Sitting At The Kitchen Table

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Maryrrf
Date: 12 Jan 07 - 11:14 PM

Hi Jerry. I got home tonight and was feeling lonely, so I got some tea and went to your kitchen table and read through the threads - felt like I'd had a nice visit. Thanks for having me!

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ron Davies
Date: 12 Jan 07 - 11:29 PM

Hi Mary. Thanks for dropping in. What's going on on the Richmond folk scene?

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Maryrrf
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 09:51 AM

Well, we do have Alistair Fraiser here in Richmond on the 18th - looking forward to that. Otherwise, the main "folk" scene (at least traditional folk) seems to be what I help organize with Richmond Folk Music - there was practically no "scene" at all so we decided to create our own! We hope to lure "closet folkies" into the open!

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ron Davies
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 09:55 AM

Well, Mary, actually in the DC area we also find that some of the best stuff happens when we just get together--any occasion can justify a session--or even no occasion.

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 08:13 PM

How nice of you to drop by, Mary! I'll be sure to leave a light on in the window and a well-stockexd refrigerator.

I had a wonderful day today. Joe and Frankie come up here to our home (an hour's drive) for food and music, in that order. This last year has been very hard for both of them, with serious health problems in their families. It's hard to believe, but this is the first time that they've been able to come up here for practice in nine months!!!! They love coming up here, and Ruth sets a veritable smorgasbord of food for the. We have a large, sunny "great" room where we practice, and it's like a vacation for Joe and Frankie. I almost thought we would have to cancel again today because Frankie fell on a rake that pierce his leg, just below the knee cap. He's still in a lot of pain and was hobbling around, but he gritted his teeth and came. We've scheduled close to a half a dozen practices here in the last three or four months, and had to cancel every one for some, good reason. I could especially see how much it meant to Joe to get away from the stress he is under, and just relax, eat and sing. Despite fumbling around a little to remember our harmonies at the start of a couple of songs, we sounded strong and confident. That comes from ten years of singing together.

After we finished eating, we listened to several cuts on the Sentinels CD, and Joe and Frankie are both excited about having a couple of the guys sing with us. When we finished practice, Frankie asked if he could hear some more of the Sentinels CD, and I thought they'd never leave. And I was in no hurry for them to go, because we were having such a wonderful time. Afterwards, I called the tenor in the Sentinels who has asked if he can sing with us, and he had just been waiting until our practice was over to call me. We're running in to a potential conflict with practices this week, so we may have to wait until next week to get together. But, everyone is excited. Feels good.

Tomorrow the three of us sing with the Men's Chorus we're all members of. We'll be singing to celebrate the 104th birthday of one of our church "Mothers," and we'll have a great time. And of course, Ruth always comes.

Life is good.

Forget the Life Of Riley
I'll take the Life Of Rasmussen, any day

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ebbie
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 06:31 PM

Refresh- a hot pan of cookies are coming out of the oven. Chocolate chip OK?

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Maryrrf
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 06:43 PM

Yes Ebbie. And at the virtual kitchen table, I can virtually have some of your cookies, and they aren't fattening!

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 07:06 PM

I'm just finishing up a mug of coffee and looking around for something to go with it. Those cookies sound like they're just the ticket!

And I tell ya, Mary.. there are a lot of tips I could give you for cutting calories. If you eat cookies off someone else's plate (for example)they have no calories.

Jerry ... slim inside

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ebbie
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 07:44 PM

hahhaah That reminds me of what a friend sent me by email the other day.

This woman goes to the doctor and the nurse does a pre-examination.

She says, How much do you weigh?
115, says the woman.

The nurse puts her on the scales; 140 pounds, it says.

The nurse asks, How tall are you?

5' 8", says the woman.

The nurse measures her and the tapes says she is 5'5".

Then the nurse took her blood pressure. The nurse frowns. Your blood pressure is high, she says.

Of course it is, says the woman indignantly. I came in here tall and slender. Now I am short and fat.

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 03:08 PM

Taking a break and thought I'd stop by for a mug of coffee. Ruth and I are re-doing two rooms and a hallway in the basement, painting the walls and putting down a new tile floor. I'm doing the floor and Ruth is doing most of the painting. Like most renovation jobs, the preparation time is much longer than doing the actual work. We'll finish the downstairs kitchen in another couple of days, rest on the 7th day (If it was good for God, why not us?) and start the second room next week. The hallway is done.

