ENKINDLER

She works from behind the scenes. Like a spider, she weaves her Web into digital dreams. She is capable of transforming letters and numbers into Art. Webmaster Kristine Cummins, is dedicated to excellence in all she creates. She is an artist that builds professional graphic designs in the Napa Valley.

Sometimes, she works well into the night to produce faultless coding only to wake up early to perfect designs. She is the most driven person I have met. Always educating herself, she learns the most current techniques. She is disciplined and she often works sixteen hour days. It is rare to see her far from her office.

Her clients get the best of her Artist eye as her first love was visual arts. She is a brilliant Watercolorist, her detail is mesmerizing. She has had several of her paintings used in books, CD covers, and theater. In 1987, she attended the first all-jury California State Summer School for the Arts. She graduated high school with honors and received scholarships. Kristine attended Plat College of Graphic & Computer Design in San Francisco, where she fulfilled two internships for newspapers during the big transition from “paste up” to full digital creation of publications in the early ’90s.

Her twenties were spent in Nevada churning out two publications per month for a publishing company. Deciding that publishing was not for her, she moved back to San Francisco where she landed a position contracting for Microsoft designing websites and created banner advertising for Bay Area merchants in 1998. For most, it was their first Web presence. With that post, she discovered that Web design was her forte and soon began working in the Silicon Valley during the dotcom boom as an Online Marketing Designer.

With her experience in web design and marketing, she decided to go into business for herself. Kristine soon became a highly sought after Webmaster. She has made over 135 unique websites, currently maintains over 75 websites, and has created roughly 1000 banner graphics for the Web. She is a member of the International Webmaster’s Association and continually updates her skills through online classes.

Kristine champions the arts as her start in life was painting and drawing as soon as she was able to hold a paint brush. She chose Arts Council Napa Valley, a non-profit organization, to partake in community service since 2003. She developed the Council’s first online Artist Registry, and in 2009, she designed one of the state’s most distinct Open Studios website. She was the mastermind behind Napa County’s Arts & Culture Event Calendar (NVarts.org ), helping to unite art lovers to events in the community.

Kristine is dedicated to promoting the arts in Napa Valley. She actively promotes and supports local arts organizations including Wandering Rose and Artist Tree, helping to transform downtown Napa into a more vibrant arts and cultural community. She has become a pillar in the arts community and most people wouldn’t even know it! She lives and breathes art.

Having felt she has finally reached a strong clientele base, she is determined to no longer be the mysterious Webmaster behind the scenes. When away from her desk, you will find her with her husband enjoying art events, she’ll be the one shooting photography just for fun.

Visit her website at www.KristineCummins.com.

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“Women in Strange Places”

By Celeste Ramos

As I read the first of nine short stories from “Women in Strange Places” by Celeste Ramos, my mind focused like a falcon’s eye zeroing in on its prey. I began reading the pages faster and faster, searching for as many details as I could find to complete the mysterious algorithm that was unfolding through the characters’ narration. I didn’t foresee where it would end up, but was certain I’d follow it to its conclusion no matter the outcome. My heart began to race as my emotions began to identify with Margaret, the first woman who finds herself in a precarious and perilous situation.

“Panic bullies my memory. Where the hell am I? All I remember

is pulling the key out of the apartment door, opening it, and then

everything goes bright white like I’d opened the door into another

world.” Excerpt from “Women in Strange Places”

When asked Celeste why her characters often find themselves isolated and vulnerable situations. She said, “By placing the women in these situations… a lot ideas are perpetuated when you think you’re the “only one” who thinks or acts or feels a certain way.” “It also forces one to think about how they got into the dangerous position in the first place and what they may have done differently if they had been more aware of their surroundings.”

I met Celeste on Twitter in a writers group. She is from New York, but resides in San Francisco. She is the author of crime drama, suspense, and surrealist fiction. She is a public speaker and editor. I saw her perform in “The Vagina Monologues”, she has a wonderful voice. She is a sexual abuse survivor and activist. She is also spoken word artist.

Here is an example of her poetry.

