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Den Bosch, Holland with Metropole Orchestra

Al rehearses and sound checks with Metropole

Well here we are, up early and headed for the Schipol Airport of Amsterdam. And believe me, oh, what a beautiful morning it is… Sunny, and the air is cool and fresh and yes, it’s Springtime. Again! Wow! I just put the Christmas dec’s away. Once again I’m astonished by the speed of light passage of time. … Our whole team has been concentrating on and pointing at the Metropole Orchestra concerts as a really important but very far distant milestone marker of this time period. Zoom, it’s come and gone in a flash. The obvious conclusion, in a sense, is that our gang is busy, busy, busy. And so time goes in a hurry. Every tenth word out of my mouth is “Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” I’m convinced that the grateful heart and mind and consciousness is super-rich fertile soil of wonderful potential fruit-bearing and flowering because your mind and consciousness is full of the images of the good stuff that you are thankful for. Permeate your mental environment with the good and beautiful stuff that you are thankful for.

The Metropole Orchestra was, is, heavenly. They made my music expand and shimmer and glisten in a way that was just awesome and awe-inspiring and jaw dropping. I will be a while absorbing all of that and I will be real busy planning and praying for another chance and opportunity to feel that great “rush” and sing it better so that I’m tapping full potential, with a brand new me. I’d love for American audiences to demand to hear this stuff. Vince Mendoza’s arrangements allow that and ask for that to happen. I’m just scratching the surface. This combo can leap and soar…. Thank you! I called home a lot to hear Susan say, “Alwin, Alwin, he’s our man… if he can’t do it, nobody can!” She’s been doing that a long time, since the Early 70’s. It works. Something gets triggered and goes busy… I love that. I look for that more and more.

Joe Gordon and Joe Turano and Patrick come with me. Every boxer has a good manager and trainer and really excellent cut man. Me too. In the Frankfurt Airport a guy walks by me going away and I get an eleven o’clock angle profile. Frist I’m saying, “No Way!” Then I’m saying, “Way?!?” I have to go and SEE- OH yes, it’s World Heavyweight Champ Evander Holyfield. I risk being over-familiar and address him as “Real Deal,” a nickname that came from his Olympic Games days. He recognized me and shook my hand with a smile. I wanted to ask if he could recommend a good cut man.

We spent a day in Bussum and nearby Den Bosch where we did 2 performances. The Metropole Orkest is one of a kind maybe in history. A big band orchestra. You have to imagine the Count Basie Band with strings, but not just any strings. The women and guys jam with Sly Stone and James Brown and The Funkadelics. Vince, a multiple Grammy Award winning arranger and conductor, wrote some special stuff for Cold Duck and Spain and Roof Garden and Scootchabooty, and we recorded it. (I wore in-ear monitors for the first time ever. You go, Al! ) The arrangements make the audience swoon in one movement and then explode in the next, always testing and pushing their abilities to appreciate something a little bit new and different. I need to listen without saying a word so that his new canvas has become sort of like wallpaper of second nature, a familiar neighborhood that I can walk or run through or go dancing through. For the listener it should be fun hearing familiar stuff done in a different way. That’s an exciting prospect.

I met with Cor Bakker, well known blessedly talented Dutch Pianist, and we talked about more exciting prospects. Collage… Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

So hello, Springtime 2011. Thank you for coming around again showing us rebirth and rejuvenation restoration. I’m gonna go home and hang out with Susan and our own kitchen… and chill for a little while.

Thanks, Vince Mendoza for the hard work and caring and the new canvas you gave me. Thank you, Metropole Orchestra and Holland. See you and the North Sea Jazz Festival.

Love, Al

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Abu Dhabi Festival

“Ah bu Dhabi, You bu Dhabi, They bu Dhabi, too!”

Al out for a walk in Abu Dhabi

We just left a whirlwind visit to Abu Dhabi, which is the capital of the United Arab Emirates, a country the size of South Carolina that forms the southeast shore of the Persian Gulf. What an amazing trip that still has us all spinning and wondering if we were really there.

An 11 hour time difference had us all upside down as we had a day of press, meeting the media in the region and learning about this festival and the people. I got the chance to speak with some high school and college students about the importance of these events that foster our individual expressions of beauty and art and culture. Thank you, Matt Barley, for your cello and the interview.

This Abu Dhabi Festival is taking on such a wonderful task of bringing musicians from around the world into its arms, saying, “Yes! Thank you! We value your music, and we want to share it with our people. We want our people to share their music with you!” Yes. Wonderful. So important. We in the west know so little about the countries and peoples in this area that to have this well-organized occasion to exchange ideas and information and MUSIC is a great opportunity, and I’m so proud that they invited me to be a part of it. Several times I took the opportunity to express to all of them especially their press and media how wonderful it is that they are making this wonderful outreach as Muslims to the rest of the world. This is so important. I wish, I also said several times, that NBC, CBS, CNN, Associated Press, would be here and reporting on this stuff. THIS is the stuff that builds bridges. The night before us, the Moscow Symphony performed Beethoven’s Fifth. Earlier in the week there was a ballet performance. Later in the week there will be a Shakespeare production—What a festival!