Tonight, I'll get a breather as we're having Messengers practice and the bass singer and the two tenors from the Sentinels are coming. It should be a great night if it doesn't snow too hard. Wounchaknow that after no snow all winter, it's forcast for tonight.

Hope you all are doin' fine.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: billybob
Date: 23 Jan 07 - 09:21 AM

Just made a new pot of coffee,sounds like you are very busy decorating Jerry, I always think that after the Christmas decorations come down the house looks so bare and a good coat of paint wakes everything up for the spring! The only thing is once I start on one room it shows the others up and I never know when to stop.
Did you get snow? It is really cold over here in the UK, snow up north but not down here...yet!Nice blue sky and sun shining at the moment, just the sort of winter day I love.

wendy

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ebbie
Date: 23 Jan 07 - 12:38 PM

It grew colder in the night
and Nature, sighing, arose.
Over the sleeping forms
she laid a new thick
soft blanket of white
and whispered, Sleep tight

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ebbie
Date: 23 Jan 07 - 12:58 PM

"It grew colder in the night
and Nature, sighing, arose.
Over the sleeping forms
she laid a soft thick blanket
and whispered, Sleep tight"

Better? I don't do poetry.

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Essex Girl
Date: 24 Jan 07 - 09:21 AM

Had to come through the door at last, just to say that my garden looked beautiful when I got up this morning. 2 inches of pristine white snow, so I had to take a couple of photos. Then a 2 hour journey to work as a train had broken down on my line. Why can't our transport system cope with such a small amount of snow?

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 24 Jan 07 - 11:40 AM

"Down in the hen house on my knees
I thought I heard a chicken sneeze"

They don't write lines like those anymore.

I've been down in the basement on my knees, laying tile in two rooms and a hallway. If anyone sneezes, it's likely to be me, for all the accumulated dust in the old carpet we pulled out.

Nice to see the postings in here. Like you, Ebbie, I'm no poet. At least no one has officially given me a certificate to prove it. I think that we're all like the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Woodsman and the scarecrow, though. We are already what we claim not to be. We're just looking for someone behing the curtains to tell us that we are. One interesting thing that I've seen in the black community is that people write poetry as naturally and unaffectedly as breathing. People are constantly reading poems they've written at memorial services, or weddings or anniversaries. I really like that.
There is no concept of there being poets, and the rest of us lugs. Anybody can write poetry, and being thought of as a "poet" is completely immaterial.

Meanwhile, it's back down on my knees. Anyone got any prayers they want lifted up? I'll already be down on my knees...

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ebbie
Date: 24 Jan 07 - 12:20 PM

That's rough work on the knees, Jerry. Remember to take care of them *before* they start to hurt...

I wasn't really trying for poetry, unless by that I mean that I was wondering if anyone knew what I was referring to in the imagery. I am so literal minded that not only do I often not catch hidden messages but I'm quite capable of explaining step by step what I meant.

In other words, I was trying to say that it snowed in the night. lol

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 24 Jan 07 - 12:53 PM

And you said it very poetically, ebbie. And I hereby, with all the powers vested in me, declare you to be a POET!

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 01:24 AM

And you oughta know it!

Hi y'all. Looks like there's been a snowstorm in Kitchen Tableville while I was away. None here to report, but a freeze got the avocados and oranges. My orange and lemon trees made it alright. They are close to the cottage, each nestled in a protective corner. They probably got pretty cold and confused, however.

Elmer

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ebbie
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 02:27 AM

Thanks, Jerry. I'll take that one to the bank! *G*

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: billybob
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 08:53 AM

Hi Essex Girl! Welcome to the table!
You should know by now, its the "wrong sort of snow" or so they always tell us! Billy always laughs when it snows here, this morning most of the clients have phoned in to say they wont come out because of the weather, and it has not settled! Now according to Billy in the USA he would be out having fun driving in the snow.( his track record in his youth for driving off road , like into fire hydrants in his sisters car ,is famous!)
Never mind over here the whole country grinds to a halt with a few centemetres of the white stuff, its what puts the "Great" in Great Britain!
Wendy

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 07:41 PM

Good to see so many friends stopping by. I am about to rejoin the living, having a half a dozen tiles left to lay on the floor. And then I'll lie on the floor. (Did I get those two words right?) We've had nothing more than ocassional snow flurries around here.. hardly enough to sweep away with a broom. Last year (2005), just before Christmas, Ruth bought me an electric snow blower for my birthday (which is in June.) I really enjoyed it, because we had two or three major snowfalls of close to a foot. This year, I haven't even dug it out of the back of the tool shed. I won't feel cheated if I don't get to use it at all, this year.

