I present the jury with Exhibit A:

A second-hand tennis racquet I just bought off S.

Anyone looking for a partner when I get back to London?

Very excitingly, my blog is now being linked to by the jazz website on the world wide internet, namely the American site Jazz.com.

They’ve picked me as one of their ‘Best Jazz Links Of The Week’. Right here.

I was even at the top a few days ago. Jazz fame at last!

I wrote the following post last night, but the hotel’s internet server went down. So: Meanwhile, last night in the hotel room…

V is busy packing. Goodness knows how she’ll fit everything in her suitcase, given that she has bought an entire new wardrobe, and a wooden elephant. Being a 3D designer, however, and thus very spatially aware, she’s an expert at packing. I said that there must be a job in there somewhere. And then said: “Removal man”.

We’ve had a lovely last day, checking out the monthly street market in Georgetown - which felt more like a village fete than a market, and where we bumped into a musician I knew, who promptly invited me to perform at the event next month - and then heading up to Batu Ferringhi for the sunset and the enormous evening street market they have there. It was gift-shopping heaven - and I’m sorry to spoil the surprise, but… you’re all getting knock-off Gucci bags and Michael Buble CDs.

It’s been wonderful having V here. We’ve realised that we’re highly compatible holiday chums, finding ourselves being conversely up for it (whatever ‘it’ is) or wanting to take it easy at exactly the same times. She’s also proved to be a savvy financial advisor, especially when wearing a bikini. (I’m sure there’s a job somewhere in there, too.) I will miss her when she goes. And will also have a lie-down for about a week.

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a Spot-The-Ball competition (American friends, see here). This was Batu Ferringhi by sunset tonight. Can you guess where the ball is about to appear?

The correct answer is:

The MU’s insurance company is honouring my claim about my Macbook, which is fantastic news. I have to pay £100 excess, but that’s it.

Now all I have to do is wait for the next shipment of Macbooks to Penang.

< Drums fingers >

So, I was standing on stage tonight, and during a piano solo took in the scene in front of me.

In the bar, from left to right, as I looked around I saw: the blogger who had blogged about me (and subsequently tonight, brought me a drink, albeit inconspicuously… like the Wine Fairy); my friend S who took me to play tennis; a group of Spanish people dancing to the music; my friend V propping up the bar with a lovely English guy we’d met, P; B, one of the Ohio guys who, like a trouper, turns up to see me every night; and the brilliant jazz club staff.

And as I surveyed this scene, these people, I thought: it’s like a group of people from a sitcom.

Someone really should set a sitcom in a bar.

So, my blog told me today that another blog is linking to me. 

Here.

How lovely of him.

Another post to follow… 

It was something of a rollercoaster night again last night.

We’d done a good gig - and I’d got C and N up on stage again to do a number each, it being C’s last night - but P, the bar manager, took the band and myself to one side at the end of the evening. He wasn’t happy; and I won’t go into all the reasons why here, but the conversation which ensued included: the concept of people (guest vocalists, saxophonists) sitting in - to him/people over here that’s “karaoke”; to me it’s what happens at a jazz gig - the idea of not being able to please all of the people all of the time; and talk of how we can make the night more successful. It also included a request for me to “maybe be more like a diva”.

In short, it was slightly painful; but I think I did an OK job of standing my ground over certain points while also making it clear that we as a band want to do our best. I won’t change who or how I am as a performer and be fake in anyway (as D said: “She is she”); but of course I will learn more standards that they know and love over here, if that makes the rest of my repertoire more accessible.

After all, we’re all on the same page here: everyone - me, the band, the hotel, the agent - wants this place to be a successful jazz club. And as I told P, for me, that means putting on great jazz music every night of the week, and creating a welcoming atmosphere. If you build it, they will come, and all that. Or, rather: if you build it, you may lose some of your old punters due to the new music policy, but then hopefully other people come. (Not sure that would have worked in Field Of Dreams, but still). And in the meantime, you market the hell out of the place to get those fresh faces in there.

But enough of all that… Because - just as on the night when I felt like a failure, only to be invited to China - a similar thing happened last night; when after the above conversation, I got back to my room, chatted to V about what had happened (thank goodness she was here!) and checked my emails.

