Gary, you're taking this way too seriously. Don and I were just having some fun. I know Marathon better than you think; I have friends there. It's much better suited for you than for me. Hey, I don't even KNOW any Jimmy Buffet music, not even Margarettaville (just as I'm sure you don't know Mysterioso or Well You Needn't), I was just kidding Don and Diki. For the record, I don't have the same disdain for 'Buffet' music or Country music as some of you people seem to have for Jazz. They're not my favorite genre' but then again neither is Rap or HipHop. Sometimes I get the feeling that there is also a bias here against accomplished performers as well, such as this very talented 10 yr old, yet we heap praise on poor to mediocre performances just because they come closer to matching our own.

Believe it or not, if I had to name my top 20 artists, Willie Nelson would be somewhere in the mix. Not just because of some of the great R&B tunes he wrote during the 60's and 70's (surprise, surprise) but also because I really like his voice and the honesty of his vocal style. But then again, I also like Tony Bennett and Mel Torme' for the same reasons.

Anyhow, I'm not trying to push jazz onto the good people of Marathon, in fact, I try to make Marathon a no-stop pass through on the way to Key West.

chas

Carol and I just finished a lengthy discussion about me returning to Marathon in 2015. She doesn't want to live aboard the sailboat, so I told her that I would rent her a house for two months, while I lived aboard the boat. I said I would pay for the entire trip, airfare for her, my daughter and grandson, the house rent, etc... Damned, she just might go for it. I, on the other hand, would spend six months afloat, which I'm really hoping to have sufficient health to do just that. I'll be 75, I told her, but damned, I'm not gonna sit around and wait to die. I have a lot of body parts shot to hell, but I ain't dead yet.

I got a telephone call from a friend in Marathon a few hours ago, he and his wife went to a nearby restaurant last night for dinner, and the lady that owns the restaurant asked them if they knew the guy that played music last winter at the City Marina's Tiki Hut. My friend asked why, and she said I want to hire him as soon as I can. I love those kind of calls. Sure wish I were there right now - it's 75 degrees, no wind, no bugs, low humidity, and the town should be jumping right about now. Take a look at http://www.tikilive.com/show/boot-key-harbor-webcam and you'll get an idea how many visitors are there right now. All of those tiny, white lights are anchor lights on sailing and cruising yachts.

Gary

HURRY

Gary ... I am sure you could find someone to take your gigs in the frozen North until the weather gets better and you could go South ... OR, MAYBE that owner would settle for a guy a few (or more) notches below your standard ?!?!? ... just sayin' ...

Let's see now, if you take the gig and move to Florida, that would leave no Republicans and no accordion players in the entire state of Rhode Island.......Yep, go for it, Tony .

chas

Just got off the telephone with my son - he would love to go on the trip with me down the ICW (Intra Coastal Waterway) in late September or early October of 2015, but said he would rather send his ex-girlfriend with me instead. OH YEAH!



Tony, knowing what I now know, both you and I could play down there every night of the week and have a ball. Of course, if we did that, we would both likely be divorced in six months of less - but we'd be smilin!

Things are looking up,

Gary

Gary ... sign me up ... I'll take my chances ...




chas ... I'm not a Republican ... I am a Conservative ... there's a difference ... and I have many of the same beliefs as you ...

BTW ... I noticed that you failed to mention the 'artifact' sitting on the top of this kid's piano ... just sayin' ...

BTW #2 ... I don't think there is any truth to the rumor that MONTY Alexander was a sperm donor for this kid ...

LOL chas...

If you play Buffett, Hank Sr. AND jazz, you can criticize anything you want!