“Behind Mirrors” by Celeste Ramos

Does none of this sound strange to you?

I told a friend the other day that the right one won’t feel intensity

only genuinely and only obsession with the best of intentions

I‘ve sat here in front of all these mirror silver, banging my head against them

The chards pushing through my fingers

And now look

and now see…

Isn’t it funny?

Yet perfect and clever in my own making that behind that mirror I found a brick wall

And like a super hero enraged my fist bled through pounding

Until beyond that wall

I found a tree growing

from stenching cement and it’s fruit makes a ray of my heart

10,0000 of my heart’s pumping the blood of your own.

When I asked her about her goals, she responded, “My long term plan is to travel and raise awareness to under served people in all parts of the world, particularly families and lone children struggling with AIDS and repercussions of war. My projects are to write books and documentaries that not only inform people all over the world about the problems in “3rd world” and under served nations, but to also teach empowerment and awareness to the people struggling. I want to teach people that they have choices, ownership of and potential and in their lives.”

By purchasing her book you are helping raise money for her cause. Here is a link to her You Tube postings that you may find interesting; http://www.youtube.com/user/womeninstrangeplaces

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Published by Reggae Festival E-Guide 9/14/06

Mirror, Mirror on the wall - who is it that I despise?

Isn’t it funny how the behaviors that we despise most in others tend to be the characteristics we possess in ourselves? For example; A person who interrupts during a conversation may be irritating to you. You may become agitated during the conversation and wish to not even talk to this person. However, unknown to you there are several people who think you also are guilty of being an interrupter. Unless the doorway of possibility opens wide enough to bring light into our consciousness, and we begin to see clearly the mirror of truth reflecting these universal realities, we humans may remain blind to our own flaws. The simple fact is that the person who irritates you most, may be most like you. The person may just be reflecting those attributes in you. You may find this hard to swallow. No one wants to be a hypocrite.

Consider the manager who gets under your skin at work. He is so bossy and controlling that your blood pressure raises every time he enters the room. As soon as he leaves the premises you confide in another co-worker your feelings about this “know-it-all”. You exclaim, “I know several methods that would improve productivity here at work - if I was the boss I’d manage this place so much better!” Unknown to you, your co-worker is thinking, “but, you are just like our manager”.

Throughout the planet religious leaders point their fingers at those that they believe are wrong. Zealous followers quickly join in to help increase the tension hatred brings. Together, they direct they’re prayers, energy, and intentions toward the opposing belief system. All the while, unaware that those they hate the most, are only reflecting their own intolerance. These intolerant radicals only serve as reference points for each other. Both claim to have the full truth. Both claim that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Neither conscious of the turmoil they bring at the rest of the world’s expense. Maybe they are not able to truly love their neighbors, because they do not really know how to love themselves?

There is an ancient saying that we may wish to meditate upon this week. KNOW THE ENEMY, KNOW YOURSELF.

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Published by Reggae Festival E-Guide 11/3/06

It seems that every time I mention the use of the Internet by teenagers, I hear parents exclaim the same concerns. Parents usually express their fears about teenagers meeting predators online, or just spending too much time sitting in front of the computer. While these are real concerns, this activity may be as harmless as sewing a quilt.

In the centuries past, young women would gather in sewing circles and learn the skills necessary to make quilts. Each would add material to the quilt that carried meaning to them. While in the circle, they would revel in town gossip, talk about handsome young boys, and share their life experiences. The quilt represented people coming together and creating, and became synonymous with connection. Now, the Web has become our youth’s medium for connection whether we like it or not.

My thirteen-year-old daughter simultaneously makes her “MySpace” Web page look cool with photos of her and her friends and instant-messaging with them. It seems her conversations with her friends never end. I’m concerned with the fact that our youth spend less time physically together, as there’s nothing like feeling the vibe and seeing the facial expressions of a friend.

