we'll wait a few years to give Hall the "living legend" tag). And while Hall may have many more years ahead of him, the music he plays certainly qualifies as old, though to hear the singer and guitarist play is a reminder that the spirit of the blues lives on through its practitioners. Hall's resonant, weathered voice is a perfect fit for his percussive style of picking, and his mastery of Delta blues has made him a mainstay at bars like B.B.'s Jazz, Blues & Soups, Iron Barley and Dressel's. Earlier this year several local musicians and club owners banded together to buy a replacement for Hall's beloved 1932 National steel guitar, which was stolen out of his truck. It was a fitting tribute to one of St. Louis' most consistently remarkable performers. We hope this honor is, too.