@bbzswa777 - yes, playing blues is much like singing. Keeping that in mind really helps with phrasing. It's not just about bends and expression, it's about leaving space allowing you to take a breath as a singer would. I also find it interesting to listen to horn players and trying to mimic their phrasing.

@haghj500 - I don't know how it happened, but yes there's a spot toward the end where it just all connected and made sense. It really builds up in intensity toward the end even though I'm really not playing in a more intense way...and it makes me smile. That double stop bend was really cool - I distinctly remember hitting that and thinking "oohhh, that sounds nice" and incorporated it some more later on.

Apparently learning other songs has helped me a lot because that's all I've been focusing on for the past 2 months.

Thanks guys for listening and commenting.