Switzerland was once again an excellent trip. I had some great concerts and jams with other musos. One thing that gets me every time is: they know very well how to make chocolate. My favourite is the Sprungli. The main outlet is at the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich, the most expensive street in Europe I think, but they have other smaller stores in may other places. As soon as you walk in-immediately the jaw will drop into an almost stupefied muscular cramp: Chocolate everywhere in every imaginable form. Dark, milk, white, plain, with champagne, with Kirsch, with Calvados, with nuts, almonds, pepper, you name it.Purchase a morsel, find a corner, sit it on the back of your tongue, let it melt. Then savour the glory!

Next week I will fly to Europe. I will have a few concerts in Switzerland and visit some people I have collaborated with over the years. we’re trying to develop some material together and hopefully record it in due time. I look especially forward to meet up with Tony Majdalani again, a percussionist from Haifa who’s been living in Switzerland for a good 30 years now. I have played several tours with him, both in Europe and in New Zealand and it’s always great when we can arrange to meet up. He’s a very busy man himself, much in demand for concerts, workshops and recording, just recently in Cuba again ( a place I would love to visit one day).  It’s always so good to sit down with other musicians and get all inspired again by their different approach and ideas and sometimes, and you can never plan this, absolute magic happens and you come out with a real gem! I am hopeful too that there will still be a bit of European summer left for me to enjoy of course.

Me and Tony Majdalani

Yesterday evening I had my second only eating out since the earthquake in February with a bunch of friends. Sadly I grasped very quickly that none of the old haunts still exist. We ended up, as everyone else now, somewhere in the suburbs in a little Asian restaurant that previously to February would have been quite empty. It was lovely to realise that great food can be had in these hitherto unknown places. If anything positive is possible out of the earthquake tragedy it is that you become aware of the simple things that are so important in life: a warm home, nice food, family and good friends to share these things with

Yesterday I played the Celebration Tent in Hagley Park. The promoter, Ben McDonald recognized the need for an entertainment venue in Christchurch after the earthquake. He set up two tents and the whole setting is one of almost dreamlike quality with fairy lights and circus like tents glowing in the dark. It has a wonderful atmosphere and I can only encourage people to pay a visit, there are loads of other acts to follow. Click here to have a look:

http://www.canterburycelebrationtheatre.co.nz/programme/

Hello and Welcome

Hi there and welcome to my new website! I have been busy on the road in the last few weeks and am currently touring the Laughter and The Blues with Gary Mc Cormick to some sold out audiences. We have deliberately taken it to the heartland and had lots of fun together and great feedback. The combination of Gary’s irresistible satire and my music seems to work really well and we’ both really enjoy working together. Over the next months I have more concerts for New Zealand in the pipeline as well as a tour in NSW and Western Australia and Europe and Vietnam. I will keep you posted.