Saturday 7 February 2004

on the road to Baltimore (413 miles), listening to Car Talk

Well Columbus, Ohio was fun: Simeon and I were staying with the wonderful Sabrina Bobrow, who kept us entertained and well fed, so much that we now require cake at 4 hour intervals to keep functioning, and I'm going to have to buy some tea from The Perfect Cup when the packet she's given me finally runs out. For reasons to complex to go into here, her harpsichord had disappeared from her house by the time we got back from the airport, but singing Beatles songs round the piano was more fun than practising anyway.

On Thursday I was playing with the Chris Norman Ensemble at a music educators conference, with a guest appearance by the Ohio State University flute choir (I'm the one with the melodica in the photo). We shared a venue with the intriguingly named LATEX bassoon quartet, but sadly there wasn't time to hang around and witness that. But I did have the rather surreal experience of stumbling into the 'Gaelic Imports' stall in Columbus's North Market, and being faced with pies and bridies, not to mention Walkers Crisps. In Ohio?

Last night we were playing in the Early Music in Columbus series, where the audience warmed up eventually and gave us a rousing ovation at the end. Looking around the Mees Concert Hall, it was nice to notice that Aaron Copland and Duke Ellington were among the pantheon of composers whose names were outlined in gold on the walls. Lots of CDs to sign afterwards, and special thanks to the lady who came backstage just to ask me to say the word 'crisps'. 

When we came out into the snow afterwards, Andy couldn't get the back of his truck to open. Now this was serious: we were tired, we had a 7 hour drive ahead of us today, and we hadn't packed the gear, had a beer, or even sat down since being on stage. Somehow, after Andy threatened the truck with a "locksmith!", it magically opened, and then we also found a bag full of excellent Wisconsin IPA beers that Chris's manager Ann had left us. So within 30 seconds things went from awful to really rather good. I opened everyone's beer bottles on a nearby brick wall (wearing gloves) and off we went to the post-concert party.

Earlier in the day, Sabrina took Simeon and me to the Franklin Park conservatory, where we wandered around the glasshouses populated with Dale Chihuly's glass sculptures. Not sure if the installation really worked for me, but his glass baskets on their own are truly spectacular. Fortunately I don't have a few thousand to spare for one, or anywhere to put something so fragile.

And now we're on our way southeast through West Virginia in the snow.