Two things of special note to IGS folk:

Martin played Killing The Blues (w/ Jessica singing harmony), which IGS Santa Cruz folks may recall from one of his workshops. Martin wanted to demonstrate how he goes about arranging a new tune, and asked for suggestions. I mentioned one of my favorites, Killing The Blues, and he proceeded to drift away with it for a long while after that, as he said at the time, "unable to speak". I found it fascinating and entertaining (although others might wonder whether it was the best use of workshop time). His finished arrangement is truly fine, and I can't wait to have a recording of it. He promised it would go onto a CD in the future.

I noticed something about how he handles his "mistakes" that seems worth emulating, though I still don't know what the secret is.

He forgot the words on I think 2 songs, but both times he kept going without pause, and what is noteworthy is that he remembered the right lines almost immediately, maybe 2 measures later. When *I* forget the words, they often stay gone until hours later, or at least for the rest of the song. Maybe he just knows them better than I do, or maybe he has the confidence and concentration to "find them" quickly, instead of doing what I do, which is to freak and lose the ability to think straight.

On the guitar, I sort of half noticed during one song that he didn't seem to hit things in one of the solo stretches the way he wanted to. It still sounded damn fine, but let's just say it was suboptimal. Again, he just kept going smoothly, and on the next time through he very overtly tried to bear down and "get it right", preceded by a brief quiet, but forceful, vocal utterance to himself (something like "come on..."), and damned if it didn't just explode with all the force and grace he's known for. When *I* make mistakes, I'm lucky not to get lost completely, and to hang on by the skin of my teeth until the end of the song. That's (one of) the difference between the good guys and the rest of us, I suppose.

Great show all around.