Post-pirate

Well I seemed to have forgotten about International Talk Like A Pirate Day until it was too late. But it's never too late to celebrate goofy voices. This is one of those sappy songs that would be intolerable if the dude gave it a conventionally pretty delivery. Instead, we get some kind of muppet-esque ballad that belongs in a movie where everyone finds a reason to hold hands.

Bob Carpenter - Now And Then

Spider on the keys

Still in New Orleans, and for obvious reasons, it's hard to resist the impulse to share some music. Given the amazing richness of the city's musical history and tangling of those strands, there doesn't seem to be much point in trying to find something representative of what's in my ears down here. But if one had to pick an ambassador, you could do a lot worse than James Booker, who embodies a big part of the city's soul as well as its less luminous side (ie dying dying unnoticed while waiting for care in the emergency room). Sadly, I went to the bar where Booker used to hold court, and it seemed to resemble this a lot more than I'd hoped. Anyway, enjoy this little postcard from my vacation.

James Booker - Papa Was A Rascal