Hohner Bob Dylan Mouth Organ Harmonica

Honher Bob Dylan Signature Harmonica / Mouth Organ / Harp - Perfect gift for the Bob Dylan Fan.

Here's a good gift idea for the music lover just in time for Christmas - The Bob Dylan Signature series Harmonica in the Key of C.

German Company Hohner has been making quality musical instruments of all types for many years, since 1857, in fact, making it one of the world's oldest music making businesses, and the release of this special limited edition item comes at the end of Bob's Latest Tour of Europe and the US.

The single "Key of C" Harmonica costs around $100 US, and I read is available at Hohner Stockists across the USA.

When I checked out their website. hohnerusa.com.  I was surprised to find that they even had a real fancy collection of Harmonica's in all keys. Hand signed by the Bob Dylan! Comes with a certificate of authenticity. Goodness knows what that costs?

Now, if I could only work out where to find one of those orthodontic contraptions that Bob Dylan used to hold his blues harp in place, I could hook you up with the best gift an aspiring shape shifter might want for this holiday series.

NOTE TO MY KIDS: This is not something I want for myself, it's just an idea for the gift idea store blog.

Related Links:

• Update: Bob Dylan Summer Ballpark Concert Tour - 2009 Dates Hotels Tickets
• You can find your nearest Hohner Dealer at Hohnerusa.com, where there's a Competition to win Bob Dylan's Harmonica (entries close Dec 22, 2009, but you have to sign up to some new beta songwriters website, American Songspace - another one of those social my page space network thingys I've never understood -  to have a chance. So I guess I won't have a chance.)
• Check out Bob Dylan.com, which is where I found out about this special edition instrument, and where you can listen to portions of almost every Bob Dylan track released.

Some Classic Bob Dylan Video - Bob at Newport - singing my favorite of his songs - Maggie's Farm, 1965.

If you're shopping for a Bob Dylan Fan - Another idea is the DVD from which the above clip was taken - it's called The Other Side of the Mirrror - Bob Dylan Live at the Newport Folk Festival .

I own it myself. It's very good value and quality and shows Bob, I think, visiting Newport Folk Festival in 63, I think 64, and for this historic appearance in 1965, from a regular Folkie singing Guthrie and such to the "went electric" Bob who blew the mind of a bunch of people who looked like that Ice Cream Guy who used to sing from the Grateful Dead. I think the song also appears on the  Martin Scorcese Bob Dylan PBS Documentary No Direction Home. I can't remember, but even if it doesn't that's another really good gift idea.

I don't think Newport still has a Folk Festival - but it still has a Newport Music Festival - usually in July: (http://www.newportmusic.org/) and its Newport Jazz Festival in August - here's some 2008 Newport Jazz festival sound and video from NPR of the 2008 event. including over an hour audio of Herbie Hancock live - very cool.

Oh, I'd be remiss if I didn't add - Need Hotels in Newport Rhode Island for the Festivals or other Hotels near Sports and Concert Venues? - also check out hotels near the Airports of Rhode Island? including Newport Airport UUU. 

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If I don't blog again until after the holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and a very very prosperous New Year 2009 to all the folks that have helped make this blog site special over the past few months. Sincerely. In the next day or so, I'll post what my kids actually got me for Christmas, I shudder at the thought, and then I'll start on my campaign for what I want for my birthday, April 29.

Godspeed on all your unique gift buying adventures, Cvetko.

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Update: December 28, 2008.

My Daughter, bless her soul, got me a substantial gift certificate from Guitar Center so that Fender Classic Series Jazz Bass  is much closer to reality - although I'm still torn between that and the Jaco Pastorius replica fretless.  The boy got me a matching socks and tie combination and hand delivered a letter saying he was past due on his college loan and as co-signer I'd have to...

Where did I go wrong? Until next we meet at the check out...

The Police Certifiable Live in Buenos Aires DVD CD

The police Live in Buenos Aires Argentina DVD / CD set

Now here's a gift idea the kids might throw in as a stocking stuffer if they actually go the route of getting me that Fender Classic Series 60s Jazz Bass I blogged about a few weeks ago. Daddy might need something to jam along with when he gets his new toy! I get to learn some of them Sting bass licks and make like a rock star.

As I expected, and it didn't take a brain surgeon, the concert perhaps popular music history event of 2008 was the reformation concert by The Police, was going to be immortalized on a CD. In this case live at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The other question, of course, has to be if PBS will bring out a companion gift Madison Square Garden live DVD, (I'm hoping - see a track from that show in the video below) which captured the last show of the tour with proceeds going to Public Television. You can see highlights of the encore of the show online here.

