Actor, philanthropist, race car driver and inspiration for Tangleweed’s third album title Paul Newman has just been honored by the U.S. House of Representatives for his life’s achievements. The House passed H.Res.18.EH yesterday, and you can read the text below. Our album title is a quote from one of Newman’s films which was somehow overlooked for an Oscar, the quintessential hockey drama, Slap Shot.

H. Res. 18

In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

February 24, 2009.

Whereas Paul Newman, a great American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, and automobile racing enthusiast, passed away on September 26, 2008;

Whereas Paul Newman was born on January 26, 1925, in Shaker Heights, Ohio;

Whereas following his service in the Navy during World War II in the Pacific theater, Paul Newman completed his degree at Kenyon College and later at the Yale School of Drama;

Whereas Paul Newman is considered one of America’s most accomplished actors and his career in film and on stage spanned over fifty years;

Whereas Paul Newman was nominated for ten Oscars, winning Best Actor in 1986 for his role in The Color of Money and two honorary Oscars, the Humanitarian Award in 1993 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1985;

Whereas Paul Newman brought life to many memorable characters, including `Hud’, `Cool Hand Luke’, `Butch Cassidy’, `Henry Gondorff’, and `Fast Eddie’;

Whereas in 1982, Paul Newman co-founded Newman’s Own, a premium food and beverage company that began with salad dressings and has expanded to over 150 varieties of all-natural food and beverage products;

Whereas Paul Newman was a dedicated philanthropist, donating all of the profits from Newman’s Own sales for educational and charitable purposes, totaling over $250,000,000 in donations;

Whereas Paul Newman founded eleven Hole in the Wall camps around the world, named for the outlaw gang made famous by Newman’s portrayal of Butch Cassidy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and dedicated to providing free recreation to children with cancer and other serious illnesses;

Whereas Paul Newman founded the Scott Newman Foundation for the prevention of drug abuse in 1978 after the death of his son;

Whereas Paul Newman was a successful racecar driver and well-rounded athlete, winning several Sports Car Club of America national driving titles and competing in Daytona in 1995 on the occasion of his 70th birthday;

Whereas Paul Newman was beloved by his family, friends, and neighbors for his great generosity, good humor, and spirited charm; and

Whereas Paul Newman’s humanitarian works and incomparable talents have made him an American icon who will never be forgotten: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the life and accomplishments of Paul Newman for his many contributions to American film, theater, and philanthropy.

Tangleweed's Most Folk Heroes Started Out As Criminals

Tangleweed’s most recent CD, Most Folk Heroes Started Out As Criminals, is now available on eMusic for your downloading pleasure. If you’re an eMusic member, please consider taking a moment to review the record.

I just returned from a week-long sailing trip in the British Virgin Islands. It was an amazing experience, and one I hope to replicate in the years ahead. The band is currently exploring ways to implement a zero carbon sailing tour around Lake Michigan and beyond, so anyone interested in helping to sponsor this (i.e. boat owners, companies, and donations) is encouraged to contact us. Enjoy the video montage, accompanied by “Sandy River Belle” from our latest record, Most Folk Heroes Started Out As Criminals.

The classic SuitBass, by Paul Wargaski

In the spirit of going green.  I’ve redesigned and revived the suit bass for maximum output and it still sounds sweet.  I’ll be unveiling it on our summer 2009 shows.  Yes, that’s a vintage wooden suitcase complete with f-holes, a custom bridge, and a re-purposed neck from a dead bass in my violin shop. There’s a bottle opener on the side, and a full wet bar inside the case.

Both our of sets from our January 17th shows at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago are available for download at archive.org. Here’s a sample track from the second set, our performance of South Australia, from the Old Town School of Folk Music Song Book, Vols. 2 & 3 CD. We were opening for the Jerry Douglas band at the OTSFM..

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Of the two sets, I prefer the second — none of us played as well as we would have liked in the first set. For whatever reason, we were all pretty nervous, and the nervousness led to a performance that was sloppier than we would have liked. Between sets, we had dinner and found the case of beer in our dressing room, both of which contributed to a better vibe for the late set. That said, they’re two completely different sets, and the sound quality is pretty good. You can download the whole show for free at archive.org.

At long last, our third CD, Most Folk Heroes Started Out As Criminals, is available at iTunes.

The process was delayed several times. It was delivered to Apple in October, but an unspecified error prevented it from being added to the site. Some additional intervention from CDBaby led to the album being redelivered, and, in relatively short order this time, being added to the site. So go crazy. Download away.