I’m sitting in Mill  Valley recuperating from Wednesday’s surgery, entitled a “Left Side Lapiroscopic Micro-Discectomy”.  It means they cut out all the fragmented piece of my L4-L5 disc.  Apparently this removes the materials that are abrading my spinal and sciatic nerves.  Anyways,  I’ve been super uncomfortable and unable to move, so I’ve tunneled deeply into the web, which between iTunes, Hulu, Youtube and general weirdness, is perfectly capable as a long-form intertainment vehicle.  More on this later, but for now, here are some real treats.

First off, Orishas’ El Kilo.  These guys are Havana’s top hip-hop purveyors, and everything about it is genius.  Apparently they caused Castro to ask Harry Belafonte at a state dinner, to explain hip-hop.  After doing so (imagine that), Castro connected the dots and proclaimed “Hip-Hop is the Revolution!

Also, John Popper of Blues Traveler (who I went to high school with in Princeton, NJ in the late eighties), playing “No Woman No Cry” with Ziggy Marley.

And finally,  Tony Rice playing Norman Blake’s “Church Street Blues”.  My friend Tim Kring wrote to let me know that “By the way, that is the most famous dreadnought guitar in the world. Once owned by Clarence White.  He had the guitar hole expanded and it became a legendary guitar that made its way around to many famous players and ended up with Tony Rice.”  Thanks Tim.  Do you have a link for that?

Anyway, please enjoy.  I’m sitting here, physically not so free, but on the road to being so, and really feeling inspired about the possibilities of the year to come.

Also, if you have real Youtube musical gems to share, please put ‘em in the comments.

To Life!