My band arrived just a night before the show. They were in the hotel just long enough to shower and see the beautiful palm trees and have a bite to eat before heading for sound check—Thank you, band! They were really burnin’. It was an intermission set, and it seemed like the first half just passed by so quickly. I had never played in this part of the world before, and was so happy to find them invite me in, cheer for the music, and interact with me from stage. Lots of people from The Emirates, and lots of people from around the world who have followed jobs here, or are on vacation. Everyone is caught up in the magical atmosphere created by the hotel.

The band seemed to give something a little extra tonight. If they were going to come to the other side of the world for one night, they were going to make that night full of special music. And they did. It’s hard to single somebody out, but Joe Turano really had a noteworthy solo on She’s Leaving Home. He takes two solos during the song, and by the end of that second one, the audience was cheering so loud and so hard I closed my eyes and woke up in an arena full of people. You go, Joe.

The night ended with a wish for a quick return, a promise to spread the word about the great cultural outreach going on in Abu Dhabi, and a beautiful gift of robes for me and my wife. Thank you, Abu Dhabi!

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Reading, PA: Berks Jazz Festival

I was standing in the lobby of the hotel, which is a five minute walk from the Sovereign Performing Arts Center, and I was looking at festival posters and magazines and remembering the last time I was here. I was very impressed with the almost college homecoming-like feeling of the festival that touches everything and everybody. Any minute now, somebody from the hotel staff is sure to give you a big red apple and a pom-pom.

This festival lasts over a week and takes place in multiple venues around town. There are workshops for young kids and venues for them to perform in. Just after soundcheck, George and I did interviews with local TV and radio—Festival lover media people. And just behind us, a high school jazz choir was finishing up their rehearsal/soundcheck singing Charleston Alley. I gave ‘em a big hello! 75 minutes go by and they are onstage opening the evening for us.

The atmosphere is special in the room when we go on. It feels like American Idol with the family and friends of all the performers nearly squirming with delight. I’ll take that every day. I find myself rhythmically gurgling out “Mr. and Mrs. Berks—Berk-Berk-Berk—Thank you Berks—Thank you Berks—For inviting me to the festival.” I continued, “I saw elephants dancing, clowns on parade, peanuts and popcorn and fresh lemonade, rides on the Midway, seals blowing horns, men shot from cannons and fresh ears of corn.” Welcome, welcome, welcome. Wow! Where did that come from? All I did was open the window. Something new. I never did that before. I gotta remember that.

I’ve been singing Moanin’ for over 52 years and things happened in Moanin’ tonight that have never happened before. That was kind of the tone for the whole evening and I’m real glad for that.

George Duke! George has once again whispered them onto the edge of their seats, then pushed them back against the cushions. And I hurry out so as to not lose the energy, and start right in with Mike Manson, the bass player, on the bass lines for Cold Duck. The drummer’s hi-hat and cross stick sound like ‘Gotcha Gotcha Gotcha,’ so I do it and pretty soon surprisingly find “Gotcha, Gotcha, Gotcha, Lady GaGaGaGaGatcha”—The audience gets it, it’s pretty clear.

“Thank you… and now a song called ‘Bahdat, Bahdadadat’, or, Teach Me Tonight,” and I ask them to remind me about other mis-titled songs, namely ‘Zany-bomp-bomp-bomp’. I found myself vigorously conducting background singing parts for George and the trio. In fact, in that regard, I was really aware that my performing was very exuberant and aggressive, and that felt real good matching the intensity of the band… Right for the situation.

I was talk-singing, “Do you know somethin’, Do you know somethin’, Do you know somethin’, etc.” the first lines of Sweet Pumpkin, and surprised myself because I’ve never done that in all of the 200 times that I’ve sung that song. To my mind then and now, it seemed to set up so well this cute little up-tempo jazz song. And then another first. A real bluesy gospelly ad-lib first verse of Come Rain Or Come Shine with instructions for the audience to sing “Come rain or shine” when that line occurs in the song…. High energy talking and singing!!

A little voice says, “Be cool, take it easy,” and I will… Tomorrow. Tonight, my gut says, “Hit it.” And I do, and we do. And before I know it, George is out in the audience and up the aisle and reachin’ ‘em with Reach For It. Ghetto Sophistified. It’s Banana-monium.

