Lives in a Shoe

Joe Bonamassa

Joe Bonamassa -- Royal Albert Hall spring 2009.  Is That a Gigliotti Guitar?  Maybe.

I'm posting this now because the local PBS station is having a pledge drive using "Joe Bonamassa Live at Royal Albert Hall".  When Joe was playing in Las Vegas, George went with his friend Pat who was doing something with the guitars he had custom built for Joe.  George was backstage acting as a roadie -- and he had the time of his life. 

So below is a repost from December 07 when we first saw Joe in person.  I remember seeing him somehow on television when he was about 12 and opening for BB King.

 

REPOST --

Wednesday, 07 December 2005

I'll take Nightlife for Five Hundred, Alex -- and please throw in a pair of those Texas socks

What a wonderful time we had last night.  Husband George has known Pat Gigliotti for years.  Pat has started a new career building custom guitars.  Last night blues musician Joe Bonamassa played the first of two sold-out appearances at Jazz Alley in Seattle, and we were there with our friend Carolyn, in blue..

Thanks to Pat's courtesy we sat at stageside so we were able to see and hear just great.  Joe changes guitars maybe six times in a 90-minute set, and last night three of the guitars he chose were crafted by Pat.  The instruments are beautiful - go see them at Pat's site.

It was like watching lightning, like hearing something entirely new, but old as the blues at the same time. Worth hearing.   

But if you get a chance to see him perform do not pass it up.  Steal your kid's lunch money, pretend you forgot Mothers Day, buy bologna that has passed the pull date, quit your job -- whatever risk it may take, cast your fate to the winds and go. Even if he is playing in Duluth and you live in Taos, go.  He's that good.

Getting home late, too happy to sleep right away.  So I walked AROUND the NEVERENDING AFGHAN that is partially completed for my demanding, slave driving sister-in-law Diana -- I didn't give it so much as a glance, carefully avoided making eye contact with the thing, even though I could FEEL it whining for attention --  grabbed the Texas yarn and cruised on the Texas socks.  They're a sweet color, works up nice; Sockotta and double circs.  Less bubble-gummy, more orange and red than they appear in this photo.  They might do for my evil stepdaughter Marcella for Christmas.  We'll see how they turn out.

Wednesday, 07 December 2005 | Permalink

The Bobcats

Marcella sent me this link.  Made us both laugh out loud.  I think the cartoonist lives in Seattle.

 

Beautiful Joe

One nice thing about the Nook George gave me, which is also a terrible thing about it, is the instant gratification of obtaining new books -- less expensive in electronic form, but more expensive than secondhand.  Another disadvantage is the impossibility of passing a book along to a friend.  I know, I know -- you can lend one to someone who also has a Nook, but...it's limited as to time, and it's just not the same. 

As opposed to the Kindle, I think the Nook might be the most fortunate choice for me because it operates off a touch screen and there are no physical buttons to break.  Also, I understand some libraries now lend electronic books to the Nook.  Something to look into.

I LOVE my Nook.

Works that have passed into public domain are available easily -- sometimes free or "The Complete Works of So-and-So" for a buck ninety-eight.  

I found "Beautiful Joe" -- from my childhood.  I read it and reread it as a girl.  Finding it again was a joy.  I enjoyed it just as much as an adult.  I learned that my childhood book had been edited, probably for length (little Billy joined a circus -- who knew?)  I hadn't known that Marshall Saunders was a woman and Canadian, that there was a real Beautiful Joe, that the book won a contest sponsored by a humane society, and that there is a sequel.  Even though to my contemporary sensibilities it's preachy (in the same way Louisa May Alcott is) I love it still.