Many years ago I saw Ramblin' Jack at the Mariposa Folk Festival. There was a workshop of some sort coming up that he was supposed to perform in, and he was standing beside the stage walking his dog. I went over to him and asked him if he could perform 9-12 Greens, a 15 minute long monologue (with guitar accompaniment) ending in a 1 verse song. He said it was pretty long, and he wasn't sure it would be appropriate, but he would think about it. Near the end of the workshop, the host started rushing Jack to get finished, making some sarcastic comment about how his introductions were as long as his songs. Well, that was all Jack needed to decide to fulfill my request. He launched into 9-12 Greens, and it was magnificent, longer and funnier than I had ever heard it before, despite every attempt, through pithy side comments, by the workshop host to get him to wrap it up and sing the damn song. It was a battle of wits that Jack won hands down!
Happy birthday Jack! And may you celebrate many, many more!