I have both taken the ‘A’ train, and been on Route 66.

Now, if only I’d been one of the Apollo astronauts…

I’ve been asked for a music update, so here you go…

1. Jakarta may not be happening. The person concerned has gone quiet on us; and as T pointed out, some people may talk the talk here, but not necessarily see things through.

2a. A customer who was in the other night, from Canada, chatted to me very enthusiastically and gave me his business card, and when I gave him mine, asked me for another one to pass on to the people at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur, because he stays there a lot and said he would tell them about me. I didn’t think much of it… Until I got an email yesterday from, yes, the Hilton Kuala Lumpur expressing an interest in me playing there later this year. The person in question is going to come over to Penang for the day (it’s about an hour’s flight) to meet me and here me sing. A gig there would be great: we’re truly talking Lost In Translation-stylee hotel, here…

2b. The girl who’s currently singing at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur has also emailed me, to say hello.

2c. As has the next person from London due to come out here to Penang, in June/July.

3. Gigs have been going fine. There was a crowd of women in the other night, who demanded ‘music we can dance to!’ which led to a massive medley of songs which left me slightly exhausted. And then last night was quiet again; although I did have my quickest request to join a group of customers for a drink yet, being accosted quite literally the moment I walked through the door.

The person in question was H, who’s something of a regular there, and who was drinking with colleagues and friends both Malaysian and American. He requested ‘Crazy’, and I duly obliged.

By the end of the night, his group had left and there were literally three people in the audience, which at least led us to be a little silly on stage, and to finish the night off with a request from the bar staff - ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’ - during which everyone in the band took a solo, L and I traded fours, and we ended up with all sorts of nonsense… As I said to L at the end: it was a classic case of ‘playing as though nobody’s watching’. In a good way.

The playing hasn’t been perfect, by any means, lately. But the guys definitely have their ears open more; and so even when something untoward happens, they are hanging in there and recovering better. I used last Saturday’s rehearsal to go through some more new songs; but, as I did previously, I’m going to use this coming one to go over them again and tighten up our arrangements.

4. I’m trying to find a good chart for ‘Sway’. And then ‘It Had Better Be Tonight’. Michael Buble - I give in.

More pictures from today’s lunchtime outing to follow…

After ‘Never Let Her Slip Away’ and ‘War Baby’, the song I’m now playing on loop is… this one:

It’s taken me until now - literally now: this week - to discover Steely Dan. One of those bands whose name I knew so well, but when growing up suspected they were some sort of folk outfit, like Lindisfarne. (Little did I know where they did get their name from).

But I’ve been hearing their name an awful lot in recent months; partly because they’re well-loved by jazzers.

So now I’m listening to their music for the first time - although of course it turns out I did know ‘Ricki Don’t Lose That Number’ and ‘Reelin’ In The Years’. I just didn’t know they were by Steely Dan.

‘Peg’ is just wonderful. And not just because it’s Michael McDonald on backing vocals.

Here’s a video of Steely Dan performing it live.

PS. You’ll also see on Lastfm/YouTube a link to a girl doing an acoustic version. Which is pretty cool. Not sure any acoustic version can equal or surpass the recording (no Michael McDonald harmonies, for a start), but it still sounds good, and she has a lovely voice.

PPS. Steely Dan are also clearly a huge influence on this duo, who are probably the best unknown band out there right now. Certainly one of the silliest. Make sure you listen to the lyrics as well as their music if you don’t believe me (I especially recommend ‘Modern Sleepover’, ‘All At Sea’ and ‘Please Please Me’). They’re a couple of friends of a jazz bassist I know; and a sort of Doobie Brothers-meets-Half Man Half Biscuit.