I’ve had to accept that this is a whole different century our youth are living in. But, is it so different than when we were kids? They have MySpace - we wrote in journals decorated with cut-outs from magazines; they have YouTube.com - we had comics and VCR’s; they have cell phones - we spent hours on end on the telephone attached to a wall; they text message - we passed notes in class, they have Ipods with digital MP3s - we had our proud collection of 8 Tracks, LP’s, tapes and CDs. It’s funny to think how our own parents protested the new mediums of entertainment during our teen years and now as parents, are faced with whole new mediums. My parents were convinced I’d be deaf by age twenty from having a Walkman on my head all the time.

With her spending so much time on the Internet, and fear of “predators” we’ve made a rule that if you know the person in real life, you can talk to them online - with the additional fear of what she actually can see online. I guess I could install software to limit what sites her and my son can access online, but I’d have to get them to install it for me! It’s quite difficult to shelter my kids from what they see… one of our favorite shows we like to watch on TV is the Daily Show with John Stewart on the Comedy Channel… which is sadly sponsored by the close to pornographic “Girls Gone Wild” commercials. How embarrassing.

As parents, how do learn to accept these changes of the 21st century? How do we teach our teens to balance their computer life with real human connection? I try and remind myself that with every good there’s bad and vise versa. A new statistic is that teen pregnancy is down due to the entertainment via the Internet! My daughter types sixty-five words per minute and makes digital graphics that are as good as art you’d find in a magazine. I think that our youth taking part in what is leading edge now will help them survive in the future.

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Published by Reggae Festival E-Guide 5/3/06

This new age of information and technology has certainly connected humans from around the globe. Ever since the invention of the telephone, technology and human communication have been inseparable. For better or worse, the marriage of communication and technology through the airwaves and wired worlds are here to stay. The fact is the internet, satellite radio, and HD frequencies will guarantee that free speech will remain in tact and continue to grow. Unfortunately, the sad part is we are losing our manners!

It seems that people find it easier to be rude to each other when we are not in the presence of each other. Have you ever had someone write you a nasty email or hang up on you while on the phone? I have.

Everyone has dealt with someone like this at sometime. Surely, it’s not the end of the world when someone is obnoxious when responding to us, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if we simply considered all communication to be personal? When we pray, we communicate to a force we cannot see, yet we are pleasant. Even in our angered petitions, we usually remain humble. In the scriptures, we are told that how we treat the least of those around us reveals our true heart toward our creator. The way we treat each other matters.

This week I took two preteen girls to an open market area to shop. One was my daughter Hannah , the other her friend Emily. As we sought to buy a pair of sandals, we passed a young man who was obviously traveling and without shelter. He held a sign that read, “Homeless, anything you can give will help”. Upon passing the young man, Emily said aloud, “I think I’m going to give that man my money instead of buying sandals.” And then she did. Later on the way home, I asked her why she did that. She responded by telling us that her teacher, Mrs. Pedigrew had shown the class a movie called, “Pay it Forward”. A movie about the karmic rewards of practicing random acts of kindness. Emily then finished her response by saying that she did this because she thought it would be better to act upon this belief than to just do nothing. Wow! Thank you Jah, for children and teachers like these. May we learn from their example. May we consider those around us to be worthy of our best intentions.

As we become aware of needs and issues, we are not to judge, we are to act. In the weeks following we will be focusing our prayers and attention on the crisis in Darfur. We have to face the facts that atrocities such as genocide and rape are taking place in Sudan. So far, 250,000 people have died.

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Published by Reggae Festival E-Guide 9/21/06

It was around 9:30 at night in the hospital where I work. I had finished my last rounds and my patients were all quiet. I had a headache so I went to the lounge to rest, but it was filled with loud gossiping nurses. I was exhausted from carrying a heavy patient workload at the hospital and from a weekend of rough-housing with my friends. So I went up to the seventh floor waiting room to kick back and rest.

When the elevator door opened I was pleased to see that it was quiet there. Only the sound of the rain, the television and a homeless man snoring could possibly interrupt my break. I looked out the rain soaked sliding glass door to the left of the TV, and noticed the lights of the city. I thought to myself, “when this shift started it was dark outside and it will be dark when I leave”. I sat down and tried to find a comfortable position in an uncomfortable chair. As I rustled around using newspapers as a pillow to brace my tired head against the wall, I was sure I’d finally found my moment of peace and quiet. My eyes had been closed for about a minute and I had finally blocked out the fluorescent lighting that had intensified my headache. My ears were ringing from a day of continuous alarms and pagers, but I had successfully drowned out the sound of the documentary on the public access channel and was just beginning to hear my own breathing.

