Transmitting From Vienna, Austria...
We arrived in Vienna earlier today but I haven't really been out to explore yet although it looks like your typical charming European city.
There was a dinner for us after the show last night in Montreux plus the fact that the entire show was broadcast on TV last night at midnite so I stayed up to watch which made me pretty tired today. The show was an especially good one, I thought, & the venue (Miles Davis Hall) was smaller than usual which I kind of enjoyed. The architcture kind of had an industrial vibe, although you'd never know by looking at the outside. Backstage after the show was the legendary Quincy Jones who I got to meet & chat with for a minute or 2. He was wearing a hat similar to the one I wear onstage (a fedora, requested by Liza, by the way) & said, "I saw you up there with your pimp lid!". Very nice guy.
I was also able to chat a bit with Claude Nobs, the founder of the festival which is now in its 45th year. I thanked him for all he's done for jazz. After all, year after year, the Montreux Jazz Festival just keeps rolling on & on & has had, & continues to have, some amazing music played on its stages. So here's to Claude!
Tomorrow will be our show here & then onto our last stop in Lucca, Italy. Guess that makes it the home stretch. Aptly named as I'm greatly looking forward to returning to NYC....home! More soon...