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	May   The bits of stuff that fall in the cracks between Life, Music and Outrageous Fortune.           The unique Bassidi Koné in full flight with djembe Emerge in the West Street Festival 18.5.14 - Maria got a text from Dr Betty Snowden saying that her son, Simon Lewis was playing with his band, Koné Express at the Emerge in the West Festival on Nicholson St in Footscray at 3.30. We had Chris with us and decided it could be fun and trucked on down to Footscray (where there were so many black people in the streets that Maria said it reminded her of Paris), but we managed to find Betty and David without too much trouble. As soon as Simon's band started to play the crowd sensed something special. The focus of the band is Bassidi Koné, (pic) a charismatic virtuoso exponent of the djembe, balafon and marimbas who hails from Mali. The band is mostly comprised of local Melbourne musicians and their thoughtful arrangements serve to highlight the incandescent talents of Bassidi Koné. Inspirational.           Tom Gentles in town 7.5.14 - Due to sloppy email reading I nearly missed out on Tom's visit altogether, but we managed to make phone contact at the last moment and Maria and I met him at lunchtime yesterday at the Covention Centre at South Wharf where Tom was attending the World Congress of Cardiology Scientific Sessions. It was good to catch up. He reminded me it was thirty-five years ago that he came and stayed with Helen and me on his way to see the world as a young man. He still looks frighteningly young of course..                   back to the top