After all sorts of set-backs, it looks like we'll have two tenors and a bass from the Sentinels coming to our next Gospel Messengers practice next Tuesday night. Man, it is hard getting a group together! Even when it looks like everything will work it seems like something totally unexpected happens and someone can't make it.
We'll probably have a blizzard Tuesday night, if my luck keeps running the way it has, for rehearsals.

But, I have no complaint. One more day and I can resume walking upright.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Essex Girl
Date: 26 Jan 07 - 08:37 AM

Son was moaning yesterday that there was not enough snow to warrant a day off school, but there was anough for a good snowball fight on the Wednesday, and the head actually approved!! My daughter moved house yesterday and had packed away all of the clothes, leaving my son-in-law with just a pair of trousers and a t-shirt, which he had to go out in even though there was a blizzard for a while.

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: billybob
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 08:18 AM

Coffee pot was empty and the fire had gone out, made a new pot and started a new fire, nice and cosy in here, think I shall settle down and see who pops by!
wendy

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Rapparee
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 08:36 AM

We had four inches of unexpected snow while I was in Seattle, but nothing much since. It's all evaporating (which it tends to do here instead of melting into the ground).

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 12:29 PM

We have not had a measureable snow as yet, this winter. The irritating thing is, the only time there was a forcast for snow, it was the first time I scheduled the Messengers to practice with a couple of guys from the Sentinels. The tenor I am eyeing covetously works at a school, and he had to cancel to prepare for the snow. Which never came. Now, we have practice re-scheduled for tonight, and guess what? Yep. It's supposed to snow. It's 12:30 here, and the sky is still mostly sunny, and the steady (but light) snow isn't supposed to start until midnight. But, there are snow showers predicted for later this afternoon. I hope they don't cause our covetously-eyed tenor to have to cancel.

Maybe that's why the commandment (not sure which one) says we are not to covet our neighbor's wife. (Or cattle, if you read the whole commandment.) Somehow, coveting your neighbor's cattle sounds kinda kinky. There's no mention of your neighbor's tenor, so I guess I'm safe.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ebbie
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 12:41 PM

We have rarely been without snow on the ground this winter. Since November 2, in fact. Part of the time it is mostly gone, leaving behind bleak and shrinking heaps in corners and parking lots, but then it comes back, rebounding flluffily with luminous and happy vistas. This is southeastern Alaska in the midst of a temperate rain forest and our normal default is rain, not snow. This year it is just the opposite.

Jerry, you will catch your elusive wabbit. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 07:51 PM

When everything goes wrong, I figure that I must be doing something right. Someone down there hates me.

Had to cancel practice again tonight. My coveted tenor is in charge of maintenance and security at the school where he works, and at the last minute, one of his men called in and couldn't work tonight. His wife has cancer, and she was having a hard time and he had to stay with her. In the game of rock/paper/scissors/cancer, cancer wins. Or loses.. So, we'll try for Thursday.

And the good news is that I laid the last piece of tile today, put up the last shelf, installed the last light fixtures and finished the last carpentry. I'd sit back with my feet on the chair and take it easy, but I can't find the chair. I'm sure that it's here somewhere..

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ebbie
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 10:18 PM

Finished? Lovely.

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 03:10 PM

Two times three is six. Who said we'd never use math?

