On music:  "Music is more than a wife, because you can divorce a wife, but you can't divorce music.  When you marry music, she's your love forever, and you'll go to the grave with her." Accordion vs Bandoneon: "The accordion has an acid sound, a sharp sound.  It's a very happy instrument.  The bandoneon has a velvet sound, a religious sound.  It was  made to play sad music." Bird:  "Some people tell me that when I play...I sound like Charlie Parker.  That comes from the way I feel the music." Swing:  "Swing is everything!  If you don't have swing in music you have nothing.  And the tango in itself doesn't have swing.  No matter the context, the tango must express 'camorra,' which is how its roots are preserved."  'Camorra' is a fight, quarrel, rumble. Revolution in tango:  "When the water doesn't run, it rottens.  Tango that doesn't run, it rottens.  I have a great respect for the old tango, the primitive tango.  But I must do it in my own way."

I have just learned of the passing of Donn Pohren.  He was, besides being an extremely charming and brilliant man, an important author and flamenco aficionado.  His books include "The Art of Flamenco",  "Lives and Legends of Flamenco", "A Way of Life", and "Paco de Lucia and Family", among others.  Although born in Minneapolis, MN he lived in Spain since 1953 and was married to dancer Luisa Maravilla.  To my knowledge, they had one daughter.  He was named "flamencologist" by the Catedra de Flamencologia in Jerez de Frontera and is the only non-Spaniard to have received this honor.  He is the person most closely associated with the Moron de Frontera/Diego del Gastor scene as he owned and ran a finca there for eight years. I met him on one of my first trips to Madrid, at Cafe Silverio in Malasaña.  He invited me to play tennis with him and we did, a few times.  We also shared wine and tapas and I listened carefully to his stories. He died on November 5th, 2007 and his loss will be deeply felt by many.  I invite readers of this post to send their thoughts and reminiscences.  Rest in peace, Donn Pohren.

Presented by the Minnesota Guitar Society. Friday December 7th, 2007 at 8 o'clock PM Sundin Hall on the Hamline University campus in St. Paul Call 612-677-1151 for tickets and reservations (they are always reasonably priced....) See the Guitar Society's web page for bios and more information (mnguitar.org) I've been asked to help coordinate this unique event. I'm just starting to focus on it now and I surely welcome any input from YOU, the public, as to what you'd like to see/hear. For example, how about a big bulerias jam with all 6 guitarists, palmeros and singer on stage at once? There will be no dancing as Sundin's Hall doesn't allow it. Fantastic acoustics and great sight lines guarantee an exciting evening of flamenco. Hasta prontito!

Red wine---I like big, juicy, fruity, intense reds like malbec, bonarda and garnacha.  Valdepeñas reds are also perfect (Señorio de Llanos is my favorite). White wine---good to add a white for every 3-4 reds.  White rioja is great and inexpensive.  Nothing too sweet---albariño if you must. Brandy---a cheap and intense Spanish brandy like Magno or Fundador.  Don't be stingy with it; a half bottle or more for every 4 bottles of wine. Fruits---ripe and juicy fruit like peaches, cherries and mangoes.  Oranges of course.  Chop the fruit up finely and toss it in. Orange juice---instead of sugar if it needs sweetening.  Nothing like fresh-squeezed! Cinnamon---stick or powdered, just a little. That's it.  Serve it cold and/or over ice and with a little sparkling water if you want effervescence.  We made it almost everyday this past summer and it puts such a nice glow on a beautiful day.   We're making it tomorrow---that's the inspiration for this post---and we'll continue right on through the winter.  Y porque no?  (I can't figure how to type that upside down question mark)

Our new favorite hangout:  FIRST COURSE RESTAURANT.  Its on 5607 Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis.  The owner and chef is Travis Metzger.  He is creative and skilled.  He has a good variety of tapas---medium priced and delectable.  Of course, the entrees are great, too, but you know us---we like to hang out, drink wine and munch tapas. Travis has some very nice wines, too.  It is an intimate little bistro in a quiet and unassuming neighborhood.  As far as I know, no food critics have reviewed the place yet.  THEIR LOSS.  OUR GAIN.  Telephone is (612)825-6900. We celebrated my friend Alberto's birthday there and had quite the juerga going til late.  Dancing, singing, guitar and general cachandeo---muy flamenco! ( See the post re:  Flamenco Police.)