The main bundle for this release of The Police Certifiable comes with 2 CDs of the Concert, a DVD of the Concert and a DVD bonus documentary (50 minutes) about the historic tour, and more interestingly, I think, a bunch of pictures taken by Guitarist Andy Summers on the Tour. If you know about Andy's photography skills (up there with his guitar skills) you'll look forward to seeing how he documented the year from his unique perspective. The other set is a Blu-Ray DVD and CDs, or you can get the show on 3 Vinyl LPs (if you can still find something to play it on) with the chance to download the music for your MP3 player.

While usually I'm keen to get my hands on the most out there gimmick packaging (remember the Rolling Stones Shine a Light Thumb Drive thing) I'd be happy with the 2CD/2DVD thing, that also comes with a promotion chance to win a nice Fender Stratocaster Guitar and a shopping spree.  It's kind of like getting tickets to a concert, a flight to Argentina and a couple of nights in an Buenos Aires Argentina hotel, no?  And all for less than $25, and less than $20 if you buy it online at Best Buy, which has the exclusive. No brainer gift for this coming holiday season.

Godspeed on all your gift giving adventures, Cvetko Ostroznik

The Certifiable Live Concert Track DVD CD Track List - The Police

• Message in a Bottle

• Synchronicity II

• Walking on the Moon

• Voices Inside My Head / When the World Is Running Down

• Don't Stand So Close To Me

• Driven to Tears

• Hole in my Life

• Truth Hits

• Every Little Thing She Does is Magic

• Wrapped Around Your Finger

• De Do Do Do De Da Da Da

• Invisible Sun

• Walking in your Footsteps

• Can't Stand Losing You / Reggatta De Blanc

• Roxanne

• King of Pain

• So Lonely

• Every Breath You Take

• Next to You

Sample VIDEO FROM THE POLICE REUNION CONCERT TOUR - MSG MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

Here's the opening Tune from the tour one of my favorite Police songs, Message in a Bottle. not from Buenos Aires, but from on of the 3 shows on the tour I saw, the MSG Madison Square Garden Finale. OK it's hand-held but you'll get the idea - awesome:

 

Related Links:

• More live video from The Police Reunion Tour 2008 at YouTube
• Visit the police online to see The Certifiable Trailer
• Going to Argentina? Travel with City Hotels Index -
• Need Madison Square Garden Event Tickets? AC/DC play there tonight and tomorrow night.

PS. Note to the kids: About the Fender Jazz Bass, I'm kind of leaning toward the Jaco Pastorius Artist model fretless - right now, see if you can't get me into a little discussion about the pros and cons before you go out and spend the bucks.

jose andres made in spain show merchandise pbs

Here's an idea for the kids if they want to impress me at Christmas. (At least I'll know their reading my blog!) And I don't much care if I get the entire package or just one part this time. In order of favorites I'd take the CD, the DVDs, and finally the cookbook. I've been watching with some glee the show "Made is Spain" on PBS. You know the one where chef Jose Andres travels around those wonderful places in Spain eating drinking and dancing his brains out. My kind of guy! I'm a huge fan of the show too.

Now I'm kind of lucky, my work with Grand Prix Cities gets me to Spain at least twice a year, specifically to Valencia and Barcelona but I must say as far as travelogues go on TV, this one seems to capture the true essence of the destinations it covers. So much so that when Jose decides to go back to his "Kitchen in Washington" an annoying contrivance in an otherwise magical program, I always hiss and howl at the TV. Not because I don't want to learn to cook the regional cuisine he's famous for, it just that the scenes shot in spain are so alive with energy that I don't want to leave. On the DVDs I can skip the cooking, leaving it for another time, when I've got my chef's hat on, and keep up with the interesting guide through a land that not enough people have thought to explore further. This DVD collection will allow that with a mouth watering twist. And I know after each episode I'm looking forward to returning to that most interesting of countries, armed with a list of things I gotta try and places I must stop and visit.

Ah, but you ask, if you bothered reading the introductory paragraph, why, if I have to break up the multimedia package (2 seasons of the show, the CD and the cookbook) would I choose the music first (cover illustration above). Well, because the music is so fantastic and reminds me so much of why I enjoy Spain. The DVDs I could live with or without since I'm happy to enjoy Jose in installments and must trust that my DVR will faithfully capture one show at a time until it covers all the programs. And as for the cookbook, sure, the guy can cook, hands down, but if you watch the show enough you get the idea that with Jose it's not a recipe you need but an attitude. I find myself watching him cook, after I get over the shock of being "transported back to Washington", and saying "that's a good idea I got to try that" rather than "I should write down all these ingredients and mess with measurements" It's like "Paella is as Paella does".