After several false starts, the Sentinels met the Messengers last night, at practice. I had hoped for Ken, who sings bass and Joe who is a second tenor to come, and the Sentinels first (high) tenor Larry came too. After five minutes of conversation, we lit into some songs. They said that they'd just listen, but there was no way I was going to let them sit on their hands. I had them up, right away. Two and a half hours ad six hoarse throats later, we'd worked out passable six part arrangments for eight or nine songs and the Messengers had gone from a trio to a Sextette. Muscially, the evening was fascinating, because Frankie and I coudln't sing our usually harmonies. Suddenly, we had two tenors and we both had to drop down. Ken, who is a bass, moved up and took a upper baritone harmony, Frankie tried to find room between him and the tenors, and I tried not stepping on Joe's musical toes, down in the bass range. Miraculously to me (who's never been involve in six part harmony, it worked out fine. Some of the songs I wouldn't have been uncomfortable stepping up on stage and doing tonight. It was also interesting to see doo wop harmony and black gospel harmony come together. Many of the early doo wop groups started out in black churches, so there is a lot in common between the two styles. But, Joe and Larry are more familiar with New York City doo wop, which is mostly white and has a different sound. But, everything worked out fine. As far as we're all concerned, the Gospel Messengers just doubled in size, and at our next practice, we'll start sedrious work on preparing for the Messengers 10th Anniversay concert in the spring.

You'll excuse me if I shout

HALLELUJAH!!!!

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 12:20 AM

I'll see your hallelujah and raise you a mazel tov, Jerry! Sounds like great fun, and not a moment too soon.

wa-wa-wa-wa-waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa--oooop!

Elmer

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 09:38 PM

Oh, for heaven's sake, I need something to soothe my soul. I'm gonna make a big pot of decaf and drink half of it myself. Heavy on the cream.   Got any Irish around to put in it? I'm gonna slouch on this chair for a while.


We had our long planned, much-heralded song session for our nascent trad singers club this afternoon. After much planning, phoning, mailing, yada yada, the total turnout was 4. While it was good and worthwhile for us 4, essentially NOBODY who said they were interested showed up, and we look like idiots with the bar who let us use the room. Our diehard spiritual leader is resolute on continuing to keep trying this monthly til we get somewhere, but sheesh I am discouraged.


I'll second your hallelujah, Jerry, that sounds like a wonderful vocal jam session, glad it all came together! Sometimes we get wonderful stuff when we have to stretch into a new spot. Can you get an AMEN!!

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Rapparee
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 10:02 PM

One disappointing turnout does not a failure make.

Nor does two, or three, or four, or five, or six. Eventually, someone will wonder how come there seems to be so much joy and fun coming from where you folks are....

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ron Davies
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 08:20 AM

Turnout ain't everything, it's true. Went to a music party last night. Only 8 of us, but what a party--what music. Theoretically C & W, but we sure didn't stay there.   A really talented guy playing all sorts of Hawaiian music--and a song he wrote while in Istanbul for a family wedding--a song which sounded to me like it had strong Hawaiian influence. Just delightful. And a duo who did all sorts of stuff I'd never heard--something by a rival of Bob Wills--not Milton Brown-- guy I'd never heard of. And something by a guy with some sort of tie to Fats Waller's manager. Just magnificent--I wished I had the whole party on CD.

I hardly sang or played much at all---threw in a few viola harmonies and sang on a few choruses of country songs--"I'll Be Your San Anton Rose". And Jan and I did "A Dear John Letter"--which we barely got through.

So the music was carried by mainly 4 people--the rest of us mostly listened--and I had a just wonderful time---like having a fantastic seat at one of the best concerts I've been to in ages.

And some of our other friends were also supposed to show up--but didn't. The hostess was not happy about that--but I thought the party was just great.

And our hostess also plays Scott Joplin--and even has a pump organ---neither of which were even touched last night.

Such richness.


Then when I woke up this morning I had two songs in my head--"I'll Be Your San Anton Rose" and "Wonderful World"--the Garfunkel version---I really love the verse not (in the Sam Cooke original)---"Don't know nothin' 'bout the Middle Ages/ Looked at the pictures and I turned the pages/ Don't know nothin' 'bout no rise and fall/ Don't know nothin' 'bout nothin' at all." Course I love Sam Cooke too--who doesn't?

Then this afternoon I have a practice of Missa Criolla (Ramirez)--really lively piece--great fun.

Yesterday was the Folklore Society's Minifest--one day festival. There are ALWAYS wonderfully talented people who I've never heard of.

Met a really good fiddler who liked doing double-fiddle stuff--we did Faded Love and a few others--I intend to invite him to my next party

And even some good lines by performers. Minifest took place in a a school. Performer said "This reminds of me of a house concert--with really bad lighting".


We are so lucky--anybody who can make music--or even has good friends who do.

(All I have to do is just forget about getting embroiled in absurd never-ending political debates--you never get anywhere anyway. Maybe I'll learn eventually.)