I’d received one from a Malaysian drummer, inviting me to perform at a new jazz club he’s setting up in Jakarta, Indonesia, for a week after I’ve finished in Penang. It turns out from speaking to T that this guy is very famous and well-connected in Asia; but regardless of who he was, I was absolutely up for doing the gig.

And so it goes: after Penang, I’ll probably be going to Jakarta for a week.

And after that: T has asked me if I’m interested in taking over the jazz section of his agency in London.

I’ve said “Yes”.

Both of these events - and the China invitation - have made me think again about a quotation by the Scottish mountaineer WH Murray, which I stumbled across some months ago. At the time, I immediately forwarded it to B - The One Who I Shouldn’t Be Speaking To Right Now - because he set himself an amazing project to do last year, and from it, all kinds of incredible meetings and opportunities arose.

It comes from the beginning of Murray’s book The Scottish Himalayan Expedition, from 1951:

“… but when I said that nothing had been done I erred in one important matter. We had definitely committed ourselves and were halfway out of our ruts. We had put down our passage money— booked a sailing to Bombay. This may sound too simple, but is great in consequence. Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets:

‘Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!’”

Turns out the Goethe quotation is actually something of a misquotation; but you get the idea. And in fact, it’s not so much about the Goethe quote as about Murray’s earlier point: that from one step, making one commitment, so many other, unforeseen things flow. It really is quite magical.

(with apologies to Christopher Cross)

Once in your life, you find him
Someone who turns your heart around
And next thing you know
You’re closing down the town

Wake up and it’s still with you
Even though you left him way across the Pond
Wondering to yourself “Hey, what’ve I fond?”

When you get caught between the moon and New York City
I know it’s crazy, but it’s true
If you get caught between the moon and New York City
The best that you can do (the best that you can do)
The best that you can do
Is fall in love

Andrea, she does as she pleases
All of her life, her master’s toys
And deep in her heart
She’s just, she’s just a boy

Living her life one day at a time
She’s showing Penang a really good time
Laughing about the way they want her to be

When you get caught between the moon and New York City
I know it’s crazy, but it’s true
If you get caught between the moon and New York City
The best that you can do (the best that you can do)
The best that you can do
Is fall in love

(Repeat chorus to fade)

So, I’m channel-surfing in my room, and guess what appears?

That photograph doesn’t do justice to the fact that I got to Channel 9, and there was my mug, in all its Technicolor glory. Just before the still about the cigar shop on the ground floor, I think.

…it’s 1.26am and I need to go to bed… but I’m finding it hard to leave the ‘business centre’. Because, I realise, I’ve become addicted to using my Macbook last thing at night. In my jimjams. Emailing/blogging/whaddever, then turning it off, and getting into bed.

But right now I can’t do that. I’ve got to leave the ‘business centre’, walk to the lift, get in the lift, go up five floors, get out of the lift, walk along a corridor, put my key in the door… oh, you get the idea.

Must. Log. Off.

Very hard. To leave. Computer.

Maybe a “one last thought of the day” post will do it.

One last thought of the day: The Grammys.

I’m delighted for Amy Wino. I know she can over-egg the musical pudding, but she’s hugely talented, and it’s nice to see that talent rewarded.

Sadly, Kurt Elling didn’t win in the Jazz Vocal category. Sadly, Freddy Cole didn’t win, either. Now Freddy: if only you’d recorded a follow-up to Waiter, Ask The Man To Play The Blues: Freddie Cole Sings And Plays Some Lonely Ballads - perhaps Waiter, Ask The Man To Play Agadoo: Freddy Cole Sings And Plays Your Party Favourites While Mysteriously Changing The Spelling Of His Name - then you could have been in with a chance.

But the final factoid of the night: you know who did win a Grammy?

That’s riiiight!

Your favourite and mine - or possibly just yours - Mickey Bubble. His album Call Me Irresponsible scooped the prize for, believe it or not, ‘Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album’. I had no idea such a category existed, but if it puts Michael’s (I think I can call him “Michael”) win into any sort of context, in the same category he was up against:

Cool Yule - Bette Midler

Trav’lin’ Light - Queen Latifah

Live In Concert 2006 - Barbra Streisand

James Taylor At Christmas - James Taylor

No, that doesn’t make it any clearer, does it? Still, it could have been worse. He could have won the Jazz Vocal category. Nice to know the Grammy judges are on my side.