Tag: Jazz

Germany, part 2: The Wurst Is Yet To Come

As I recall, you left me in a Munich beer garden, making short work of a litre of beer and a head-sized hunk of roast pork. Well, eventually I was carried to a car where I spent an hour, like a cat with butter on its paws, licking the grease from my face. And by … Continue reading Germany, part 2: The Wurst Is Yet To Come

Germany, part 1: Both Kinds Of Munich

In the gloom of a carpark near Munichโ€™s central station, I held my breath and peered into the shadows. To my right, closer than Iโ€™d expected, I heard the metallic click of a cigarette lighter. In the sudden flare appeared the pallid, theatrically downcast face of my German contact. Through a cloud of smoke, he … Continue reading Germany, part 1: Both Kinds Of Munich

Fighting Vainly The Old Ennui…

At the window of my suite in the Citadines hotel, I yawned and looked out across the square at clutches of elderly Parisians huddling in fear as gangs of shouting, spitting teenagers slouched by. They call it a suite because in a sort of alcove off the bedroom thereโ€™s a sink with a hotplate next … Continue reading Fighting Vainly The Old Ennui…

A Series of Minor Inconveniences: Paris-Rome-Potenza

โ€œDear passenger, this is to inform you that your flight with us tomorrow has been canceled. Thanks for your understanding. โ€“The Alitalia team.โ€ The email reached me during a break on my last gig in Paris. A warm Wednesday evening, I was standing outside the club, absorbing as many of the sights and smells as I … Continue reading A Series of Minor Inconveniences: Paris-Rome-Potenza

A Night at the Huchette

The Metro spat me out into the muted streetlights of the Place du Chatelet and I headed across the river. Iโ€™d been in Paris a week and had so far avoided the centre of townโ€“ the crowds are too young and the beerโ€™s too expensiveโ€“ but tonight was the grand reopening of one of the … Continue reading A Night at the Huchette

Pass the Lube; it’s Jazz Time

Apologies for that grinding, squealing noiseโ€“ itโ€™s just the agonised turning of my rusting gears, protesting after more than a year of neglect. Itโ€™s worse than just lack of practice, itโ€™s a soul-deep inertia, my limited life skills desperately longing to remain at rest. But the giant seems to be awakeningโ€“ I think that explains … Continue reading Pass the Lube; it’s Jazz Time

Reality: A Survival Guide

A crack appears, the sky darkens, and then a crumbling spewing fetid chasm opens up before you; the screams and moans of lost souls escape from its depths. What you have here is reality, and havenโ€™t I warned you about messing with that?

New York City: Signs of Life in the Smoking Ruins

At an old favourite, 1803 in TriBeCa, we sat in the ruins of our city and ate grilled oysters, while a band of our friends and heroes played their hearts out, their music echoing through the deserted neighbourhood; intently ignoring the iceberg out the porthole and the water lapping around their shins...

Hysteria, Pandemonium, and a Cast-Iron Solution

I was doing so well. A news-free world. I was oblivious to all but what was happening right in front of me. The childish bellowing of politicians, talking heads, and celebrities which make us all dumber and angrier had been silenced. Instead of opening my news apps first thing in the afternoon, I was scrolling … Continue reading Hysteria, Pandemonium, and a Cast-Iron Solution

Throw Your Dentures in the Air and Pass the Medsโ€“ it’s the Roaring 20s!!

 Itโ€™s the first blog post of a new decade- I can only imagine youโ€™re as excited about this momentous event as I am! If youโ€™ve been paying attention, itโ€™s clear the world is crumbling in a fiery heap around us, so I think the only remedy is to let our remaining hair down and party! … Continue reading Throw Your Dentures in the Air and Pass the Medsโ€“ it’s the Roaring 20s!!