2 New Releases, Europe and Fuji Rock

EUROPE

Greetings! I've just returned from a two-week European tour with Orquesta Libre, and it was a really fantastic time. The audiences in England, Denmark, Bavaria and Switzerland were brilliant and it was great catching up with family, old friends and making some new ones. And everyone was so kind to us, and the food was amazingly good! That's not how I remember Europe!!

 Good times in Passau

Mama Carola's incredible Tirolean cuisine!

A real high point was our stay in Passau, in Bayern on the Austrian border. We stayed with the wonderful Mama and Papa Carola and Heinz, who looked after us so well. Carola seemed to have a constant supply of delicious hearty Bavarian specialities flying out of her kitchen, while Heinz had a truly remarkable schnapps collection in which he indulged us with glee. And the concerts at the Cafe Museum at Passau were also fantastic, a very attentive audience who loved our versions of Kurt Weill.
It was a wonderful time, and we're all hoping that a European tour will become an annual tradition!

NEW RELEASES

While I was away, there have been two new releases. The first is a pop record. I play on two tracks on the new CD by singer/songwriter Angela Aki, "Blue".

I play on the title track-

And the track "Monster"-

You can buy it HERE

The other new release is the online release of a very special live set by Orquesta Libre-

Volume 3 of our "Live at Pit Inn" series features special guests pianist Suga Dairo, and tap dancers Uragami Yuji and Ron x II, playing a set of new arrangements of Duke Ellington, It truly was an amazing performance, and I strongly recommend picking this one up! It's available for download HERE

FUJI ROCK 2012

As I mentioned here a couple of weeks ago, this year is my first Fuji Rock, and I'll be playing twice, this Sunday, 29th July, with both Orquesta Libre (special guest Ohata Yuichi), and Shibusashirazu Orchestra. Both sets are taking place at Orange Court. Orquesta Libre start at 13:20, and Shibusashirazu start at 21:00. I hope to see you there! They say Fuji Rock is one for the wellies (like it's UK equivalent Glastonbury), but this year it looks like it will be an absolute scorcher! Boots and sunblock?