These Are A Few

of my favorite things.

Martin D-18

Elvis with a D-18

In the summer of 1974, I was perusing albums at the Sam Goody in the Echelon Mall in Voorhees, NJ when I spied my baby. Back in those days, Sam Goody had several levels of store. This one offered only low-end stereo and discount guitars.

The manager explained that the regional center sent him the Martin in error. It came with no paperwork and no case. Bureaucratic logic determined that since no paperwork existed sending it back would cause more problems. So among the Teiscos and Hondos, sat this Martin D-18.

Throughout that summer, whenever possible I would visit the store and play this holy grail. Either my incessant visits to play the guitar, or the manager's desire to rid himself of this albatross, caused an offer to be tendered. The guitar listed for $750. Since it had no paperwork from Martin, he quoted $400. My liquid assets combined with items taken to a local pawnshop provided the means to purchase the guitar.

Despite a Passport Scotch bottle through the soundboard in 1985, scratches, and sundry other issues, I play this baby everyday and at all my gigs. It is still my favorite guitar to play.

Jujyfruits
I cannot resist these wine gum candies. Wine gum is the confectioners term for a firm, corn starch,
gum drop like candy without a sugar coating. There are Swedish fish, gummy bears, Dots, etc., but in my eyes, they all dim in comparison to Jujyfruits.

Film Noir
I won't go into the influence of German Expressionism, or the lighting and composition that give these movies their allure. But, when I stumble upon one of those films from the 40s-50s, no matter how far along the movie is, I must watch.

Like I discovered the blues of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf through bands of the British Invasion, I discovered hard-boiled detective novels through these movies. Without them, I never would have read Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain who led me to Elmore Leonard and James Ellroy. Thanks to them, my vocabulary includes gams, gat, roscoe, yegger, gumshoe, butter & egg man, banging the gong and other colorful patois.

Baths
Nothing soothes the soul like a soak in a hot bath. No matter what situations
have caused me turmoil, be it mental or physical, a restorative bath is the answer. It cleanses both body and the soul.  As ever - BB

“Under the thinning fog the surf curled and creamed, almost without sound, like a thought trying to form itself on the edge of consciousness.” - Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep