Bit of blue sky and sunshine to lessen the winter doldrums.

Check out my friend’s blog:  norwegianity.wordpress.com.  He’s Mark Gisleson and he’s a political junkie/wonk/Mn Timberwolve’s fan.  Republicans please enter at your own risk….Really great reading, witty, insightful, incendiary.

Also:  my friends Pedro Cortes (brilliant flamenco guitarist) and Jesus Montoya (fine singer) are in town—that’s Minneapolis town—for shows this weekend at the Ritz Theater.  zorongoflamenco.org for details.  Worth checking out.  I’m busy doing my round of club dates:  solo, with small flamenco ensemble, and with Mandragora Tango.  Check my calendar here on the site and try to catch a show of mine—see Pedro and Jesus first then come by and tell me all about it.

MAD-TOWN FEVER STRIKES!  That’s Madrid btw and I’m really needing to get over there.  Ironically, since buying my condo there 5 years ago, it has gotten more and more difficult to find the time to enjoy it.  I’m worried they’re going to give up my seat at my favorite bars….

Madrid has 4 historic 18th century cafes that I frequent.  They are:  Cafe Central (also has great jazz), Cafe Barbieri (just steps from my front door), Cafe Commercial (in Malasaña which I love for its freakiness), and Cafe Giron’.  It’s a GREAT CITY!!

I’m soooooooooooo glad for the end of partisan politics in Washington………………….yeah, right.

OK.  I’m finally taking steps to learn tango dance.  Bad bad pun, I know.

If you ever get a chance to see/hear Astor Piazzolla’s opera “Maria de Buenos Aires”—do not miss it.  It is a masterpiece.  I was so fortunate to play in the ensemble when Theatre Juene Lune produced it a few years back.  This was, effectively, my introduction to tango and it has been an exciting ride ever since.  I’ve got a secret plan in the back of my head to somehow convince the Minnesota Opera to mount a production of Maria and to hire Mandragora Tango as the orchestra…. Mn Opera has become an excellent company in recent years.  Then there’s the Chicago Lyric…………….