Gibson Robert Johnson on eBay WINNING BID $5,211.00

Pretty cool guitar for sale on eBay this week.
















http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200455570519&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Just remembering

This one's for you, Diane

Here's one for Uncle Bob

And the one I'm waiting for....

I've become a huge David Lindley fan since hearing him in Huntington Beach.  According to Amazon, this one releases in May, in time for their tour.

The Chieftains Featuring Ry Cooder

You should give this album a listen. It's well worth your time.

Roger Dutton and The Grey Striped Suits

This in from Roger...

It went really well! Don Reed and Paul Carman are incredible
musicians, the rest of the crew was tight and I didn't forget any
lyrics. When you put on a show in Idyllwild, if you break even you've
succeeded but we actually went over the top and I was able to pay the
musicians and the sound man. About 150 people attended, some came all
the way from Colorado. It was a three hour concert that included one
of Myra's readings," A BONGO FABLE ", set to a jazz sax, very cool.
It was a bit like an old Idyllwild Reunion and the crowd was totally
receptive.

We are now thinking of doing more gigs, possibly down your way.

Catfish John

This is so sweeeeet!

The Haggis Returns

Carolina Chocolate Drops

Anyone know this group?  I heard them on NPR and just bought their latest CD.  Takes me back! 

Haggis Revisited

Did you know that "haggis is popularly assumed to be of Scottish origin but there is a lack of historical evidence that could conclusively attribute its origins to any one place or nation"? (Understandable. Who, after all, would want to take responsibility for its creation?)

Did you also know that "haggis is used in a sport called haggis hurling, which involves throwing a haggis as far as possible"? (this makes eminent sense: get as far away from haggis as possible.)

The Irish have their problems, let's face it. They drink too much and cry over card tricks. (Apologies to my Bingham and Griffin ancestors.) But at least there is no sound historical evidence that they invented haggis. So to honor their innocence in this matter I have penned a St. Patrick's Day limerick.

In a pub a man asked what my bag is

I replied, "I'm a maker of haggis"

His eyes widened with fear

And he spat in my beer

As I moaned what a drag is this haggis.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Soon I will post a picture of my personal haggis...

Kunkel and Harris (House) Concert this Weekend

Alameda, Saturday, March 20.

If anyone's interested, contact Bruce or me for more info.

Happy Saint Patricks Day

Twas the Irish what invented the pipes, you know, and they gave them to the Scots as a joke. And the Scots haven't gotten the joke yet!

From Sherry O'Miller - Just in Time for St. Patrick's Day

Chocolate Guinness Cake

by Nigella Lawson

This cake is magnificent in its damp blackness. I can't say that you can absolutely taste the stout in it, but there is certainly a resonant, ferrous tang which I happen to love. The best way of describing it is to say that it's like gingerbread without the spices. There is enough sugar — a certain understatement here — to counter any potential bitterness of the Guinness, and although I've eaten versions of this made up like a chocolate layer cake, stuffed and slathered in a rich chocolate frosting, I think that can take away from its dark majesty. Besides, I wanted to make a cream cheese frosting to echo the pale head that sits on top of a glass of stout. It's unconventional to add cream but it makes it frothier and lighter which I regard as aesthetically and gastronomically desirable. But it is perfectly acceptable to leave the cake un-iced: in fact, it tastes gorgeous plain.

Ingredients for the cake:

1 cup Guinness
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups superfine sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Ingredients for the topping:

8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

Nigella's Suggestions:

For a simpler dessert, replace the frosting with a light dusting of powered sugar.

Preheat the over to 350 F, and butter and line a 9 inch springform pan.

Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter — in spoons or slices — and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and baking soda.

Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.

When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the frosting. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sift over the confectioner's sugar and then beat them both together. Or do this in a processor, putting the unsifted confectioners' sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese.

Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

O.K. Now it looks more Irish!

Worst Album Covers ………….Ever

This PDF, regarding album covers, was sent to me by Michael De Jong, it's both funny and disturbing at the same time. He's a singer/songwriter, entertainer and friend whom I used to play with in the '70's. He's now living in Amsterdam and still playing internationally. If you're interested in finding out more about him, go to his "Hyves"site < http://singermichael.hyves.nl/ > (best) or his website < www.michaeldejong.org > (older - first effort) Anyway, sure hope I can figure out how to attach this PDF here. Otherwise, I'll ask Diane if she will help. (Vincent Price in The Fly, "Help me".) Hmm. Having just exhausted my store (one shelf with a few odds and ends) of knowledge, I'll defer to the experts. Double hmm. I think I want to change from my Nom D'Blog, Myron J. Poltroonian, to me - John Besharian. Guess I'll have a lot o' askin' t'do. If there's a "Wingding" this summer, I'll look forward to seeing everyone there.

Bruce & Rob Friday Night

Kunkel and Harris
3/12/2010 7:00 PM at Bazaar Cafe

5927 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94121

Cost: $10 donation

Great to see everyone out there gigging!

And one more for the Northern Californians.....

The sweet sounds of Gayle Lynn and her Hired Hands in Berkeley on Sunday, April 25:

$14.50 advance / $15.50 at door

http://www.freightandsalvage.org/dr-ks-home-grown-roots-revue-series-misisipi-rider-honky-tonk-dreamers-gayle-lynn-hired-hands

More Sweet Sounds of Summer

And.... the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will be at the Mission Viejo Summer Music Festival June 23rd.  Looks like an idyllic place to listen to music.

Sweet Sounds of Summer

California and area Paradoxers:  Jackson and David Lindley have upcoming concerts in L.A. (July 23) and Berkeley (July 24) this summer.  Might be just the excuse we need to all get together again this summer.

40 what?

DIANE just bought herself a super great Birthday present.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAY DIANE................

Freeborn Man-Tony & Friends RED HOT BLUEGRASS

Do check this out. Embed code wasn't working for some reason, so just watch on YouTube!
Tony Rice guitar , Jerry Douglas dobro , Sam Bush mandolin , Mark o'Connor fiddle, Mark Schatz Bass and Béla Fleck on banjo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwHXOwk3xNo