Everytime I "discover" another genre, it opens a new world and I just have to explore it. I should also mention that I listened to a lot of punk, metal and industrial in the 80s. Also listened to a lot of electronic new wave. At the same time, I remember buying a Hank Williams anthology and playing it to death. I know everything by Hank now. And if I perform anything by him, it will be something not well known and I'll do it in a different style like, say, "Moanin' the Blues" in a rockabilly style.

I haven't done an open mic in months. Danny down at the teahouse must wonder what happened to me. Last time I saw him, he said, "Could have used you last week. We had a bunch of people who didn't know one end of a guitar from the other."

I hear Doc Watson stuff in folkier places but in my end of town, people don't even know who he is. They think he was Sherlock Holmes' sidekick--honest to god. I try to bring them Billy Eckstine, Jimmy Reed, Stan Rogers and Joao Gilberto but you can tell they don't really get it.

I remember once doing the Ravens' version of "Old Man River" and a girl in the audience--probably the only one that had any idea what I was singing--actually thought I got that song from watching "Dharma & Greg". I guess they must have sang it or something. Of course--where else would I have gotten the idea to do a song like that? Certainly not from listening to the Ravens.