On Meeting BWL

Subject: On Meeting BWL
From: John Hardly
Date: 03 Sep 05 - 02:18 PM

I should be ashamed of the "hoosier hospitality" I offered. When my wife heard that I served frozen pizza to guests, she was mortified.

"I did warm it up first" I explained.

She rolled her eyes.

Anyway, BWL and his gracious and genial wife didn't utter a single complaint. Nor did they roll their eyes. They just made their way through the humble offering, and some fresh-brewed iced tea (no sugar!), regardless of having just put in a 10 hour day setting up a pottery booth at the nearby art fair.   They probably could have used a bit better fortification for the upcoming long weekend.

BWL, following such a grueling day of set-up in 90+ degree heat, was still so generous as to make the 25 minute drive down to my humble hovel just so we could meet. I'm glad he did. I haven't had the opportunity to meet many who post here. Of the great number of posters here, BWL is among those I've most wanted to meet.

Interestingly, we never really talked about the mudcat. Though this is how we met, this isn't really what we have in common.

We talked clay and glazes, kilns and firings, potters who influence us, and where we want our pots to be years from now -- I'm now the proud owner of one of his fine pots (it now sits on my shelf, among the pots of other great potters I know) .

We talked wood and wire, songs and lies.

BWL is every bit the genuine soul, the subtle wit, that he appears here. He doesn't waste words. Quiet, really. He seems interested in the pots – but passionate about music…

…and that's a good thing because, other than the pottery, what it turns out we really share is a desire for less chat, more play. And we got down to it. We spent a few hours in my living room…

"you let them go in there?!!!!, my wife said, again horrified. "I haven't swept in there since Ann Arbor (a July show)", she moaned.

"I kept the lights dim" I said.

She rolled her eyes.

Anyway, with his J45, and my HD28 and Flatiron, we made our way through…

Temperance Reel
Kitchen Girl
Arkansas Traveler
Smoke That Cigarette
It's a Sin (to tell a lie)
Cattle In The Cane
Several that BWL introduced me too, and several others.

It was a very enjoyable meeting for me. A true pleasure to meet such a fine and talented man.

Subject: RE: On Meeting BWL
From: John Hardly
Date: 03 Sep 05 - 02:23 PM

btw...

Cross my heart, hope to die
I'll never ever ever tell another white lie
Took the little girl on a date last night
I'm tellin' you people, she looked outta sight
Now I'm between the devil and the deep blue sea
She sure looked good to me
Told her I loved her (my, how I lied!)
Now she's set to be my blushing bride
If she gets me to the altar, I'm sunk
And I can't tell the preacher I was drunk
Oh lord have mercy on a no-account sinner
Give me one more chance to let another man win her
It's a sin to tell a lie.

Subject: RE: On Meeting BWL
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Sep 05 - 04:17 PM

Kewl! Good for you folks, sounds like a great time!

Subject: RE: On Meeting BWL
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 03 Sep 05 - 04:26 PM

Thanks for the kind words, John. And for the song verse.

Listen, folks, I've met and seen the work of lots of potters. John is one of the finest ceramicists I've ever met. I'm a good enough potter to make a living at it, and I hope I get better all the time. Sometimes I can look at the work of a potter whose work I once greatly admired and go, "Damn! My stuff's better than his! When did that happen?" But John's work makes my humble efforts look like chicken feed. Having waited until I was already in my forties to start making pots, I'll have to accept that I probably won't live long enough to be as good as he is. So there. That's all I'm saying about that.

On the musical front, It's pretty common to be able to sit down and play some tunes with someone, but there's a special magic when two people who have never met can sit down and make music as if they just played together last week. That's how it was playing with John. If you've been there, you know what I mean. If you haven't been there it can't be explained. And that's all I'm saying about that.

Subject: RE: On Meeting BWL
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 05 - 04:26 PM

Sounds like a great visit. And if you're that tired and don't have to cook the meal yourself, anything tastes good. Don't worry about the frozen pizza!

SRS

Subject: RE: On Meeting BWL
From: John Hardly
Date: 04 Sep 05 - 03:32 PM

wow. You are too kind! Thanks.

It was a pleasure playing with someone who actually knows the tunes!