Beautiful spring day--got up early to try and walk off my jet lag. This time
of year Amsterdam is a great walking city--millions of cafes, bookstores and
shops to check out--people everywhere--boats in all the canals. Everyone is
gearing up for Queen's Day tomorrow, which is a national holiday. It seems to
be something along the lines of Mardi Gras & New Year's Eve with the added
twist of everyone selling their flea market junk on the street--Orange is the
theme color-orange clothes, orange hair, etc.
Tuesday, May 1
OK, Queen's Day is a big drunken bash--the streets are packed with partying
revelers of all ages. Lots of boats in the canals, live bands in the park and
on the street, festivity everywhere. I walked Amsterdam until my feet hurt,
along with my gracious hosts, Sandra & Luciano from the record shop
Plaatboef, where I'll do an in-store on Wednesday.
Wednesday, May 2
Walked over to The Hotel Prins Hendrik to see the Chet Baker plaque. This is
the hotel where he fell out of the open window and died. I first saw Chet
play in Maine when I was maybe 20. He was at The Holiday Inn and there were
probably 12 people at the show, all the local jazz players, plus me. He was
wearing those 60s platform shoes which seemed to be the only thing anchoring
him to earth, which he didn't look long for, even though he lived quite a
while longer. I don't think I really appreciated his music until the Bruce
Weber documentary came along. Such a tender sound from such a ravaged body
and soul.
In-store today at Plaatboef/Amsterdam. My hosts there, Sandra & Luciano are
the real thing--that is, music lovers who do something about it, for the love
of music.
Nice crowd for the show. A lot of new faces and some that I've met at other
shows in the past. It's funny for me to play in the daytime--harder to set the
mood, but this is a fun, relaxed set for me
set list:
1. Sidewalks of Summer
2. Richie
3. Nobody's Girl
4. Chain Link Fence
5.Why's Your Skin So White
6. Love is A Ruthless Thing
7. Mercy, Pity, Peace & Love
8. Love Is Everything
Thursday, May 3
Taped a show for Radio Noord--Holland with Abel de Lange, who is someone I had
first heard from after I played Paradiso on my first tour here. He is a
musician with a band called The Bayou Mosquitoes. Speaking of which, he just
returned from the New Orleans Jazz Festival, which I'm sorry to have missed
this year.
set list:
1. Folksinger
2. Nobody's Girl
3. I Love To Wake Up In New Orleans.
4. Love Is Everything
OK, showtime--Paradiso. I'm the opening act for Bill Wyman and his Rhythm
Kings. In the band is Georgie Fame (Van Morrison's bandleader as well as a
bit of a star on his own), Gary Brooker from Procol Harum ("Whiter Shade of
Pale"), Albert Lee/Guitar Hero, and 7 or 8 others. In the afternoon I start
getting nervous about this gig--opening for the Rolling Stone(s) , after
all!--but somehow when I get there and watch the band doing soundcheck, I'm
put at ease--old-school R&B lovers like myself, they are. We share the
dressing room and backstage as I wait to go on. Bill saunters in for a
gentlemanly chat. He'd taken notice of my blues style guitar playing during
soundcheck and asked me what my influences were. Mose Alison, I reply to
which he lights up and we start running through the lyrics to "Your Mind is
on Vacation." Bill talks about meeting Mose in 1962 or so just as The Stones
were getting rolling as it were. What a blast for me. Here I am light years
away from my "The Stones Are God" teenage heyday, riffing and talking with
Bill Wyman. Georgie Fame wanders in and joins the discussion. Georgie had a
big hit in the 60s called "Yeah, Yeah," which I loved and have to now go dig
up somewhere (it's probably on Napster, but that's another discussion). I
realize later that Van Morrison along with Georgie recently did a tribute CD
to Mose Alison, which I have to dig up as well.
OK drumroll, tightrope, spotlight--I hit the stage to a packed house but I
immediately feel a warm vibe from the audience. The crowd is talkative but I
see friendly fans across the front row pressing up to the stage. Even though
they remain noisy through my set, they are receptive and when they sing along
to "Just my Imagination," it feels good. Big swirling crowd backstage. Lots
of my new Dutch friends around. I'm in loving company tonight.
set list:
1. Richie
2. Chain Link Fence
3. Nobody's Girl
4. Love Is A Ruthless Thing
5. Mercy, Pity, Peace & Love
6. Just My Imagination
7. Love Is Everything
Walked over to The Hotel Prins Hendrik to see the Chet Baker plaque. This is
the hotel where he fell out of the open window and died. I first saw Chet
play in Maine when I was maybe 20. He was at The Holiday Inn and there were
probably 12 people at the show, all the local jazz players, plus me. He was
wearing those 60s platform shoes which seemed to be the only thing anchoring
him to earth, which he didn't look long for, even though he lived quite a
while longer. I don't think I really appreciated his music until the Bruce
Weber documentary came along. Such a tender sound from such a ravaged body
and soul.
In-store today at Plaatboef/Amsterdam. My hosts there, Sandra & Luciano are
the real thing--that is, music lovers who do something about it, for the love
of music.
Nice crowd for the show. A lot of new faces and some that I've met at other
shows in the past. It's funny for me to play in the daytime--harder to set the
mood, but this is a fun, relaxed set for me
set list: 
Taped a show for Radio Noord--Holland with Abel de Lange, who is someone I had
first heard from after I played Paradiso on my first tour here. He is a
musician with a band called The Bayou Mosquitoes. Speaking of which, he just
returned from the New Orleans Jazz Festival, which I'm sorry to have missed
this year.
set list: 
