Snooping around iTunes, I stumbled upon one of my all-time favorite albums, which I haven't heard in years: Theodore Bikel's Songs of a Russian Gypsy. As a young man, fresh out of being a Russian linguist in the Army, I sang many of these songs myself. Is there a more nostalgic, sadly romantic song than Dve Gitari (Two Guitars)? Great to hear this stuff again after so long! These are the Russian blues, as fine as ever. Bikel's gypsy songs, Little Walter and Billie Holiday: the three crowns of the blues for me.
