Bebop Deluxe - Box 11

This box was made especially for my friend Robert. I named it 'Bebop Deluxe' in honor of the great guitarist and singer / songwriter, Bill Nelson, who headed a band of the same name. Bill is also the reason the box is adorned with a guitar pick on the lid.

Robert and I met at an open mic in the Amana Colonies. I was signed up to play some songs and happened to have a Trailside Rangers CD on me. (Peacemaker). Robert read the back of the CD and saw that Peacemaker was recorded in New York - and to our surprise - it was that moment we discovered that each of us had lived in Manhattan. He lived there in the 70's and early 80's, I in the 90's. Imagine, two former New Yorkers who relocated to Iowa and met in a bar in rural Amana, Iowa. Unlikely at best.

We have been friends ever since. Robert has a passion for music and books that is unrivaled, which makes it very easy for us to talk for hours. He lives in an old Amana bakery, which is very much like a historical museum, as he and his wife Jill bought and restored it to its former glory, years ago when they relocated from the east coast. Jill was an artist, a true creative wonder who was also a photographer and caligrapher. Sadly, Jill passed away before I could meet her. But her creative fire lives on in the old Amana bakery - as you can't walk in there without seeing her work and hearing Robert's many tales of their adventures together.

Robert also enjoys the company of cats - in particular, these days, one named Spud.