Suddenly, I heard a low grumbling voice, “Do you believe this? Do you believe this?” I pulled the good housekeeping magazine off of my face to see who was speaking. As my eyes began to focus on the man who was speaking, I noticed an unforgettable ear to ear smile. He spoke again, “I’m sorry to have woke ya up!” “No problem”, I replied as I frantically looked for the clock to see how long I’d been asleep. To my surprise, it had only been about an hour. Rubbing my eyes, I started to focus on the man who had awakened me. “Do you believe this?” he said again as he was staring at the TV. Then I stretched my aching, stiff neck and sat up in my chair to get a better look. It was a documentary based on a conspiracy theory about the U.S.A. moon landing being a lie. I watched it with him as it ended. I turned to him and replied, “Well, you can’t believe everything you see!” His eyes lit up and his grin widened as if he’d found an ally. He immediately outstretched his long arm across the coffee table, his hand unfolding out of his overcoat like an old wooden expansion bridge. “I’m Elmo Henderson. Nice to meet ‘cha. My friends call me ‘TEX’. Tex Henderson, on account of me being from Texas.”

After shaking his hand and introducing myself, he asked me why I was moving about so slow? I told him I had been backyard boxing with my friends over the weekend. He laughed and then asked, “Is that right?”… a question I later heard often when speaking with Elmo. After explaining to him that backyard boxing is a non-violent way to entertain drunk friends, he asked if he could share a story with me. Curious to hear what he was about to say, I listened as intently as he had. He sat upright in his chair, placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. He looked around as if he was sharing top secret information, then exclaimed, “I was once a professional boxer and I beat Ali!” “Muhammad Ali?”, I interrupted. “Why yes!” he said as he smiled like the Cheshire cat. I won’t tell you that I believed him immediately, but he caught my attention.

He went on to tell me his life story, including the little known historical fact that he once fought Muhammad Ali and beat him. He spoke of his relationships, his faults, and of course, his accomplishments. I found Elmo “Tex” Henderson to be one of the most engaging and authentic men I had ever met.

As I got up to answer my pager, he stood up and shook my hand. I told him it was a privilege to meet him. He replied, “Son, the privilege was all mine. Here, we found ourselves engaged in a wonderful conversation. We were kept dry and warm. We had an interesting television program to watch and a top story view overlooking the lights of the city. In many ways we had the best seat in the house.” It was this grateful attitude that best represented Elmo Henderson to me. He made such an impression on me. In upcoming articles I will share his story with you and I hope it will inspire you as well. I truly had the best seat in the house.

After this encounter with Elmo. I did some detective work and found out all of what Elmo was saying was true. In fact, were it not for trouble with the law in Texas midway through his career; who knows maybe TEX Henderson would be better known.  Elmo was a sparring partner for George Forman during his years fighting Ali. TEX would say, “I had to act like I was whoever George was fighting, adapt my style to emulate theirs. Ali was so bold that after a weigh in, he was jawing something crazy to George. He’d heard enough, so George told Ali, “My sparring partner Tex could knock you out in three rounds!”  So Ali and I fought. I said and what happened next.

Well I knocked him out in the third round. When you ask Elmo who is the greatest fighter of all time? His response is clear and without hesitation. “That would be me, the greatest fighter of all time is, ME…cause I beat Ali!” That’s why I love Elmo Henderson. I would expect nothing less than this answer! He always paints the world with a positive twist! His official record:

Elmo Tex Henderson
Heavyweight
27 (16) - 18 (10) - 1
1954-1979
San Antonio, Texas, United States

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What is the best meal you’ve ever had? For me, it was the food I ate at my wedding… maybe, because it was prepared by my bride’s sisters with so much love? I had previously thought this meal would be impossible to top, until I had the pleasure to enjoy the delectable tastings of Chef Mayra (Dr. Flavor). This spunky, yet sophisticated Latin-born, Cuban Lebanese lady prepares a powerful blend of soulfully inspired meals that are laced with Jamaican and Latin Caribbean goodness. Every bite of her food has its own unique taste… hence, the nickname, Dr. Flavor.

