LEVON HELM'S (NOT LAST) WALTZ

It's great to see the late career-acclaim that Levon Helm has been getting in recent years. He'd hit hard times: he was suffering from throat cancer and thought he wouldn't sing again. And he was having financial troubles, and nearly had to literally sell his farm.

Well, he recovered from cancer, and decided to have a blowout party at his barn where he charged admission and played a righteous jam with his friends. Well, that jam turned into an ongoing thing - called "Midnight Rambles" - and ended up raising enough money for him to keep his place. Now his Rambles are big draws, and he even takes his show on the road. I saw a Ramble last year, and was blown away, it was an amazing show. He also put out his first solo album in decades last year - Dirt Farmer - and it was like an instant classic.

Just a few weeks ago, Levon was named Americana Artist of the Year at The Americana Awards in Nashville; the night before, he did a Ramble at the Ryman auditorium, where he was joined by Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Buddy Miller, Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, John Hiatt and Sheryl Crow. It's good to see the man getting his due while he's still here to appreciate it.

BUDDY MILES 1947 - 2008

Yesterday a great drummer and singer, Buddy Miles, passed away. He was best known as a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band Of Gypsys, but he was also a member of The Electric Flag, he played with Carlos Santana, and recorded on his own.

He was also the only person ever to fall asleep while I was interviewing them (I think. Actually that's not true, but the other guy is still alive, so I won't mention it). I was doing a phoner with him. I forgot what it was for, I think he was performing in town, and I just really wanted to inteview him. I was always eager to talk to anyone who had worked with Hendrix. I was lucky enough to interview former Band Of Gypsys bassist Billy Cox as well, and also Jimi's producer Eddie Kramer.

Anyway, so I somehow track him down and book this interview, a phoner. He veers between seeming happy to talk and being cranky. I heard a suspcious bubbling sound during the interview that made me laugh, and at some point he just nodded off, and was snoring. I woke him up - "Buddy? Buddy!" "What?" So I asked him about Phish, who he'd recently joined on stage. "Phish ain't a Grateful Dead clone, I don't care what anyone says!" And a lady's voice in the background goes, "MMM-HMMM!" Soon he dozed off again. Then I woke him and asked about Santana. "Carlos Santana is intimidated by me." "Why?" He claimed that he was as good of a guitarist as Santana. So, I figured it was time to end the call. But it was memorable.

Anyway, The Band Of Gypsys' self titled album is a classic, and the stuff that didn't make it to that album, on Live At The Fillmore East is also great. Anyway, rest in peace, Buddy Miles.