I am in my hotel room in Pori The Hotel Cumulus room 333

and I can hear Quinsin practising clarinet next door (even when we have our own rooms I can hear him practise!!)

Here is a blog entry I wrote on the way to pori in the van after they picked us up at the airport in Helsinki yesterday.

I am listening to Benmurgi do fundraising on Jazz Fm. funny how perfect the connection is. I love internet radio.
tim
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This is so beautiful. We are in the van on the way to Pori. We just flew from Stockholm to Helsinki. I spoke a few words with 80 year old jazz drummer, legend Roy Haynes as we were boarding the plane. Funny how a year or two ago I forked over some big money to hear him play at massey hall in Toronto.

Moments like that are exciting. I hope I never loose my excitement about all this type of thing…we just passed a town called Ristenkaeluma hmmm add a couple dots over a couple of the letters…haha.

Another cool thing (I really am un-cool to be so excited by all this eh?) is seeing my name in the index of the festival program listed beside the Sun Ra Arkestra. Then you flip to the page and there is a picture of us and of them…

I guess blogging when I am not online is kind of cheating but it feels like a good use of time. (ie. When I get to Pori I can eat smoked fish etc. instead of writing blog entries…haha)

We were treated so well in Stockholm. It was really nice that the Canadian Consulate General (I think that’s his title) brought his family to our concert. Very nice people. They are from Halifax and lived in Stockholm for the last two years.

I really love playing festivals. It is a time when the thing that I do for a living becomes more important for a minute. For example, there we are in Stockholm and we attract a good crow (Ok….Howard attracts a good crowd) and there are five or six jazz writers there and they are even trying to find me at my hotel for an interview.

Being around Howard is always fun. The stories never stop and he knows so many people that I am always meeting new people when he is there. It was fun meeting Lee Ritenour and his band. Howard is old friends with Ernie Watts. (they both joined Buddy Riches Band (I forgot that Howard played with Buddy Rich) in 1966. What was I doing that year…hmmmm…..oh yes, being born.

Quinsin and Lina are asleep beside me. I have to confess, no matter how fun this traveling thing is it sure takes a lot of energy. As a matter of fact, I am amazed after playing only one concert so far, how much time and energy it has taken to get to where we are right now. (for example we have been away from home for four days already)


I am glad we don’t perform our first show in Pori until tomorrow. Will be good to get some sleep and see a doctor about my ear. I know it is infected. (I am quite disappointed with myself having forgotten to purchase travel insurance too)

Only about 75 more Kilometres to Pori.