If I told you I know of a great place to catch an excellent dinner show at an affordable price, you might think it a fairy tale. Well, pinch yourself, because this one is true.

Once upon a time, there was a bass player named Jerry Preston who was discovered by Bobby Byrd's daughter while he was playing in a local Georgia band. Preston then joined Byrd's band, Famous Flames, who regularly played on the same bill as James Brown and became the inspiration for the JB's. From there, Preston ended up touring the world with Maceo Parker, James Brown's famous horn man (who, by sheer coincidence, is playing at the Blue Note from Monday until April 21).

Long before any of this happened, Preston had been bitten by the Asia bug. When he was still a snug 8-year-old, an uncle returned from Vietnam laden with trinkets from the Far East. Among the gifts were some porcelain dolls posed with fans in kimono, their delicate features distinctly Asian. Preston was so enthralled that he stole one from his mother's china cabinet and hid it in his room.