7th of May 2004

An inspired 10 year old

A journal is supposed to up to date and spontaneous right? I have pages and pages of notes which detail the last few weeks and I have been fretting over when to finish them for some time. It is time, I'm afraid to lay those ghosts to rest and offer my apologies. I will post them sometime soon, but they need to breathe for a little while and take some time off from being scrutinized. Right now I need this place to put down more current thoughts. A long stint away from home has been embarked on - nearly six weeks away touring France, Germany and the USA (to coincide with US launch on the 11th May).

This time, knowing how much crap I pick up along the way I packed as little as possible so as to provide room for inevitable, useless purchases. Managed to limit myself to three pairs of shoes and have vowed to throw at least one pair away if I buy a new pair.

As usual I oscillate between homesickness and the excitement of new places. But this is all before I go away - once I'm out there I love it. It makes you realise how many things in life you don't need. Also, the usually mundane aspects of sitting on a plane or in the back of a bus has now become that much needed time of solitude to listen to music or read a book that I have so missed recently.

Paris on the Eurostar was our first stop. So close and so easy to get to, yet so different - a mere three hours from London and suddenly there are hardly any starbucks. I have some clear and fairly raw memories from a long stay in Paris as an eighteen year old, but the only feelings that come to me when I return today in the glorious sunshine are warm ones. We are playing tonight in the sex district (this happened in Hamburg too) at a place called La Boule Noir - a small, grimy and beautiful little rock venue for 300 people.

What amazes me about this trip to Europe is the reception we are getting when we take the stage. It energises me and suprises me every night. This night in Paris is no exception. It is wonderful to be back on a small stage, close to a tight-knit, standing crowd. This is the kind of place where, when I stand on the piano, my head hits the ceiling. It feels like home. We play three encores and two or three of the new tunes sound like they might be keepers.

Though we have played the rest of the tunes many times before we are truly re-exploring them every night. As we move into Germany the next day, this truly continues. That is the best part about playing in a small group - it gives you the space and freedom to invent and play like an inspired 10 year old. It also reminds me of why I love playing jazz - the space to make mistakes does not really exist when you play other music, especially live on stage.

For the German part of the tour in Europe we are travelling on a massively unglamourous splitter bus. Nine seats, a window and two crates of wine and beer. I am sipping a warm bottle of Stella Artois and passing a huge field of windmills which sit like birthday candles in a giant cake of rape-seed. We are close to the Czech Border on route to Munich.

Our gigs in Germany have been nothing short of exceptional. Certainly amongst the best we have ever done with just the three of us. I am desperately trying to finish some new songs but sometimes the fatigue of touring is too much to be able to see these new ditties through to conclusion. Cologne and Hamburg - Thankyou so much for your incredible warmth, I could tour for the rest of time here!

Apart from managing to load all our gear into a transvestite club by accident in Hamburg and almost being struck by lightening in Berlin, we are bearing up pretty well.

With love, from the road.

Albums I am loving on the Autobahn:
Q-Tip - Amplified
Hawksley Workman - The Delicious Wolves
The Coral - Nightfreaks and Sons of Becker
Ilya - They died for Beauty
Jazzland Remixed 2
Jolie Holland - Catalpa

Jc

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