Dear Kay,
For your amusement while knitting on this lazy Sunday, I’d like to share a podcast interview that Bloomberg did recently with Hubbo. Sometimes I find it hard to explain exactly how it is that a guy like Jon has a dual personality as mild-mannered investment guy by day, in off hours a twang-heavy singer named Merle Hazard, specializing in songs about financial topics. This podcast is the first time I’ve heard Batman and Bruce Wayne in the same room. It’s also a pretty great exploration of the creative process of songwriting.
How Merle Hazard Became the Most Important Country Singer in Economics. (Scroll down for the SoundCloud player.)
Here’s his new song, which was featured on the PBS NewsHour. It brings together some of Nashville’s great actors, wicked musicians (including banjo wizard Alison Brown), and at least one adorable clogging bass fiddle player. The amount of love in the room for the old TV show Hee Haw cannot be overstated.
In Other News
We welcome 13 new knitters! Great news from Lynn Zwerling and her Knitting Behind Bars program:
Knitting Behind Bars has an ongoing need for financial contributions to buy the very specific knitting needles and yarn that are allowed into the Jessup women’s prison. If you’d like to contribute, there’s a Donate button in the right column of the Knitting Behind Bars blog.
Love,
Ann
I forgot how much I love Merle! You are truly a power couple. Knitting maven and economic country song writer. I’m pretty sure there is nothing to compare with this.
Power couple indeed! The two of you are adept at explaining complex concepts with humor. Love it!
This is awesome – thanks for starting my day with a smile! (and yeah, when will interest rates rise!)
I’ve watched CNBC for years and never heard that explained quite so well!
I feel smarter for having listened.
I will be playing banjo at church this morning, and that song will be going in my head all day. Alison is inspiring!
Ann, can I just say that if your husband ever wants to get rid of that shirt you can mail it to me. Best. Shirt. Ever.
I also, liked the “Hazard” belt buckle with that great shirt. What attention to detail!
In addition, Ann, I thoughtof the post you did a while back where we saw you guys as teenagers in someone’s basement, the boys practicing band music, the girls there to watch and cheer on. Very interesting, and really wonderful, to see how that has evolved, and is evolving.
In the video’s credits today, there was a thank you to Ann Shayne and to David Shayne, so I echo that thought now,
Thank you Ann.
AH-haaaaa!
Excellent in every way 🙂
Thanks again for featuring our wonderful Lynn!!:)
Love the production value and the clogging and hee haw homage and the studio audience—and how totally smooth Merle is. Just great.
So enjoyed the clever lyrics of Merle Hazard this morning! He’s getting really fine-tuned with his songs and singing. And would you look at that fancy shirt!! Thank you, Ann, for sharing this video and Merle.
I love that song. Now it’s my ear worm for today ‘how long….’
I think it takes a special kind of man to sing about monetary policy!!