Amsterdam, Netherlands
May, 2005

It’s my birthday and I’ve decided to celebrate in style. Have been wandering along the Amsterdam canals all day taking in the beautiful scenery. A man in front of me drops an armful of books and a carton of strawberries onto the sidewalk. I help him and he gives me a book, some strawberries and buys me a bottle of birthday champagne as a reward. I take “The Illustrated Sherlock Holmes” and my decadent libation to a nearby bridge and sit. Drinking in the mystery, I remember when I was young how badly I wanted to grow up to become a detective. I read on, and it seems our Mr. Holmes has found himself a rather vexing case to contemplate. These very difficult problems he would refer to as a “three pipe problem” —one that would take him all night, and at least three pipes to solve— the dusk comes, the moon rises, and the mysterious night presses on . . .

Kristin Sweetland: Hammertone guitar
George Koller: double bass
Ernie Tollar: pennywhistle
Ben Grossman: udu