….As I’m a little late in the day Posting this, listen to some Hendrix tonight, or tomorrow for sure……  They’re having a Hendrix Birthday Party at the Seattle Hard Rock Cafe tonight, and another one at another big club tomorrow night…..  Didn’t make it to the Hard Rock, but, am considering making the one tomorrow night….  As we didn’t check in advance, we figured The Hard Rock would be way past packed…..

If 6 were 9, you’d Hear My Train a Comin’ round the Red House located All Along The Watchtower guarded by a Foxey Lady and a VooDoo Child shrouded in a Purple Haze…..

If I don’t see you in this world……..

Give thanks for all you have and pray for a better future…….  Enjoy the day with those you love, even if it is relatives, and, most importantly, don’t forget to stuff the Turkey and yourselves (If it’s Tofurkey, I can’t help you)……

Got to see Taj Mahal at “The Jazz Alley” Friday the 19th….. I went in good company – Jek and TTop from MRC and members from MC6 – Eight of us in all, so, there was going to be fun even if Taj didn’t show up!  Taj did show up, but, I guess if it “Wasn’t For Bad Luck, I’d Have No Luck At All” (an old Blues line) since Taj actually LOST his voice on about the third song…. He sounded like a whispering frog – claimed it was the first time it had ever happened to him….. Even after a couple of hot drinks with lemon slices in them, his poor voice didn’t improve, so, most of the concert were instrumentals from that point on, but, it was still worth the money and very enjoyable……

….And then the snow and ice came (see previous Post), but, all-in-all, I’m having a great time…… Still got a week to go……

That’s right, Skiattle….. Remember me telling everyone about how little snow and ice Seattle gets?…. Well, I guess it just takes a visit from me to screw it all up!….. It’s like 19 degrees out there right now (the high for the day is supposed to be a scorching 27 degrees) and there is SNOW and ICE everywhere – It snowed most of yesterday, but, as the ground was still warm, it was all water on the roadways – That changed quick enough as the temp went into the dumpster early in the day and continued falling to the 19 degrees it is now…..

The Sun is out though today, but, it is definitely bumper car city out there….. AND, the best part (yeah, right) is more is predicted to be on the way….. I’m now wondering if Thanksgiving will be celebrated in here in Seattle instead of on the Columbia river in Skamokawa as is traditional, and, one of the main reasons I came all the way to the Great White North for in the first place (I guess the “White” should have been a hint to me…eh?)…. …Still, I’m having a great time and would love to live here as opposed to Oklahoma…..

Yep, it’s time Mrambler pulled an inspection of the Seattle branch of MR Central…… Actually, it’s more of a vacation as I get out of Oklahoma for a while and enjoy the Great White North….. I plan to see lots of new things, including looking around for future digs along with visiting old friends, such as Jimi H.….. It’s going to be a great trip – “Wish You Were There”…..

I know that a lot of our community was very young when this happened and it is a long way from our little world here but it is something that is dear to my heart. 35 Years ago today the Pride of the American Shipping fleet went down in Lake Superior 35 miles from Whitefish Point, MI. Taking with her 29 souls. Lets Pause in our day today and remember those crewmen that perished on board the “Big Fitz”.

I was send an e-mail with this little story and song. Thought the community might like it. Any one else have an amusing story about cops, cars, road trips, etc?

MRB’s getting domesticated…… I know, it’s hard to believe….. I went out and actually bought a Bed with a bookcase headboard and a matching Night Stand with Two (2) Humongous sized drawers….. I’ve figured out where my mattress goes and some of the junk, including books, that will go in the headboard…..

It’s the Night Stand drawers that have me stalemated…. What could you possibly need while in bed, or in the middle of the night that would fill two (2) HUGE drawers?….. Books? – in the headboard, Gun? – under the pillow (extra ammo, too), Medications? – Not a good idea to grab some meds when you’re asleep….. So What?….. I’m calling on any domesticated MR Community members to offer up what you store in your Night Stand….. If I get no suggestions, I’ll just use them for CD/DVD storage…..

Really, I’m not trying to turn MRambler Central into a Blues Blog, but, I just can’t pass up passin’ this one on…. You can blame some of this on Jek, as he is the one who got me two tickets to see “Watermelon Slim” at “The “Blue Door” for my birthday…… So-o-o, I’m back into my MRambler – Bluesman mode…..

Let me tell you this, “Back to the Future” as nothing on time travel….. Entering The Blue Door is like stepping back to the late ’60’s – early ’70’s…. It’s hard to describe, but, it’s like being invited to a friend’s house that is full of musicians and hardcore music lovers….. From the outside, the only way that you know you’re there is the painted double Blue Doors – No signs – No entrance directions – It’s an establishment dedicated to Music, run by musicians for musicians for the love of Music, not the Music Industry Buck….. Doesn’t matter if it’s your first time there, or your 100th, you’re treated as trusted friend – You’re not only the audience – You are part of the Act….. The interaction between the performer on the stage and audience become one, from the Music itself to discussions on other artists and equipment….. Trust me, I think you would find it impossible to locate another venue in the World that would satisfy you more…… I guarantee you that if you taped a copy of their upcoming events on the wall, threw a dart, went to see whatever artist the dart picked, whether you had ever heard of them or not, you would come away with one of the most satisfying times of your life…… Here’s a couple of pics of “The Blue Door” and a couple of “Watermelon Slim” With MRB and Roger Harrison – Mr. Bassman:

What can I say about “Watermelon Slim” other than he is the best damn Delta style Ex-Truck Driver I’ve ever heard….. He also takes “Cover Songs” and makes them his own….. Sort of like Hendrix did with cover songs….. If there’s one thing you need to do before you leave this mortal coil is see him “Live”…… This is MRambler – Bluesman stepping down off the pulpit, reachin’ for my harp and guitar to find some redemption….. Bluz – It Loud……

You probably missed them since they were never available for sale. Interested? You can read about it in “Chrysler’s Turbine Car” by Steve Lehto. Here is the opening from the book review in The Wall Street Journal:

What Would Don Draper Drive?