This last weekend, I was fortunate to have been invited to a Vegan-Caribbean style dinner at the home of the gracious magazine Publisher, Kaati and sponsored by Stephanie Tejada of Strawberry Creek Collection (Gourmet Condiments). My wife has been on a healthier eating path, so I was obliged to escort her three hours east to Nevada to attend the feast.

Shortly before the meal, a soft spoken red-headed whirlwind, Chef Mayra announced, “the foods-a-comin’! Are you ready?” A four-course meal began with Chef Mayra’s signature salsas, bean and veggie… both capable of attaining unabashed mouth-watering satiety. Next, a sultry five-herb and four-spice salad that could make the least virginal pallets among us blush. Followed by a vivacious explosion of cooking chemistry, there was tempura tofu with jerk sauce and a touch of pineapple sweetness and Caribbean fusion egg rolls kissed with Chipotle and cranberry chutney.

Along with Latin-style rice and peas that could have been a meal all by itself, there were sides of sweet Cuban plantains. Served lastly, a crescendo of melted chocolate madness drizzled over vegan desert cake winked with a raspberry kiss to seal the deal. Hands down, it was the best meal I’ve ever had! The combination of herbs and spices cooked with no animal bi-products left me feeling satisfied.

Later, I was able to sit down with Mayra and ask her a few questions about the origins of her passion and the secrets of her unique presentation. Let me just say first, that meeting Chef Mayra is like meeting Lucy and Ricky Riccardo of “I love Lucy” all mixed into one person! Her spirited character compliments her food very well. She learned to cook as a young child in Mexico City. “I would wake up early with the maid and help prepare food. My family life was a bit dysfunctional, so cooking helped to bring the family together under one banner of happiness.” She says, “It was a way I could receive positive attention.” She is quick to point out that food doesn’t make you happy, but we are happy to have food! No doubt, we are thankful that the creator has blessed us with her talents.

I asked her, what the most important thing she has learned along the way. Her answer, “People all over are missing pleasure without guilt”. She saw a need and filled that need. She says, “It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it that makes the difference!” Amen, Selah, and Aho to that! After enjoying one of her delicious dinners, people often find themselves confessing their edible oddities and sinful secrets to her. She often tells them, “We just need to eat according to our design. We can rid disease by listening to the recipes of nature… to simplify. We sometimes need to go back to our roots to move ahead. Let the vegetables talk to you… instead of popping a Viagra, we need to slice open an omega-rich aphrodisiac avocado!”

She is filled with a wealth of wisdom and has the determination, drive, and  focus to deliver her intentions with precision through a bevy of vibration-raising rations. Praise Jah for our food and for those who prepare it.

This article was published in the Reggae Festival E-Guide E-newsletter (11/14/08).

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Fresh back from the Grammy® Awards and two boat tours; one with Lynyrd Skynyd and another with Delbert McClinton, two-time Grammy® nominated Tom Hambridge and his band, The Rattlesnakes are ready to roll. Singer, producer, and drummer Tom Hambridge is driven to make solid music. The success he had on Buddy Guy’s critically acclaimed Skin Deep was enough to make most artists call it a day, but not so with Tom… he just finished producing B.B. King’s latest project!

I caught up with Tom and the Rattlesnakes in Mexico where his band was performing on the aft stage of the ship. Soul man, Mike Ferris and The Roseland All Stars had just blessed us with an inspirational morning montage of angelic revival music. The demons seemed to have cleared out only long enough for the devil to walk in. Tom Hambridge and The Rattlesnakes are one band you’ve got to see live. This is headbangin’ country-blues! I watched the performance with my new found shipmates, Don Eliot and Mike Vega in audio amazement. It was like a shit-storm just blew in and transformed the boat into a Blues rocking roadhouse. My friends and I had never heard The Rattlesnakes play, so we weren’t prepared to have to use sign language to communicate. Devil horns would have to make due.

