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BAGELS 'n BEANS, Aug 19

You just never know who's going to turn up at the Bagz & Beanz Friday thrashes these days.

There was me shuffling down to toast the end of unemployment in J&L's finest java - and another vente's worth to celebrate the clipping of my bloggy wings - and ma foi! who is wielding banjo but the great and growly Mike Murray.

Also my favorite bass player, this time on accordion

(I don't think one calls them squeeze-boxes.) Many years back in Angers, a petite française I had my eye on conned me into thinking that her papa would allow us carte blanche  if I praised his skill on the "flon flon".

This was the equivalent of telling maestro Artur Rubinstein that he was a bit of a dab-hand on the old joanna.

Papa stopped mid phrase - La Paloma, I believe it was - and pointed the way out, adding a fiery threat never to darken his daughter's Dior again. The minx.

Also in the line-up was David Denz - whistling and even bag-piping (of which I got not a single snap, dammit).

Bass was provided by an ultra cool young chappie, and there was even another banjo player which was fun.

And of course, the ever-friendly smiling Mike Gaffney was there, wielding his 12-string and even performing - clearly stung to the quick by my earlier barb about those who trundle in with cool axes but don't actually perform, preferring to sit there looking cool and then chat up ladies who leave their purses behind.