Hello fellow guitarists, I just returned from playing for two weeks in various locations in Germany. A few days ago, I participated in a jam session with some of Mannhiem's finest. I met and heard Christian Eckert who is a fine guitarist and who also is a fellow Stromberg guitar endorser. His style reminded me of Jim Hall with some nods to John Scofield.

On sax was a real nice guy named Olaf (I forget his last name). He is fluent in the jazz styles of Cannonball Adderly and Sonny Stitt. When he picked me up he had his newborn son and dog with him. I really dug his positive outlook. His last name can be researched by Googling.

Also spent time with Allen Blairman, who is a great drummer, and whom I had worked with after I left the Army to play during the early '90s. He has played/recorded with Kenny Dorham, Mal Waldron, George Benson, Albert Ayler, Steve Lacy and many more. I hung out with Allen at his "crib" and had great fun listening to his jazz tales. He is recovering from a recent stroke. Ironically, he looked great and sounded the same. And, I met a young "brother" on drums who has toured with Prince and Chaka Khan. He sounded very good playing straightahead jazz. His first name is David, his last name escapes me.

I was really impressed with the friendly attitudes of most of the German people I encountered despite the ongoing war opposition, high unemployment rate, and ongoing corporate scandals in their country. The country remains largely a clean, quiet, and laidback place to escape the nonsense that too often exists in our country.