Sonny Boy Williamson (II) is one of my fave blues harmonica players and songwriters as well.
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Hickory
Here’s the Earl White Stringband playing Hickory….
First Pesto of the Season
This morning I noticed that some of our garlic in the garden had started sending up scapes. I expect to see scapes on the rest of it in the coming week or so (I’ve got maybe 30 garlic plants in various areas of the front garden….last year we harvested enough for all year). We also have a clump of naturalized garlic in the garden our neighbour gave us. I had no idea anybody would grow garlic for anything but the bulbs, but he grows clumps of this stuff from which he makes delicious garlic butter. I picked the scapes and some of the young leaves from the naturalized garlic as well as some basil and oregano from the garden. My idea was to make pesto.
Ingredients:
garlic scapes
naturalized garlic leaves
basil
oregano
extra virgin olive oil
pine nuts
parmesan cheese
coarse sea salt
I make pesto in the normal way – that is to say I use a mortar and pestle – no food processors or blenders involved. I know some people will say, do it the modern way with a machine, silly…..but I like the old school way (yes I also bbq with charcoal instead of using a gas grill….and yes I like bamboo fly rods too).
The garlic makes for a seriously powerful (and powerfully yummy) pesto.
I think tonight some pasta, a few shrimps and some of this pesto will make a really fine dinner.
Where the Sea Meets the Sky
Dr. Marigaux’s Amazing Gospel Stringband
What if…..?
I’ve been listening to the music of the late Rahsaan Roland Kirk a lot lately. Sometimes if I’m up late, I like to scour the YouTube and watch a few videos of his performances. I know, I know, you’re going to say, hey Eugene, you play old time clawhammer banjo, what the heck are you doing listening to jazz cats like Kirk for? Hey, I love all kinds of folk music, that’s what I say. And it’s true – this morning I practiced fiddle for quite a while, then had a socially distanced jam in the front yard playing banjo along with my Jack Antler buddy Ted’s guitar, and then tonight I’m watching jazz videos. Go figure.
I was first introduced to Kirk’s music a number of years ago by my friend Vox. Every time I hear him play, it stops me in my tracks. Sometimes Kirk has 3 saxes going at once as well as various flutes and nose flutes and whistles and who knows what else going on in the same tune. Kirk was one of those performers who was such an original and really such a master, you think, hey wait a minute, humans can’t do this.
I’m telling you all this because tonight I stumbled across a short doc about Rahsaan Roland Kirk, called Let me Tell you Abour Rahsaan Roland Kirk by a guy named Dr. Marigaux (also a musician….I’ll check out his material tomorrow). It’s about 25 minutes long and it’s a great introduction to Kirk’s music – super-informative and entertaining too. Enjoy….
Blackjack Grove
Art Stamper, from 2003 at the Clifftop Festival….found on YouTube
Roll in my Sweet Baby’s Arms
Joe Thompson, Odell Thompson and friends, from 1983
Go with Vox
We played 5 games online last evening. Vox started out strong with a powerful opening. I made a couple slack moves and found myself in a poor position . I tried to kill a group of his stones and at the same time reduce a moya and he showed me decisively, that was unreasonable. Vox killed some of my stones and gained huge strength. I resigned.
I did better in the second game, stealing a corner on the top right then getting in and negating his potential on the other side of his wall. Later in the game I also found a way to break into Vox’s bottom territory, which on review we could see was preventable. I won the second game by 18.5
The last 3 games were all close. We each won one of them by 3.5 and I won the final game by 5.5.
The last game featured a very interesting endgame ko. I didn’t think I could afford to lose this, given how close the game was. Fortunately, I had more ko threats than Vox did, so I won the ko and the won the game by 5.5.
Although I won more than I lost during this session, I needed komi to do it, and I felt Vox played more competitively than he has since I started giving him 2 stones. In particular, I thought his openings were stronger and more ambitious than they have been. It made for a very enjoyable group of games.
Serenade to a Cuckoo
I’ve got Rahsaan Roland Kirk on my brain today. Let’s listen together to Serenade to a Cuckoo, live back in 72. Whenever I hear his music I don’t want it to ever stop.
Filthy Rich
The latest episode of The Agency Podcast is called Filthy Rich. Listen here or find it in the usual places.
This week: protests; Wallander and Nordic Noir; The Dickens of Detroit; more Goliath; the must-see doc, Filthy Rich…and a quick visit to the Comfort Food Diner. Please join us.
We’d love to hear from you. Please email us: theagency.podcast@gmail.com
The Agency Reading List is growing. Check out what we’re reading.
27th Street 