The timing of this band is incredible - with a mix of precision beats reminiscent of progressive heavy metal and blues. They bring 38-Special back to the future with Brian Love and Sal Baglio on guitars. These two wage war on guitar riffs. Rob Wilbourn and Tom McDonald steady the groove as they serve up some kick-ass deep Southern Fried Rock! And as Tom would sing with authority, “We got cha’ Country right here!”

Tom is a wonder behind the drum kit also. He does a bit the fans love, where he tells the audience he is going to play the drum solo he plays to lull his daughter to sleep. Just as everyone is sucked into the gag waiting to hear the soft lullaby, he breaks into a percussive tirade that left everyone wanting more.

The next day at Miramar Beach, Mazanillo I was able to speak with Tom as we stood on the edge of the shore watching his daughters play. I saw him watch over his daughters like a chair umpire in a tennis tournament as they wondered further from each other. We paused as he gathered them to his side for a photo.

I asked him about his legacy; producing and writing for such legends as Johnny Winters, Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi - along with working with Chuck Berry, ZZ Top, and George Thorogood to name a few. With over 250 songs written, what else is there to accomplish? He lifts up his daughter and says that she has won a songwriting award of her own… such a humble answer from a proud father. His kids would say, they liked their daddy’s music featured on Disney’s® soundtracks, “Cars” and “Rattattoui” most.

Tom adds, “I don’t want to make a bunch of records, I just want to make twenty really great collaborative efforts.” He is well on his way. If you can’t see Tom Hambridge & The Rattlesnakes live, please check out their new live CD and bring the excitement home to you!

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It’s 3:30 AM as I look at my watch while on my way back to my cabin after an amazing jam session. Delbert blurts out as he passes me by, “Do I need to throw that thing overboard?” I look up and there is a spry Delbert McClinton grinning and reaching out to shake my hand. I tell him that this is my first Sandy Beaches Cruise and he responds, “Well did we get your cherry?” I smile back and say,’ Gladly!” On Delbert’s’ Cruise all egos are left at the port. There is no difference between fan or band. This is what makes this cruise so much fun! From the first hand shake to the last hug, Delbert and his friends made us feel like family.

My wife and I accepted an offer to go on the cruise because she is the Webmaster of the BluesFestivalGuide.com. I write for the ReggaeFestivalEguide.com, so I usually have my ears entrenched there. We didn’t care what music would be playing on the cruise, we just thought it would be nice to leave our three teenagers ashore with Grandpa and eat some great food!

It was the day of the Inauguration, we had been at Sea for two days and were about to stop in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. All eyes glued on our new President, Obama! Beginning on the Aft stage, Cyril Neville and his beautiful wife Gaynielle stand along with the rest of Tribe 13 as the boat begins to simultaneously celebrate the peaceful transition of power. The first question from Cyril as he broke from the opening Funk Jam, “Will you remember where you were today?” “I know I will!” He exclaims as the Tribe breaks into a funkified blues medley version of “I feel Good!” Beautiful, both the music and message. Ricky, Amari, and Norm are incredible musicians and new found friends. Jimmy is a dream.

Just like Gilligan’s three hour tour, we got a little lost on our excursion to Isle Ixtapa. Who should we find there but “Doyle and Debbie”? A.K.A Bruce Arntson and Jenny Littleton are as sweet in person as they are funny on stage! I enjoyed my dinner with new friends from Kansas and Australia. They made us promise to catch this “Aussie” guitar slinger name Geoff Achison. Thank God we did. That night back at the Vista Lounge my wife and I were astonished by the subtle soulful brilliance of Geoff’s skill with a six-string. He wields his guitar like a wild-spirited warrior.

