Katrina heads for my beloved South.

Hurricane Katrina heads for my beloved South. Moments ago I heard the Weather Channel say winds were topping 184 MPH and the pressure was down to 902 mb. A category five! I lived in Meridian, Mississippi (August 1969) when Camille came on shore in Biloxi. We lost several 100 year old oak trees in our yard and 2 trees crushed the neighbor's house across the street. And we were way inland! I can still remember how the horizontal rain and wind pounded the house that night. I also still remember how my Dad took the family down to Biloxi a couple of weeks after the storm and we all stood on the beach and just stared at the mess. (somewhere there are just a few black and white photos of me and my brother standing there in front of a crashed pier and bridge playing with our walkie-talkies.) Surreal. To think this storm could top that one! Let's hope it loses it's punch or something. For all my friends in Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana we will be thinking of you and hoping for the best for all.

News from the Ryman Auditorium

The Front of the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. http://www.ryman.com/

This month on Direct TV Robert Earl Keen is on the Free Preview with his band. The recording will be shown each weekend during the month of August. It is very good and has several songs from his latest cd. Although he is not seen , Todd Snider opened the show for REK and several members of the Green Cards helped the band during a few songs. Check this one out...a must for the REK fan.

Also if you are going to be in the Nashville area this week there is a show that is not on the web site but word is getting around....Neil Young has been recording a new cd that will be released in September. He has had a film crew filming the recording sessions in Nashville. On Thursday and Friday night this week he will be playing the cd tracks in their entirety with some "very" special guests. The film crew will be there and word is a dvd is in the works. That should be a very cool event...

Ibrahim Ferrer 1927 - 2005

The logo for the hat Ibrahim Ferrer always wore. http://www.shushans.com/kangolfall.html

Ibrahim was buried this past Monday in Havana. Last night I pulled out my Buena Vista Social Club dvd and watched again as all those great artists performed like they never will again. Back in 2003 we lost pianist Ruben Gonzalez and guitarist Compay Segundo. Now Ibrahim in 2005. Words cannot explain how much I love this music. I knew they could not live forever but at least they were able to hear the thunderous applause of grand audiences all over the world before they died. Thanks to Ry Cooder we have some very cool recordings of these artists. Back to my Havana Daydreaming....sail on Ibrahim.