As Jan keeps saying--we only go around once.

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ron Davies
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 08:22 AM

("not in the Sam Cooke original"

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 09:30 AM

Sounds like a great night, Ron!

I just put together a compilation CD for the three guys from the doo wop group, The Sentinels, who practiced with us on Tuesday. Tom my ears, it's as good as black gospel gets. And of course, it has a track with The Soul Stirrers: If I could Touch The Hem Of His Garment, with Sam Cooke on lead. We will learn a lot from my friends in the Sentinels, but they'll learn just as much because they are unfamiliar with the whole world of black gospel, which contributed so mightily to rhythm and blues and soul music. I'm starting to grasp the differences between white and black doo wop groups, in the process. Somewhere along the line, I'll start a thread on that, for those who are interested.

I got a call yesterday, booking the Messengers for a concert with the Swanee Quintet. The average person has never heard of them, but they've been around for at least 40 years, and perhaps longer than that. We do two songs I learned from their albums. A couple of years ago, we did a concert with the Dixie Hummingbirds. They had recently celebrated their 70th Anniversary! And the lead singer had been in the group almost from the beginning. He was in his 80's, but when he got up on stage, he was 20 again. And here we are, excited about celebrating our 10th Anniversary...

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 06 Feb 07 - 03:13 PM

Hi Jerry, new gig sounds great, what a good bill that will be.

Ron & Rapaire, thanks for the encouraging words, you are right, we'll just have to go slow and build one voice at a time however long that takes. And there's a reason I didn't reply.   

See, I finished the coffee and stepped out for some fresh air Sat. night, and the kitchen door blew shut. I figured it was time to go home to tend to my knitting etc over Sunday. Tried the door again Monday and found myself locked out.   Today Cluin helped my pry open that little window over the sink and I slithered back in. I gotta remember my key.

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Rasener
Date: 06 Feb 07 - 03:15 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 09 Feb 07 - 01:03 PM

There were these weird green lilly pad looking things growing on the top of the coffee, so I thought it was time to start a fresh batch.

Just odds and ends going on over here in Connecticut. Some good, some bad. And maybe some of the bad stuff will prove to be good in the long run.

My bass singer Joe's wife was hospitalized earlier this week, and Everything came down, right during a Gospel Messengers practice. She came home from the hospital yesterday, but the problems are not resolved. Every day seems a little on the edgy side these days. A familiar experience to all of us.

Tomorrow, we're going to a funeral of a family member, and that carries its own suffering, along with release, as the woman had cancer, and is now released from her suffering.

At the same time, I've mostly written a new song. I read all the songwriter threads, and read articles on songwriting, and I find it very hard to relate to. I can appreciate on a limited way, some of the mechanics discussed, but mechanics don't usually produce a good song. For me, songs happen (Hmmmm... I wonder if I could make a million dollars selling bumper stickers with that phrase?" They find me, usually when I am bubbling over with enthusiasm. Mixed in with the hard-times, there's plenty of enthusiasm, too and it's stirring up songs not yet written in my mind. What I'm finding is that my love of rhythm and blues groups, which has been set on fire singing with the doo wop group, and having them sing with us, has stirred the pot, and I find that I have Penguins floating to the surface. Earth Angel Penguins. The last two songs I've written have flowed out of songs of theirs no one has ever heard. It looks like the circle will not be broken.. rhythm and blues groups coming out of black gospel quartet music, and now I find myself bringing rhythm and blues full-circle, back to gospel.

I had a wonderful experience along those lines, many years ago. I wrote a song titled Ten Pound Radio that remembers the old rhythm and blues groups and songs warmly. I recorded it on one of my Folk-Legacy albums, singing all the parts myself. A young woman who liked my music went to Africa with her husband, where he was doing research on mountain gorillas, and they were camped in a Pygmy village. She had a battery powered tape player and played my albums for the pygmy children. The one song they really loved, and sang along on phonetically was Ten Pound Radio. Talk about an unbroken circle. Africans brought over here as slaves, singing black gospel music, which evolved into rhythm and blues, and then a white kid from southern Wisconsin writing and recording a song paying propers to rhythm and blues groups, which ends up back in Africa, with pygmy children singing along.

Music makes its own way.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ebbie
Date: 09 Feb 07 - 02:30 PM

Grest story, Jerry, great visuals.