In this automotive age of gutless golf carts shaped by computerized wind tunnels, it’s difficult to imagine a time when the American road thundered with Galaxies, Electras and Rocket 88s. The designs of these 1950s and 1960s iron giants were inspired by the space race and the dawn of jet travel. One car company was even bold enough to put a jet engine in an automobile, and that is the topic of Steve Lehto’s “Chrysler’s Turbine Car,” a delightful history of, as the subtitle has it: “The Rise and Fall of Detroit’s Coolest Creation.”

…You do business in the music industry….. As I said in my earlier Post on Harmonica Hinds, I had ordered a copy of his new CD:

H.H. also sent me a link for a free download of “Walking Down the Street”…. I asked him if I could Post it on the blog for everyone….. He replied it was FREE to one and all, so, if you want it, just click on the song title above…..

The coolest thing I’ve seen lately was the confirmation e-mail I got from CDBaby.com , the distributor of Harmonica Hinds and lots of other independent musicians….. Read this and check ’em out….

Thanks for your order with CD Baby!
USPS
(1) Harmonica Hinds: Anything if I could

Your CD has been gently taken from our CD Baby shelves with sterilized contamination-free gloves and placed onto a satin pillow.
A team of 50 employees inspected your CD and polished it to make sure it was in the best possible condition before mailing.
Our packing specialist from Japan lit a candle and a hush fell over the crowd as he put your CD into the finest gold-lined box that money can buy.
We all had a wonderful celebration afterwards and the whole party marched down the street to the post office where the entire town of Portland waved “Bon Voyage!” to your package, on its way to you, in our private CD Baby jet on this day, October 13, 2010.
We hope you had a wonderful time shopping at CD Baby. In commemoration, we have placed your picture on our wall as “Customer of the Year.” We’re all exhausted but can’t wait for you to come back to CDBABY.COM!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Sigh…
We miss you already. We’ll be right here at http://cdbaby.com/, patiently awaiting your return.
—
CD Baby – The little store with the best new independent music.
http://cdbaby.com cdbaby@cdbaby.com (503)595-3000

Now, THAT’S the way you run a music business….. As FZ would say there is definitely a place for humor in music……

An Oklahoma Hero has been honored by the State Department of Transportation. Billy Walkabout a Sgt at the time in Vietnam who helped to save the lives of members of his Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol Team on 20 Nov 1968 has been honored by the naming of a section Of Interstate 40 on the East side of Oklahoma city in his honor. The 1 mile section known as the “Ft Smith Junction” has been renamed the Billy B. Walkabout Memorial Highway. Billy was awarded a Distinguished Service award for his actions on that day. In My as well as others opinion He should have been given the Medal Of Honor, but Military Politics prevented it. This latest honor is but a small honor of a true Hero.

…..Will You Still Feed Me?”…… I wasn’t sure if I wanted to let the Community know just how old MRB is, but, if you know the song that the two opening lines are from, the secret’s out…… October 3rd was the day, and, I can’t believe I’ve reached that plateau in my life….. Heck, I never imagined, when I was a young know-it-all, of ever getting old…… I don’t feel like I’m old, except in the mornings – Mornings are a bitch!….. I always subscribed to “My Generation” by the Who, “Hope I die before I get old”….. Now, I really want to see that 100 or longer mark, as long as I don’t become a vegetable….. In that case I would say, “Pull the plug, Doc, “I’ve had all I can stands, I can’t stands no more (Popeye)””…… Will someone bring me my Walker, my Guitar, and my Harp(Harmonica, Boy, not one of those Angel Harps)?….. I still got a few Blues songs left in me……

Yep, MR is now an acknowledged “Bluesman” by one of the best –Chicago Blues great Harmonica Hinds…. Check out the background on my earlier Chicago Blues Post. I finally got around to sending him an e-mail* yesterday along with a copy of Dan’s Blues (Blues for Dan) for H.H. to check out, of course I really didn’t expect to hear anything back – Boy, was I surprised and overjoyed when I received this:

Hi MRambler good to hear from you and I do remember when you
visited Buddy Guy’s Legends with your friends. I listened to
the cut on the download and enjoyed it immensely. Keep up
the good work. And whenever you return to Chicago come on by
the club and hopefully I’ll hear you play live. I have a jam
session on Sundays from 6 to 8pm. Ok MRambler keep making
music.
Thanks
Harmonica Hinds

Here’s a shot of us together at “Buddy Guy’s Legends” club:

…And here’s one of the autographed CD:

As I said in my e-mail*, He has a new CD out, “Anything if I Could”, which I ordered and am waiting for in anticipation….. If you’re interested in Harmonica Hinds and his music, and I don’t see how you couldn’t be – Check out his website and support the Blues by buying a few dozen copies of his albums……eh?

So-o-o, from now on, Please refer to me as “MRambler – Bluesman”

* My e-mail to him was quite long, so I included it as Comment #1

This one is for JJ.  Today is 10/10/10.  101010 is what number in binary?

42!

Some people are celebrating “42 Day“.

Did you use your towel today?