Sunday 1 October 2006

Pittsburgh  airport
Starting my journey home. This morning I sat in Crazy Mocha on Ellsworth Avenue where I sat nearly 4 years ago on my last visit, but this time my chai and cheesecake were accompanied by wifi access, so I could answer urgent emails and chat to Alison for free via skype. This new Pocket PC gadget has some huge limitations but it has its uses too. At one point the café was invaded by half a dozen rollerbladers, all (I would guess) aged well over 50. That doesn't happen at home. I also had a welcome chance to sit and chat with Kathy and Russ before Bob Johnson came to take me to the airport. They seemed much more awake after the late night pizza than I did.  

honest advice from the toilet wall in Crazy Mocha

Yesterday before the gig was dominated by serious amounts of rehearsal and an unexpectedly wonderful piece of sea bass in the Union Grill where everyone else seemed to be eating turkey burgers. 'Honest American food' it said outside and it certainly was. But what is duplicitious American food?

The R&B Society audience did us proud, greeting us with screams - this doesn't usually happen with early music - and an instant standing ovation at the end, which must be how it feels to lead a political party in conference season. Nick missed the final curtain call as he'd had a beer in the interval and was desperate to get to the bog. And then he couldn't get, um, done in time to get back out: hysterically funny. James and Nick had acquired their usual audience of adoring teenage girls, including four in customised CNE t-shirts, each featuring one of the band. Many photos were taken. I can't remember when I last autographed someone's body either (only a hand, not sleazy at all). I spent about an hour chatting to people from the audience, then it was off to the spectacular Church Brew Works for beer and pizza till 2.

Chris's Oliver Goldsmith programme is judged a success I think. As for my playing, well, I'm conscious of sounding more brittle than usual, the notes come out but I'm not as relaxed. And the 'shipwreck' scene in Corrette's Les Voyages d'Ulysse was more of a train wreck: there were about 8 bars where Chris and I stayed resolutely unsynchronised. But I've been enjoying the developing of a harpsichord style for accompanying tunes, and for that matter having to invent a musical language very quickly for my 16 bar solo in Malts Come Down.