Music, Music, Music (part two)

You know the old saying – It’s not what you know, but who you know – Sometimes that is right on the dot.

Sunday March 8 there was a concert at our friend Nancy's Farm. Several years ago, Nancy bought this farm out in the county and it had a big old three car garage attached to the house. One day right after she bought the place, while she was wandering around in the ReStore, our local recycle & reuse building products store, she found a wooden dance floor that had been taken up from a studio in rgw Seattle area. Turns out it was just the right size for to put down in her big garage (did I mention she is a musician in a Balkan folk band and loves to folk dance?) Voila’ – instant dance floor – and a splendid setting for “house concerts”.

The concert that day was Cindy Mangsen and Steve Gillette. Well, Cindy’s CD Voices, a recording in a trio with Anne Hills and Priscilla Herdman is one of my all time favorite CDs. When Nancy told me about the concert, and said "Come early and have lunch with us" – I knew that was not an event to be missed. Lunch with “us” meant lunch with Steve and Cindy, plus a few other friends. Wow – I don’t mean to sound like a country bumpkin here, but it was hard not to be “star struck”

Having only heard Cindy on the Voices CD, hearing her and Steve in person is a whole ‘nother thing – what great musicians – Cindy plays concertina, guitar, banjo, and probably a couple of other instruments that she didn’t have along with her – and she plays them well. All the nice words about them on their bio (click on the link above) are true. The only disappointing thing about the day was the weather and it SNOWED like crazy – then the sun came out and the snow went away, but not, I’m sure, before it scared a lot of people into turning back and going home. Steve and Cindy have been to Nancy’s Farm before (I believe Cindy has family in the area) so, I’m sure they will be back – and I’ll be there to hear them! (the nice picture is from their web site - I can't believe I forgot to take my camera!)

I bought Cindy’s new CD Cat Tales - and here, again, I’ll quote from their web site: “Imagine!! Ten wonderful songs about cats! Besides Cindy's own most requested, "Rudy's Big Adventure," based on the true story of the cat who got his head stuck in the garbage disposal and lived to bask in fame and glory, there are songs from Cheryl Wheeler, Buddy Mondlock, Les Barker, Nancy White, Grant Livingston, The Berrymans and others. No cats were injured in the production of this fine recording. Songs include; Meow, Open That Can, The Cats of the Coliseum, Rudy's Big Adventure, The Familiar, Our Cats, Guide Cats for the Blind, My Pretty Kitty, Le Chat Gris, and The Dog of Time.” The song “Rudy’s Big Adventure” – does the term “ROFLMAO” mean anything to you? Well – it applies to this song – Like cats – Like folk songs? This CD belongs in your collection, hands down.

Could the Musical Month Of March get any better – Yeah –

The next weekend, my old friend Curtis called to say that he & his wife were celebrating the 30th anniversary of his business, Interconnect Systems on March 19th, with a Chamber “Business to Business – After Hours” event and they wanted to make sure that The Shepherd and I knew about it. They were having their friends and Gypsy Jazz band supreme PEARL D’JANGO as the entertainment for the evening. Started in 1994 in the Seattle area, the band has had a few incarnations, but several of the members are still the same – Their CD’s (they have nine of them) have been on the jazz charts top 40’s lists, they are heard regularly on National Public Radio and the guys in the band are just the nicest -


(These pictures were taken two years ago in August the first time The Shepherd & I heard the band out at Curtis & Felicity's when they had a party at their home with Pearl Jango as entertainment. What a good idea)




Does it get any better than that?

Well, yes, as a matter of fact, it does – tune in later this week to see what happens when I shoot for the moon...