The Observation Deck

What does everybody have going on to celebrate the passing of year with so much?

My night is nothing different than any other night. Cleaning the dogs, walking the dogs, feeding the dogs, going to bed by 10. Yeah, let the good times roll. I might be a rebel this year and stay up till 10:30...

Reading, reading, reading. Just picked up a great batch of books that were on hold from the Library. Some of them I was number 20 something or 30 something. Five all came in at once. I'm a happy camper.

Taking photos of Buddy Guy at the House of Blues downtown.

Local artist Kristine Jackson is the opening act, if you haven't heard her play, I highly recommend it!

Rush Inn: food, bevvies, and good company! They even give out cardboard hats around midnight!

Home with the husband and kids. Probably going to play some mario cart, have a toast of sparkling apple cider, put on some stupid party hats and blow some noise makers. Oh yeah!

Tonight is a lot more boring now that the Burning Monkey Festival has been cancelled...

People from NYC and DC were asking about it.

Maybe they can take care of the problems by next year.

Since the BMF was cancelled, I had to settle for a night of kickin' the blues. Actually, I was very fortunate to be the only photographer with a pass last night as Buddy Guy took the House of Blues stage at 11 pm. What a show! I was also blown away by local artists Kristine Jackson and Austin "walkin" Cane.



Read the review and see the photoblog here!

and my website has a gallery up with more images of the legendary Buddy Guy.

I'm very optimistic about 2010, and I wish you all the best!
Ivor

Dad and I enjoyed a quiet evening at home.

Ivor,

When you were a younger man, you and I talked a great deal about photography, music performance, instrument repair, and developing your writing skills. We talked about my own unique experiences in those fields, and then we looked at your own interests in those areas.

Each of those skills, standing alone, would be a fine basis for a career.

To combine several, or all of them, in hard-working fashion, would be unbelieveably difficult for one person to do.

Much of this, I once did. (Ok, still do a LITTLE BIT of it- smile)

Much of this, you now do.

Your writing has depth and interest. Your photos capture the essence of an event, and your knowledge of music insures that you will report with candor and clarity as to those various musical topics.

We talked about some of the greats of photojournalism, and how they inspired me, including people like Alfred Eisenstaedt. Perhaps some of those tales about them, or of my own adventures, inspired you back then.

Well, now, I have the pleasure of letting you know how much you are inspiring me with your great photography and fine writing.

Keep up the good work. I'm SURE that you will. (smile)

Great way to start off a new year.

Back to the EZ chair and the banjo....at least for a minute or two.

Happy New Year to all!

I didn't have fun at burning monkey.

Ivor - You rock sweetie.

Ivor Karabatkovic wrote:Since the BMF was cancelled, I had to settle for a night of kickin' the blues. Actually, I was very fortunate to be the only photographer with a pass last night as Buddy Guy took the House of Blues stage at 11 pm. What a show! I was also blown away by local artists Kristine Jackson and Austin "walkin" Cane.



Read the review and see the photoblog here!

and my website has a gallery up with more images of the legendary Buddy Guy.

I'm very optimistic about 2010, and I wish you all the best!
Ivor

Ivor

Sorry we had to cancel.

Buddy Guy is so much better than anything going on in this city yesterday. You as always
were in the right place at the right time, capturing the moment and taking tremendous
photos to share with the world.

First time I saw Buddy was the Ann Arbor Blues Festival introducing a young upstart named
Johnny Winter, "A white kid with the blues..." if I remember correctly. I just went back
to find a good Buddy Guy clip, because most still have no idea who he is, or what a
massive impact he had on music world wide. I found a couple clips on You Tube, but
in most he is playing with other upstarts from a young 8 year-old to other friends and
people that learned to play listening to him like Carlos Santana, Hendrix, Clapton, Vaughn,
etc. I am going to post this, just because it is one song he does I love. I first heard it
on the Hendrix tribute album Stoned Free, it has been on my ipod ever since.

Thanks again for all you have done for this effort, for me, and in turn everyone else.

You are a beautiful person, and I am so glad I went to that rainy high school football game.

So that others get a taste of what you were so lucky to see and hear.