From: owner-jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org (jangle-poets-digest) To: jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org Subject: jangle-poets-digest V11 #6 Reply-To: jangle-poets@smoe.org Sender: owner-jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk jangle-poets-digest Wednesday, February 17 2010 Volume 11 : Number 006 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [JP] Valentine's Day Miracle - Gift of the Magi [kpalmatier@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:42:32 -0500 From: kpalmatier@aol.com Subject: [JP] Valentine's Day Miracle - Gift of the Magi Maura's guitar lives again. Like a return from the dead. Maura relates the story, of having her hopes dashed and her Gibson deep-sixed - -- http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox%2Freadmessage.php&t=1389804503893&mid=1e2b24 6G268406beG3f50ae1G0 Maura's requiem for her guitar as a living soul that had passed away somehow reminded me of Ariel's song from Shakespeare's "The Tempest" -- "Full fathom five thy father lies; Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes; Nothing of him that does fade, But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange. Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell: Ding-dong, Hark! Now I hear them b Ding-dong, bell." Maura's requiem rang the knell. But the sea-change into something rich and strange has had a happy ending -- a veritable turning of the tides. The guitar was broken on Saturday, January 23 after a Kennedys show in Brooklyn, the day after I saw Maura and the Nields play at the Birchmere. At some point soon thereafter, Pete Kennedy took it upon himself to find the best guitar repairman he could find, to put Humpty Dumpty back together again, if it could be done. When I saw the Kennedys Saturday, February 6 in Newmarket NH, Maura was still in limbo and mourning her lost guitar with only hope of its eventual restoration to live on, while Pete Kennedy was sporting a flashy new guitar of his own -- his birthday present 3 days in advance of his birthday, from Maura. Last night, Saturday, February 13 at Steeple Coffeehouse in Southborough MA, Pete played his new guitar alongside Maura on one song, "Shadows with the Lonely." Except for that one song, Pete served in the capacity of roadie for Maura only -- and there was never so much as a hint of the suggestion that there would be any Kennedys music played, in spite of both Pete and Maura being there. It was a Maura Kennedy solo show -- and Maura played every song on her new album, all 13 songs, on her newly-restored Gibson guitar, like a soul returned from the dead. Pete had surprised her with its resurrection, as a Valentine's Day present. A Valentine's Day guitar and a birthday guitar, on that one song "Shadows with the Lonely" ! How like the ending lines of the O. Henry short story, "The Gift of the Magi" - -- "The magi, as you know, were wise men b wonderfully wise men b who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi." Check out the Kennedys' Official Home Page: http://www.KennedysMusic.com/ Fab photos, the Official tour diary, dashboard Buddha haiku, groovy merchandise...what more could you ask for? ------------------------------ End of jangle-poets-digest V11 #6 *********************************