After soul man Mike Ferris and The Roseland All Stars blessed us with an inspirational morning montage of angelic revival music, the demons seemed to have cleared out only long enough for the Devil to walk in. Tom Hambridge and The Rattlesnakes are one band you’ve got to see live. This is headbangin’ country! And as they say, “We got cha’ Country right here!” Bringing 38-Special back to the future with Brian Love and Sal Baglio on guitars. Rob Wilbourn and Tom McDonald steady the groove as they serve up some kick ass deep Southern Fried Rock! The next day at Miramar Beach, Mazanillo I was able to speak with Grammy(R) Nominated Tom Hambridge. As we stood on the edge of the shore watching his daughters play, I asked him about his legacy. Producing and writing for such legends as Johnny Winters, Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeski along with working with Chuck Berry, ZZ Top, and George Thorogood to name a few. With over 250 songs written, what else is there to accomplish? He lifts up his daughter and says that she has won a songwriting award of her own. I am reminded of my own daughter. A humble answer from a proud father. Tom adds, “I don’ want to make a bunch of records, I just want to make twenty really great collaborative recordings.” He is well on his way.

“Just don’t talk yourself out of it”, that’s the answer to how to keep a good beat. Simple, profound, and genuine. This is the kind of answer you get from Tab Benoit about his notorious nightly jam sessions ‘til four thirty A.M. Tab Benoit (pronounced Ben-Wah) “like the beads”… He would remark in his stage show. Half comedian, half electric blues guitar genius…either way this former pilot from Pontchartrain brings a powerful punch to the conscience of American music and the State of the Louisiana Wetlands. You could easily find Tab playing name that TV tune with fans on the deck well into the night. Not to mention, he plays music with two of the coolest people I’ve met anywhere Eddie ”Blame Hip-Hop” Christmas and Carl “La Foosball” Dufrene. With so many friendly people on this cruise, it is impossible to be bored. Seth Walker is musical magic, he conjures such sweet sounds while Cuban blues crooner Raul Malo delivered a rare eclectic symphony. Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps would make Janis herself stand and applaud. So much talent gathered in one place.

We met so many genuine nice people along the way. Paul Thorn is a true gentleman and a delight to see live. Fans and bands alike, from Big Jim to Big Curtis, we never felt so welcomed. Our dinner pals Doug and Bonnie, who delivered the sound equipment were able to live out their dream of swimming with the dolphins. This boat helps dreams come true. Thanks to the fans from Norway who helped us celebrate the end of the Bush era in style. Peggy, Chip, and Mary, you’re the bomb! Thanks again Delbert for keeping the boat rockin’. I was truly able to lose track of time, now that’s a vacation! I would sell my car to go back next year. It will be the sixteenth Delbert Cruise and possibly the last, so sign up early, you will not regret it! Love and peace to all our new friends. See you next year!

James

This article was published in the Blues Festival E-Guide E-Newsletter 2/6/09. This article is archived here.

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Last night my wife and I dared to face the drizzle and drive to Oakland where a sturdy group of art seekers gathered on West Grand and Telegraph for sole purpose of enjoying the outward expressions of inward reflections.

When Ann Trinca, Curator of The Nest in Napa, planned the field trip to the Oakland Art Murmur, I knew we’d have fun. Ann’s own openings are laid back, a great way to dream some time away. Whether it’s Andy Warhol factory style night or Bright Lights: Big Top, Ann muses herself into the fabric of the event. When away from Napa, she always seems to know where to find a hodge-podge of curiously fashioned art aficionados and exhibitions. Though I only saw Ann for a moment at The Oakland Art Murmur, before she shape shifted back into the eclectic array of art lovers, I raised my cup of Vodka-spiked street cider in salute to another great idea. Plus, it’s always great to get out of Napa!

At the block party were a mobile in the shape of a snail, street musicians, and delicious cupcakes made by “Idle Hands Baked Goods”. There were thick crowds and plenty of cold brews, people to watch and very ‘lil attitude.

Afterward, we snuck into Lam Toro, a West African diner and listened to acoustic musicians from Senegal just long enough to miss the raindrops and head back home. Peace, James

Check out these hot spots for yourself:
www.rpscollective.com
http://johanssonprojects.net
www.hatchgallery.org
www.mamabuzzcafe.com

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