Bernie at The Iridium Next Two Mondays

When Bernie Williams became the Yankees' regular centerfielder, he inherited the most storied plot of of land in sports, patrolling the ground once manned by Bobby Murcer and Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Earle Combs.

Bernie did quite a job in following those legends. For the next two Monday nights, Bernie will get a chance to fill in for a legend in his second chosen profession. Ninety-four year old Les Paul, the namesake of some of the coolest guitars on the planet, will take a two week sick leave from his Monday night residency at The Iridium and Bernie will pinch hit for him (h/t jambands.com).

The Yankees are off the next two Mondays. For those of you interested in going to see Bernie, you can find information here. Tickets are $35 and there is additional $15 food and drink minimum. There are two shows nightly, at 8:30 and 10:30. The Iridium is located at 51st and Broadway.

Here's hoping Les Paul gets well soon. I had the chance to go see him just after Christmas. Not exactly the best performance I've ever seen, and his age and arthritis have limited his playing, but for sheer historical value it was worth it. He's still very sharp and is certainly cut from the old cloth where he's an entertainer in addition to being a musician. If you're a music fan, it's worth going; it's a lesson in the last 70+ years of music history. And the bassist in his trio is pretty hot.

For good measure, here's Bernie, playing a Gibson Les Paul, on Howlin' Wolf's "Who's Been Talkin'" with the Allman Brothers Band at the Beacon in 2007. There's a second clip here.