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.

Fender Classic Series 60s Jazz Bass Guitar

Musical Instruments at Gifts: Fender Classic Series 60's Jazz Bass Electric Guitar.

OK, so if you really want to impress Daddy (me) this next gift giving period, there's few things more desireable to put in a big box with a bow than one of these babies! The Fender Classic Series 60's Jazz Bass Electric Guitar.

I'm reminded while shopping online of all those years as a musically inclined teenager, and young man, of all the years I had to play cheaper instruments and so here begins the gift idea store blog's section re gifts for the ears - musical instruments.

Ah, those many nights in sweaty bars, inspiring a few punters, influencing no one, particularly not record company executives - Life would have been just a little more fun with a decent ax. I was a guitar player back then, but then aren't all guitar players wanna be bass players? Until they actually pick up the thing and realize it's a whole different bird, and doing it right, would mean, becoming, well, a bass player. Over the following 20 or so years I have picked up a few basses and really begun to appreciate what they do, and why their so important to popular music and Westerb Culture. Or when done well, say like when Sting played with the Police, or any of the greats are concerned, it can be a rhythmic and melodic instrument like no other.

So the bass I found. Well, while Fender have a Special Edition 52 Precision Bass Sting replica available (see it here), which is very nice, but I prefer a rosewood fretboard, while window shopping online I found and settled on, yes, please, Daddy wants, the  60s Jazz Bass (pictured) Seems like it comes only in these 2 colors, but apparently it comes in Olympic White as well, but I couldn't find a pic. If the white's not available, the Sunburst one on the left of this picture would be more than fine, thanks, and maybe keep me occupied through the long winter months when I can't ride my motorcycle.

Godspeed on all your shopping adventures, Cvetko Ostroznik.

Here's a few tech specs for the Fender Classic Series 60s Jazz Bass:

Body: Alder

Neck: Maple, "C" Shape, (Gloss Polyurethane Finish)

Fretboard: Rosewood, 7.25" Radius (184mm)

Frets: 20 Vintage Style Frets

Pickups: 2 Standard Vintage Alnico Magnet Jazz Bass Single Coil Pickups (Mid & Bridge)

Controls: Volume 1. (Neck Pickup),
Volume 2. (Bridge Pickup),
Master Tone

Pickup Switching: None

Bridge: American Vintage Jazz Bass

Machine Heads: Vintage Style Reverse Tuning Machines

Hardware: Nickel/Chrome

Pickguard: 4-Ply Brown Shell

Scale Length: 34" (864 mm)

Width at Nut: 1.50" (38mm)

 

Here's some gift shopping help.

• Recommended retail price is $1049 USD
• Where I found it on sale: Cascio Interstate Music 
• How much it cost: Sale price was $699.99 (at time of writing, but they're out of stock on the polar white)

Related Links:

Visit Fender.com online for their Bass Guitar Section and here's a link to the official Price catalogue for Fender Electric Bass Guitars