The CD features some lovely Spanish pop with many traditional overtones of flamenco, and is as upbeat and endearing as the host. Look up some of these artists on at your favorite CD store, or my favorite CD store, esflamenco.com.

The show soundtrack CD set list is as follows, my favorites in bold:

1. Jarabe De Palo - Adelantando 2. Melendi - Caminando Por La Vida 3. Jarabe De Palo - Depende 4. Jose Luis Encinas - Baila, Esmeraldo 5. Jarabe De Palo - Pura Sangre 6. Amaral - Marta, Sebas, Guille Y Los Demas 7. Hevia - Fandangu Los Llobos 8. BeBe - Siete Horas 9. Macaco - Con La Mano Levanta 10. Calima - Chupino 11. Luz - Un Nuevo Dia Brillara

Jose Andreas would make a wonderful teacher, in my estimation, because he spends a little time explaining why stuff is done during cooking, rather than concentrating too much on how it's done. This encourages learning. I love the guy, and more than any TV chef when he careens with pleasure after a mouthful of food, he's cooked or he's highlighting, you really believe its THAT good.

At a rough guess the complete package (2 dvd, cd and book) costs around US $80.00 but there are various ways you can bundle the stuff as you'll see at the PBS.org store. and more than one of his books to choose from including the related merchandise book from the show.

And it's much cheaper than the alternative of the kids flying me to Washington to eat Tapas in Jose's restaurant, The Jaleo Tapas Bar or his soon to open Bazaar in Los Angeles.

I hear too that a new series by Jose Andres, "Spain . . . On the Road Again" is about ready for airing on PBS. I'd better set the DVR for tha too!

OK, There's an idea for a gift that's guaranteed entertaining and instructive. Enjoy the joy.

Godspeed on all your adventures, Cvetko Ostroznik.

Related Links:

• Made in Spain Page at PBS.org (where you can find out more about Jose, but not why he never changes his shirt after "supposedly" flying backwards and forwards across the Atlantic - The Titanic didn't have such a budget! )
• Hotels in Spain (if the show inspires you to head out that way)
• Hotels in Washington DC. (If you're that keen to go to Jaleo - )
• Hotels in Beverly Hills (including the SLS Hotel where the Bazaar will be located. (if you're invited like me to the opening, hint hint)
• Check out more Jarabe De Palo and other artists on the cd (I linked above to bebe) at Last.fm or your fave listening post.

Rolling Stones Shine a Light Flash Drive Soundtrack MP3 Novelty Package

Rolling Stones Shine a Light Concert Soundtrack MP3 on a reusable tongue Logo Flash Drive.

Here's a musical gift suggestion, that takes many forms, but it's this version that caught my eye. In April this year, The Rolling Stones Concert Documentary Film "Shine a Light" was released in theatres and IMAX. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the related soundtrack and DVD comes repackaged several ways.

When I was in my local Best Buy, I saw the regular DVD, then the Blue Ray version, then in the CD section I found the regular Soundtrack CD with a dozen songs on it, then the deluxe Soundtrack with 2 discs and I expect the entire concert on it. And then this:

The Rolling Stones Shine a Light Soundtrack Music in MP3 on a reusable USB flash drive in the shape of the Rolling Stones Lapping Tongue Logo. The picture here probably doesn't do the item much justice, but then just finding it has been a chore. I stumbled upon it in the DVD Aisle at Best Buy, but couldn't find it a little later anywhere at my local at Circuit City. When I looked online I didn't find it at best buy, but did find it at Circuit City, but without a word in the description about the fact that it was a reusable flash drive filled with MP3s of the show. If you look really closely at the package (pictured) you can see the description in red under the tongue logo (designed by Andy Warhol, by the way, if you didn't know your history)  . This is the quality of the picture online too. Anyway, if you're looking for it, or a cool novel gift for a Rolling Stones fan (with a little extra functionality) here it is.

It comes in one of those hard plastic presentation shells and the flash drive itself is about 4 inches high and looks like it's made out of rubber. Yes, again, daddy wants. But given its a limited edition, kids better move fast on this one or it really will be hard to get / impossible to find. The DVD's a lot of fun too. It just came out on Netflix DVD Rental and I've been rocking to it for a week now.

Godspeed on all your shopping adventures, Cvetko Ostroznik

What is it exactly I want? Rolling Stones Shine a light MP3 collection on a reusable USB flash drive - Format: Memory. 2008 -  Limited Edition

How Much Does it cost? When I checked $34 US

Where did I find it? Circuit City (here's the product link)

Related Links:

Visit the Rolling Stones Official Website for more novelties and band related Stuff at their Store (hint) where on the Shine a LIght feature page

Rolling Stones Shine a Light Movie Trailer from YouTube: