Four Weeks & Counting |“Pine Kohn’s Smoke Shop”

Hello Readers,
Starting in August, I will gear up a new web site called “Pine Kohn’s Smoke Shop.”
It will be a Ménage à trois of key elements.
The first will be a series of chapters all about the J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Especially, Julius Ceaser Newman. My grandfather’s best friend.

I am using, as reference, two first edition books that Bobby, Eric, and Drew Newman sent me.
One is called “Smoke Dreams” by Julius Newman written in 1957.
The other is called “Cigar Family – A 100 Year Journey in the Cigar Industry,” written by Julius’s son Stanford J. Newman in 1999.

I love to write, and my shortage of cigars to review will work out perfectly; I will also intersperse music reviews. After all, over 50 years as a working player should count for something.
There will be plenty of cigar reviews and I will write about the Newmans and review new and old music.

The story of Pine Kone.
In the early 80’s, I had a recording studio, management company and did a lot of work as a producer and session bassist.
I needed a DBA so I could write off my expenses. From the beginning, I had trouble with the name. First it was Snow Kone…ahh..too much of an allegory to cocaine use. So I tried Nose Kone. Oops. There it is again.
So I settled on the more middle of the road Pine Kone. I got my initials in the name. And I got to misspell my last name.

Then came the design of the logo. I went to a graphic arts outfit in Pasadena. We ended up with an ice cream cone bottom and a pine tree on top. I have to admit that 90% of people didn’t get it. That’s OK.

I still have the original art work but it is two clear mylar sheets overlayed with the wrong colors. So, recently, I bastardized it the best I could using free software.

Only this time, I spell Kohn correctly. Why “Smoke Shop?” Hopefully, it will draw in new readers that think I’m a new online store and once they are here, will stay to read what I’ve written.

I’m going a little more upscale with the new web site. No more WordPress. I want something a little more tech savvy with more apps and better design…and allow for videos and music.

So please stick with me. I will announce, using a widget on this Katman site, when the new site is open and ready for business.

Thanks,
Phillip Kohn