He Plays To His Shadow (Afternoon Drinks On the Copper Queen Saloon Balcony) — Photo-Artistry by kenne
On A Bisbee Afternoon
he plays to his shadow devotedly on his violin nobody listens love torturing itself to rise above conversations lost in discontent limits of self-expression a saloon window reflection
there is no tragedy on the Queen’s saloon balcony the smell of lavender lingers from the ghosts of the hotel whores who are not indifferent listening to classical strings becoming a delightful moan
He Plays To His Shadow (Afternoon Drinks On the Copper Queen Saloon Balcony)
— Photo-Artistry by kenne
On A Bisbee Afternoon
he plays to his shadow devotedly on his violin nobody listens love torturing itself to rise above conversations lost in discontent limits of self-expression
a saloon window reflection
there is no tragedy on the Queen’s saloon balcony the smell of lavender lingers from the ghosts of the hotel whores who are not indifferent listening to classical strings becoming a delightful moan
Joy and Kenne in Bisbee, Arizona — Computer art by kenne
On a porch one afternoon at the Copper Queen Hotel after a discussion with the ghosts from the days when copper was king in Bisbee.
I took a selfie of Joy and me, not the best photo, but good enough to use Photoshop filters and brushes to give it
a classic Hopperesque feel.
Of course, you may not think so. He was a realist known to fix a particular moment full of human qualities and frailties, often with a degree of self-absorption.
(CLICK ON ANY OF THE TILED IMAGES TO SEE A LARGER VIEW IN A SLIDESHOW FORMAT.)
Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum
Old JC Penney Building
Bisbee Main Street, July 23, 2014
Joy, Jana, Jody and Jeri on a late Wednesday morning
Joy, Jana, Jody and Jeri
Jeri, Jana, Joy and Jody
Tombstone Street Scene
Tombstone Street Scene
Tombstone Street Scene
Jeri, Jana, Jody and Joy at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon
Sisters Spend Time Together In The Desert — Images by kenne
Sisters Jana, Jeri, Jody and Joy gather in southern Arizona, experiencing the year’s highest temperatures. Unphased, they were here to spend time with Joy on her birthday, which included visiting Bisbee and Tombstone.
he plays for us on his passionate violin as nobody listens love torturing itself to rise above conversations lost in discontent the limits of self-expression
reflected in the saloon window
there is no tragedy in the old mining saloon the smell of lavender lingers from the ghosts of the hotel whores who are not indifferent listening to lonely strings turning into joyful cries
Eddie Turner and Trouble Twins at the 2012 Bisbee Blues Festival — Images by kenne
On the morning of the festival, Joy and I met Diunna Greenleaf, Blue Mercy band members, (Jonn, Josh and Veron) and Bob Corritore for breakfast in Tucson. The plan was for Joy/Kenne and Bob to drive everyone to Sierra Vista to the event hotel, then on to Bisbee. After making a wrong turn (thanks to a smart phone’s DPS), we finally made it to Bisbee. As a result, we were only able to see Eddie’s last few songs before Diunna and the band came on. However, we saw enough to know we missed a great session.
Sunday morning, Joy and I had an opportunity to share a table out by the pool with Eddie — great conversation.
Jonn Richardson, Diunna Greenleaf & Bob Corritore at the Tucson Rhythm & Roots Concert Series
While in southern Arizona, Diunna Greenleaf and her band Blue Mercy (Jonn, Josh & Veron) appeared at the Rhythm & Roots Concert Series
in Tucson and headlined the Bisbee Blues Festival in Bisbee, with special guest, Bob Corritore. At each appearance, they ended their show with Sly Stone‘s “Do You Want Me To Stay?”
This video contrasts the two starting with the Tucson version, changing to the Bisbee version about half-way through. In the club setting, I title it the Koko Taylor version, and the festival is the Etta James version.
Southern Arizona was treated to two super shows.
kenne
Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy with Special Guest Bob Corritore on Stage at the Bisbee Blues Festival.
One of our favorite getaways in the southern Arizona is the small former copper mining town of Bisbee. Over 100 years ago, Bisbee was the largest city in the Arizona Territory with 25,000 people, becoming the most cultured city in the southwest. After a major fire at the turn of the 20th Century, the city was rebuilt and remains intact today.
Copper Queen Hotel Image by kenne
Over the years the mining played out and the town evolved into an attractive artist colony and retirement community, emphasizing monthly special events and tourism, with a current population of about 6,000 people. One of the many historical turn of the century Victorian structures in the Bisbee is the Copper Queen Hotel, built in 1902. Staying at the Copper Queen is like taking a step back in time. The many ghosts in the hotel and the old town are a reminder of the booming days at the turn of the twentieth century. For Joy and I, the old hotel reminded us of the old French Quarter hotels we have stayed at in New Orleans — another favorite getaway.
Joy enjoying a Dos Equis Amber in a Tombstone saloon. — Image by kenne
Our anniversary date is May 18th, so we decided to getaway for the evening, driving the 100-plus miles to Bisbee, in the Mule Mountains, stopping at another historical town — Tombstone. Both Bisbee and Tombstone have lots of galleries, saloons, retail and antique shops, and various event activities. As it would be, on Saturday Bisbee had a custom auto event on the main downtown street. You can see some of the photos of our anniversary trip by clicking on the gallery of photos above, or the Flickr slideshow. While having a beer in the Copper Queen Saloon, we picked up a flyer on this year’s Bisbee Blues Festival, which we attended two years ago. We were please to see that one of our favorite blues musicians and friend, Diunna Greenleaf, will be headlining this year’s event — we will be back September 15th.
To see a slideshow at my Flickr account, click here.
It should be noted that I did alright remembering our anniversary and making plans to celebrate it. My track record hasn’t always been so good.
Taking some pride in remembering, I expressed so, seeking a “that-a-boy” on remembering our eighth anniversary.
(Although we have been together since 1986, it wasn’t till a few years ago that we eloped to Las Vegas.)
“Eighth anniversary,” replied Joy. “It’s our tenth anniversary!” Which is why she figured I planned a nice getaway.
Even after she confirmed the date by showing me the marriage certificate, I still insisted it was the eight we were celebrating — if I had known it was the tenth, we would have done something more special. So, two years from now we will celebrate our very special tenth anniversary — stay tuned!
He Plays To His Shadow (Afternoon Drinks On the Copper Queen Saloon Balcony)
Strolling Down The Avenue — Image by kenne
Streetwalker At a Classic Car Show — Image by kenne
Bisbee Opera — Image by kenne
Bisbee, Arizona — Panorama Image by kenne
Becoming is Superior to Being 