I just finished a couple of concert performances in Chicago with the Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater.  The shows were a tribute to Manuel de Falla and Garcia Lorca.  Sylvia Toran, a fabulous pianist, came in from Madrid to play de Falla's "Fantasia Baetica" and it was most inspiring and spiritually uplifting to hear. It was a treat for me to work once again with my friend,  Paco Fonta,  guitarist and singer from Jaen.  He was brilliant (he often is!) and I always learn so much when we play together.  A highlight of the shows was dancer Jose Torres' premiere performance of his tientos entitled "Reflejos".  Very powerful and moving. Bueno.  I am excited about an upcoming concert with Mandragora Tango.  Pianist John Jensen will be joining us---making us a quintet---in performance of several of my favorite pieces of Astor Piazzolla.  We'll be playing Soledad, Michelangelo 70,  Contrabajissimo and Milonga del Angel among others.  This will be on November 10th at the First Unitarian Church of Minneapolis (3400 Dupont Ave S), starting at 7:30PM. Musicians love to play Piazzolla.  It is amazing music, incredibly passionate, original, lyrical, challenging.  Definitely challenging.  The works of a genius.

The ultimate put-down---"that's not flamenco!" No more explanation needed.  That's it.  It's just not flamenco. (And just who are these almighty arbiters of taste and refinement and purity?) I have seen the enemy.....and they are US!  Every time we, with our paucity of knowledge and poorly disguised guilt---we are guilty of being extranjeros---wittingly or otherwise mouth these seemingly innocuous 3 little words---we are...we are...WHAT ARE WE? We are co-conspirators in a vicious and, yes, evil design to bring a state of fascism down upon ourselves.  Well,  we'll be safe because we are on the inside.  We are the ones blowing the whistle.  And woe to the rest of those poor aficionados who dared venture outside the limits of what is truly:  FLAMENCO. They shall burn in payo-hell.

Paco y Juan del Gastor siguen el legado de su tio, el desaparecido Diego del Gastor--magnifico artista de la guitarra acompañante.  Como dijo Paco del Gastor en una ocasion,  "la guitarra acompañante siempre va detras del cantaor, no delante, sino detras."  Ese es el secreto para ser un buen guitarrista que acompañe al cante.

Minneapolis, Minnesota has a new "cantaora" who is starting to gain some attention.  Her name is Rachel Milloy.  She is a linguist, singer and dancer.  Her pitch and pronunciation are excellent but it is the "voz raja," or "cracked voice" quality that is so sought after in flamenco that is most notable about her singing.  Additionally, she could be considered a "Camaronista"---one celebrating the work of the late genius cantaor Camaron de la Isla. Minneapolis has been blessed in having Maria Elena, "la Cordobesa," singing and performing here for 3 decades.  She is still wonderful but is a little less active these days.  It is exciting to see a young singer able to help carry the torch of "cante flamenco." Rachel is performing this weekend, September 27 through 30, at Intermedia Arts (28th and Lyndale South in Minneapolis) in a concert featuring original dance works of Sachiko Nishiushi and Debra Elias Morse.  I recommend you go and see the show.  Hear Rachel sing and look for her at La Bodega Tapas Bar (Lake and Lyndale) from time to time.

The "mandragora" is the mandrake root, which grows in Argentina. The group is a quartet (bandoneon/accordian, violin, bass and guitar)that adores the music of Astor Piazzolla (of course!)but we are committed to being a dance band, as well. So we do the entire spectrum of Troilo, Gardel, Plaza---70 or more years of great tangos and milongas. I joined the group in 2004 when we were hired by Theatre De La Jeune Lune for their highly acclaimed production of Piazzolla's Maria de Buenos Aires. This week we are playing in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, September 21st at Restaurant Magnus.  On Saturday the 22nd we are at the American Tango Institute in Chicago, Illinois.  Our mini-tour concludes with a private engagement in Milwaukee on Sunday, the 23rd.  More info on the calendar page or take a look at Mandragora's site. It is loaded with music and info and  fun stuff. It is such a treat for me to play with musicians of their caliber and sensitivity.  And tango is amazing music--full of pathos and delicious self-pity as well as gorgeous over-the-top excess.  What is there not to love?