The Rhine River

Random Notes

Cliopatria Awards: Rebecca Goetz, Brandon Watson and I served as judges for this year's Cliopatria Awards, honoring the best in history blogging from 2006. We were proud to honor Chris Bray for Best Series and Alan Baumler for Best Writer. Go check out all the winners.

Hillbilly Klezmer: I've divested myself of my old musical identity as a guitarist who played the "scene." Now, I am happily an amateur mandolinist! Fiddle tunes, reels, jigs ... they're all my current bag. Of course, I like the idea of an instrument that can range into other repertoires. Thanks to Joel at Far Outliers, I found this post on the Appalachian roots of the Klezmer revival. Before picking up the instrument, Adam Statman, along with Klezmer Conservatory Band's Jeff Warshauer, were among my favorite mandolinists.

Concerning another oddball instrument, the Hartford Courant profiles the ukulele.

Viennoise: Die Fackel is now online! Published by journalist/satarist Karl Kraus, the periodical is an essential source for Austrian cultural and social history.

Sighted: Topical Portrait Prints 1660-1714 (yep, she's back).

posted by Nathanael @ 10:08 AM