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Thanks IrisRose! Great to be among friends!

Definitely an understatement! However, it does qualify as robust compliment coming from a member of the Nashville scene, a tight-knit group rightly proud of their virtuositic pickers and songwriters gracing all venues from the biggest stages to the smallest clubs.

As an aside, MK's acceptance into this group really added to my appreciation of him. I believe he was embraced by them not only because of his musicianship, but for two other reasons: (1) he respectfully appreciates their musical heritage/contributions (i.e. "Two Skinny Kids" is an easy example, as is his numerous friendships & collaborations with musicians from the South, including their patriarch, Chet Atkins); and (2) his appreciation of the historical nuances of the Southern United States ("Bolonga Again" is a good example). While many musicians of MK's era show appreciation for the sounds of the South, I smile at the person who shows such studied interest in the culture that produced those sounds. Expanding on this idea, isn't it impressive that a Geordie from the coalie Tyne would show such a diverse interest in Americana ranging from the Mason-Dixon line, to Sonny Liston, to Elvis Presley, to the Everly Brothers, to auto racing, to mail-order brides, to founder of McDonalds, to a gospel band touring the pre-civil rights South? It's this combination of his intelligent interest in a broad array of topics, his ability to adopt the mindset of an array of people from varied backgrounds/eras/cultures, and put their stories to beautiful music with phenomenal guitar playing that makes me the fan I am. Not an original idea I know... Many people are fans for the same reasons... But it feels good to put it into writing.

As a second aside... May I tell you something that I am cautiously proud of? Do you ever listen to "A Prarie Home Companion"? If so, perhaps you caught MK's two appearances on the show. A few years back, I wrote Garrison Keillor, suggesting he have MK on his show, citing as evidence similar thoughts as outlined above. His assistant wrote back to me, saying that my little letter was interesting, and that she would forward it to Garrison. The next season, MK was on the show! Did my note have anything to do with it? Who knows, but it's fun to think it did. In this pop culture of ours, one of my personal indulgences is to act as a PR agent for MK, reminding people that he is more than what most know him for; namely, the front man of Dire Straits (a history I love, of course). I've had a few converts along the way, but perhaps this was my first major coup!

Thanks for writing, IrisRose. Warmest to you and yours.

Sincerely, John

Yes, it's occurred to me that it probably would've have surfaced by now. What I do know is that there was a sizable video crew recording the whole event, so a high quality recording does exist, sitting on a shelf somewhere. Painful to think of it there collecting dust.