Somebody reach me a cup over here?

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 08:33 PM

Hey, Hey!

Hope every is busy having a wonderful life, 'cause no one is dropping by here anymore. We have a big storm rolling in tonight, so it looks like we'll be house bound for a couple of days. This will be our first real snowfall of the winter... just a couple of dustings so far this year. I'm ready!

I had to cancel a program with the Messengers at a Jewish Health Care Center (yes, a lot of the residents and people who use the services are Christian, and I know plkenty of people of the Jewish faith who love black gospel.) I'll be lucky if I can walk across the street tomorrow morning.

A couple of days ago, I bought two tickets to here Ladysmith Black Mombazo in New Haven. I'm very excited about it!!!! I had the great pleasure of hearing Paul Simon in concert shortly after he released his Rhythm of The Saints album, and he had the musicians from the Graceland AND the Rhythm of The Saints albums AND Ladysmith Black Mombazo AND Artie Garfunkel. What a night! Ladysmith Black Mombazo made their appearance, dancing in close unison, wearing white bucks that accentuated every step. I almost fell over with excitement. Luckily, I was seated at the time. I've wanted to see them in concert ever since then, and the only time the opportunity arose I had a job commitment the night they were appearing.

Living so close to New Haven is great because they get wonderful groups during the week, while they're on tour. The tickets cost half as much as hearing the same group in New York City, and there's nowhere near the hassle (or expense.) Last year, we heard the Five Blind Boys Of Alabama, and that was a real treat, too.

Just hope they don't get snowed out...

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: jimmyt
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 09:10 PM

Hey Y'all! GLad to review the latest stuff and think about ya! I been missing this table a lot!   I am playing a bit of folk but started writing a musical to be done this fall! It will be a lot more entertainment than substance, but hey, that's Do-wop! Jerry, my best to Ruth and hope the snow doesn't slow ya down too much! Love you all jimmyt

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 10:04 PM

Oh, sit down jimmyt, don't run off. Tell us a story. What's going on?

I was marveling today at the miracle that is the car CD player. You can be driving in miserable weather down a depressing February road covered with trash, and in one instant be transported to somewhere else by a singer whose voice you haven't heard in months.   It's just amazing.

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ebbie
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 10:19 PM

Wow, Jerry. You are in for a real treat. Back about 1990, before its lead person was shot and killed (at home in Africa), I saw the group in Anchorage. It was an absolutely thrilling performance and from what I hear they haven't let up.

In fact, I keep a fairly large painting of a turbaned African woman on my wall only because it reminds me of the group. The painting is of just her head and neck but there is such a grace about it that when I came across it in a garage sale years ago I had to have it.

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 08:11 PM

How good to see you at the table, Jimmy!!!!!! You are often on my mind, and especially these days, now that we have three members of the doo wop group, The Sentinels, singing with the Messengers. We're really getting down to the root differences between black and white doo wop and gospel harmonies. Wherever all of this leads, I know that I'll learn a lot.

Be sure to stop by again, buddy.

Hope the equator is healed.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 09:30 PM

Hey y'all,

There are white flakes falling from the sky around here. They are flower petals falling from the trees that are in bloom all over town. Spring has sprung right on time in February.

The gospel music is fantastic. "How Much Do I Owe Him?" is getting to be an apt sentiment.

I've been copying blues CDs into iTunes today in between doing real work, from Bo Diddley and Magic Sam to Mississippi John Hurt. Great gratitude to the public library for their collection. There's also a terrific DVD called "Hello Blues" with clips of blues musicians from the famous, such as B.B.King, to unknown fife and drum players. I highly recommend it. It's produced by a company called "Shout!"

I notice we're getting close to a marker. I may bag that wabbit yet!

Elmer

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Ebbie
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 11:34 PM

I'll resist the impulse this time, JimmyT! I'm *so* ashamed; it was an impulse I just couldn't resist. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 15 Feb 07 - 01:00 AM

This is it

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 15 Feb 07 - 01:00 AM

YOU

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 15 Feb 07 - 01:01 AM

PESKY WABBIT!!!!!!! I GOTCHA! I GOTCHA!!!! HOLD STILL BUGS BUNNY!!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Sitting At The Kitchen Table
From: jimmyt
Date: 15 Feb 07 - 08:49 PM

YES!!!!