In the ten years that I have known Peter Case, and the seven that I’ve been filming his shows, I’ve noticed how songs come and go in his live sets. He values spontaneity — we talked about this in an interview recorded in his Santa Monica backyard, what seems like half a lifetime ago.

Songs from Full Service No Waiting and Flying Saucer Blues were played for awhile and then retired (despite many requests, the only time he has ever played “Two Heroes” from start to finish was the day he recorded it). “Space Monkey,” long a crowd favorite, dropped off the radar in 2003. Thank You St. Jude, with re-recordings of songs from his three Geffen albums, brought back some old favorites. In 2005 there was a Plimsouls reunion, and songs like “The Oldest Story In The World” and “A Million Miles Away” made sporadic appearances.

I was curious what songs Peter would pick for his first performance in more than six months. He had told me at lunchtime that he’s been busy writing new material, but that he doesn’t plan on playing any tonight.

Seven years ago, I drove to Cecil Community College in eastern Maryland to make a video recording of singer-songwriter Peter Case for a documentary project that didn’t even have a name yet.

On Saturday, August 29 — 90,000 miles and 200 hours of footage later — I met Peter at Fur Peace Ranch in southern Ohio to record a historic occasion. It was Peter’s return to performing after a six-month recovery from heart bypass surgery, and it seemed a fitting conclusion to the long journey of Troubadour Blues.

My friend Kerri McMullen, a photojournalist from Columbus, came along to preserve the day in pictures. I’ve included some here, to get this blog rolling.

Jorma Kaukonen, guitarist extraodinaire for the Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, is one person who really followed through on that Sixties dream of going up the country and buying a piece of land. Many years and much hard work later, it’s developed into a residential music camp and performing arts center, snuggled into the hills of southern Ohio near the West Virginia border.

Drive till the four-lane highway ends, then follow the two-lane highway until this sign appears.

The two-lane turns into a one-lane, then into gravel, and winds around a bit past a couple of farms. Through the gate into a little rustic paradise with wildflowers everywhere. The concert hall sits up on the crest of a hill.