What's New Archives
What's New - November 2006

It's a beautiful Fall day here in Minnesota, and the smell of fermenting sauerkraut is in the air. Yes friends, the ceremonial Redwing crock jar came out the other day and, I was knee deep in shredded cabbage in the bi-annual event of making sauerkraut. It's a dirty job but, if I don't do it, I don't get to have the best sauerkraut known to man kind. A little piece of my thumb went under the blades of the shredder but, I was able to attach the flesh back with an amazing medical procedure involving a band aid and some antiseptic. The thumb is healing. The sauerkraut is sauering. All is right in the world.

I have been getting a lot of e-mails from folks wanting to know if the "Heartland Holiday Concert" is happening this year. The answer is YES! Once again we will do the concert on Saturday December 23rd at 8:00 P.M. At the Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St.Paul. The same friends will be back. Ruth Mackenzie, 3 Women built low to the ground for picking potatoes; Tatiana Riabokin, The Dreaded Nowitsky Sisters, Dan Chouinard, Arkadiy Yushin, Joel Sayles, and Marc Anderson. I've also been getting a lot of enquiries as to whether my daughter Anna Kim will be appearing again this year and, the answer is YES! She was the highlight of the show last year. Last years show sold out early so I suggest that you get your tickets as soon as you can. Contact the Fitzgerald Theater Box Office. click here for Fitzgerald Theater Box Office

  
The other big news is the release of "The Mando Boys Live! Holstein Lust" CD. I have been working on this CD for about 10 years now and, am really happy with the finished product. For Mandolin lovers this is a glimpse into a short lived group that set the mandolin world upside down with it's impeccable playing, incredible arrangements, and hilarious stage presence. It took years to track down live recordings of their concerts and, to edit them in such a way as to give the listener a front row seat to one of their rare concerts. Along with Dick Nunneley, Joe Trimbach, and John Niemann, I'm very proud and happy to be able to offer this CD to the public. Well worth the wait. And, as a special bonus offer, to the first 1000 people who order "The Mando Boys Live; Holstein Lust CD" you will receive a free color poster (suitable for framing) of "The Mando Boys". A heck of a deal! click here to download order form

As most of you have probably heard, The great film maker Robert Altman passed away the other day. I was fortunate enough to have spent a little time with him on this earth and, will share with you this story. When plans were being made to do the "Prairie Home Companion" movie I was asked by Garrison Keillor to go do an audition for Robert Altman. Garrison had written up a character for the movie called the "Old Fiddler". In the script the character was to play a tune on the show and have a affair with the 'Lunch Lady', and then die backstage. I really didn't think I had a chance in hell to get the part but, decided that I had nothing to loose by auditioning, so off I went. I met with Altman, his wife, and a number of the producers in his suite at the St.Paul Hotel. The audition lasted for about an hour and consisted of nothing more then a conversation between Altman and myself with a few questions thrown in by his wife. We had a great time chatting and at some point during the conversation I found myself thinking. "Here I am sitting with one of the greatest Directors in Hollywood history auditioning for a part in his movie. I know that I wont get the part and truth be told don't really care if I do, but how many actors would probably sell their souls to be sitting in the chair that I'm sitting in right now"! I had a good chuckle on that thought.

At the end of the interview Altman asked me how old I was. I told him I was soon to be 52. He laughed and said "Why, I've got children that are older then you". As it turned out I didn't get the part. It was re written for veteran actor L.Q. Jones who played the part of the old singer Chuck Akers who dies in the dressing room. My only regret at not having got the part is not getting to play a corpse on the big screen. That always looks good on your resume.

As I said, it was a great honor to spend time with such a great man. I will miss him.

If I don't run into you this holiday season, I hope you have a good one. That's all for now...