I am still in Pori Finland. Amazing here!

I have a great blog post for you but no time. quick shower and off to soundcheck. I will give you a teaser...it involves Sun Ra Arkestra, Hiding in a WC, Crashing a private party and more...

until then,
tim

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.

Another fun night. Our gig was well attended. I think Howard IS a bit of a draw here in Europe. I had a lot of fun backstage at the mainstage with him meeting many of his friends. including Lee Ritenour, Ernie Watts and lots of really nice folks. Was nice to not even have to use our free meal pass once we were in the land of jaz-headliners backstage all you can eat and drink etc.

Our gig was fun but I did realise tonight how much work this music is. I practise it a lot and it is intense. I was joking with myself thinking: next project bass AND drums for sure. Just kidding realy . Treated so well here.

It amazes me how much time and enrgy we have spent and only played one 75 minute gig plus nice encore. It was a radio recording that apparently I now own and will receive royalties for.

I wish I knew what time we were being picked up tommorrow....BAD BAndLEADR!

We met a cool old trumpet player tonight on his gig in the old city named George. Very fun. Good stories. He was a fan of Howards so I traded a cd for a beer.

hoser.

The one downside to blogging is seeing the clock with Toronto time on my laptop. It is 7am here and I think I only got about two hours sleep. very confused...not even sure if I am tired or what. I am only concerned as we play our first concert today at 6pm.

Had a great night wandering around the old city here in Stockholm last night with Quinsin and Lina. It is raining again (sounds great outside my window) Might try and sleep again. hmmm free breakfast ends at 11am.

Do I want coffee or do I want to eat and take a nap. Silly eh, these little concerns. It is nice to live in this selfish musical world for a little while.

later,
t

We just saw Peggy and Dylan performing with Michael Moore in the venue we are playing here in Stockholm tommorrow night. What a great concert. These guys are at the top of the improv heap. (rare all three of us agree on music...haha))

this is undoubtely the most beautiful venue I will have ever performed in. Think Cistine Chapel type art, three story ceiling, it is the main, downtown concerhaus ?? sp?

Wow. Now we are going out for a walk to the old town and later might check out the big show here with Lauryn Hill.

My banjo didnt like the plane ride. have to get that looked at first thing in the morning. I am trying to only think in local time. We shall see how that goes.

tim

Heh,

Here I am, 33,000( or so Howard says) feet above sea level and I am online. Too cool. Apparently this is the first airline to have this. High speed as we speed towards Iceland en route to Stockholm.

This SAS airline is the real deal. Beats the hell out of the little trips we take for regional gigs anyways. Even the food was prett good.

I guess when we arrive it will be about 7am and apparently the sun rises there at 4am. Howard now is deciding to tell me a story...but I told him I only have the thirty minutes on this connection.

Stormy Monday is the topic. The eagle flys on friday means payday...yah, its stream of consciousness way up here baby.

I better go get some email....looks a little busy on that front.

drop me a line up here okay!! Look up....way up!

tim in the sky

It occurs to me that I should put an official post with our euro gigs on it:

Tim Posgate Hornband featuring Howard Johnson

July 20: Stockholm Jazz Festival

July 22, 23 Pori Jazz Festival (Finland)

see you there?
t
www.guildwoodrecords.com

It is somewhat ironic that I missed Tania and Ryan performing solo piano sets at the Red Guitar tonight...mostly because I was doing "paper work" for the club. I am glad that August is all booked up as I fly off tommorrow morning.

I wish I could say I was all packed...NOT.

still figuring out whether to bring Cds...nah. I think not. ibook should do it. will try to do more reading than listening on the plane as my battery only lasts a couple hours.

another fun day of quartet playing with Koven today. I really think I want to play with pianists some more in the future.

Now the big decision...how many Cds do I cart to Europe? You don't want to run out but you dont want to pay extra and have too much to haul around.

well....here goes nothin...I will try to drop a line when I am eight hours in a different time zone. (or...you know what I mean)

Stockholm Tim