And the winner is… Berks Jazz Festival (21 years old), who correctly predicted their audience would understand all the many things that happened tonight. Contempo-fusion jazz, and a wide range of trio-combo stuff with the singer being the added solo instrument.

For me, the band made a quantum leap forward and up in such an unrehearsed, spontaneous way that I’m already planning to review these notes here before the next time with George and the Trio. By the way, I want you to know (oops! Off we go, up and away, 40 seconds down the runway and off we go to Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, first time) how important and wonderful it is to continue to have these moments of growth and newness and surprise when you’re a longtime veteran performer.

Thank you, Berks!
Love,
Al

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Collingswood, NJ

I loved this old Masonic Temple (yes, a church) the first time I saw it and felt it two years ago. In fact, I put out a special little pleading message of my own that we’d have a quick return. And so here I am with the George Duke Trio. Fifty foot high ceilings and stained glass windows at the very top, with the afternoon sunlight pouring in just gives you a light airy heady feeling that is a perfect preface to an evening of music that has anticipation in the air. This audience is from Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia.

And last time in Philly, at the West Oak Lane Festival, George and I did a similar but different program, this time with more Half Note-ish themes. The Half Note was a club in San Francisco where The George Duke Trio and I played from 1965 to 1968 (a fabulous day and time!) and some of that music is on a brand new CD that we will now sell at concerts and have available online.

In concert performance, the idea is to recapture the approach that we took in that cozy little nightclub/bar with people from down the street and around the corner. It was cool! And so we split the set like before… I’ll sing then the trio will play, then I’ll sing, then the trio will play, et cetera et cetera. On bass is Mike Manson, and on drums is Rayford Griffin, sitting in for Ronald Bruner, Jr. OOWEE, boys and girls! This is not your grandfather’s sedate little jazz combo. This is a power trio that can sound like a big band or Phil Collins or Bootsy Collins with solos that simply shred. And George sings his butt off.

We all walk onstage finger-snapping and singing Moanin’ a cappella—“Yes, Lawd”—and this is new territory for sure.

The program for me is still quite new and tip-toe-ie. This music is from 45 years ago, y’all! But the spirit carries the day, and there are no glaring hiccups. And the audience loved it! All those references, musically and verbally that put them, me, us right there in that moment of history with a serious contemporary edge. You’ll love how George describes his musical journey from Cannonball Adderley and Frank Zappa to Stanley Clarke and Miles.

George and I are throwing hand cues and eyeball cues and shoulder and over-the-shoulder cues all night long. Spontaneity on the run and on display. I don’t wanna spoil the surprise for you, but as you know, George is a co-writer with me on Roof Garden. So it naturally must share some funk with Reach For It. They only quieted down when we walked down the center stage stairs and into the audience, and on out the back of the Temple to an autograph table. What a night.

I said it before to King, the director of the hall: I’d like to play there every day.

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Charlotte — Sweet Charlotte

I loved it….. A lot! Whenever I’m here I have to resist being a boring old Uncle Al: “Now don’t y’all get up-airs-citified! Stay Charlotte.” I am talking up to you! You’ve got what we somehow lost and need to revive: Simple, sincere human respect for everyone you meet. “Good mornin’”… “Thank you” … “Yes, please” … “Yes, Ma’am” … “Of course I will” … “Y’all’re welcome anytime” … And friendly and smiling.

You brought all this to Knight Theatre Uptown PAC as well-equipped and comfortable as any in the world… And African-Americans leading the way. I was so proud. Thank you.

(You shoulda been at soundcheck. It was in the air; delighted anticipation of returning to and playing in a very typical kind of performing situation for the band, for all of us! Larry was all over the grand piano. I know he could hear himself again. And it seemed to me he felt it more strongly than most times, that special space, designed expressly for him, that follows some really loud action by the band. … Beautiful acoustic virtuoso. They clapped loud and long. John Calderon’s acoustic moment also happened this evening. It didn’t yesterday. And he soared like an eagle, too. And they clapped loud and long, and the really felt it, huge smile.

And so it went and continued. Mark really painted again tonight, showing the art of drums. Oils and watercolors, mallets and brushes, and funk for your Bootsie/George Clinton booty! Hello! Chris Walker, with my mother’s last name, came with his superstar voice and bass playing, and did nuances of inspiration for me and the rest of the band, and thrilling for the audience.

“Almost done, y’all!” I’m reminding me to be grateful for it all! Sometimes, you struggle. But you survive, often beautifully, then the doorway opens up into a sunlit profusion of flowerings made more poignant because of the struggle. Joe Turano plays his butt off every night—Three saxes, keyboards, and sings, too. But last night, Joe played a solo that lit up heaven, and shook my table on the stage. Remind me to talk to you about an instrument called “The Essential.” It’s played by the audience. We’re outta here.

I am happy, thank you.

-Al

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