23-24 Feb 2011 Boston to Romania
Lenny B. and I started out in Boston, traveled through the night and met up with our cohorts in Germany: Morali Coryell (from upstate NY) Liviu Pop and his wife Raluka (traveling from CT). After a bit of a delay in Germany due to snow, we finally hooked up with Roberto Morbioli (from Italy) at the airport in Romania. We jumped in a minibus together (Why do I always ride the short bus?) and drove for a few hours to the town of Sighisoara.
25 Feb - Sighisoara, Romania
Sighisoara is a quaint little town, near Transylvania where Vlad Dracul lived - yes, the guy that Dracula story was fabled to be about... fiction, I am told... but I have this uncontrollable thirst ... hmmm... Anyway, it is said that it is the oldest Citadel in Romania. All the streets in town are cobblestone, as well as the sidewalks. I'm really glad that I bought comfy flat shoes for this trip!
We were the main attraction in town for the weekend. The people LOVED us. Liviu and Raluka's friends are really warm and kind. Roberto and I SOLD OUT of our CDs during the intermission on Day 1. So much for selling anything in Bulgaria... Friday - Roberto Morbioli and Diane Blue were the first act, followed by Davina and the Vagabonds. She's fabulous -- from Minneapolis, MN. Saturday, Morali Coryell was the main attraction, and Roby and I sat in with him for the big finish. Liviu and Lenny were the mighty rhythm section for both of our acts. Solid.
I bought some rockin' Romanian RED shoes for the show ON SALE in Sighisoara. SCORE!! The people went nutz when I introduced our original song "My Shoes" and pointed out my Romanian Red shoes that I bought that day for them! The audience was very attentive and responsive, standing on their feet by the end of the show. I was presented with a beautiful bouquet of red tulips. How cool - matching my shoes! ;o)
After the gig, we did a jam session in the basement bar of a hotel 2 dorrs up the street. It was like an old cantina where they used to store the wine barrels. Really cool atmosphere. The area for the band was very small -- the people followed us there and jam-packed the room. I left at 5:00am, and I think it was still rockin'... The time really flew by. We made some fans and facebook friends. It was really fun.
26 Feb - Sighisoara - a day and a night off!
Slept in a bit. Roberto and I had the day off because Morali Coryell was the featured artist for Saturday night. We roamed around the town a bit, shopped for souvenirs and gifts, then went to the theatre to catch Morali's act. We joined him for the last 2 numbers; the Grand Finale as it were... again, the audience rose to their feet. Such a great vibe. So wonderful to feel the love.
Again, after the show, we went to the cantina to jam. Our new friends, Emil and Maria reserved their special table and fed me their "special tea" (cognac in a Nestea iced tea bottle!) I left at 3:00am. Rumour has it that Lenny B and Morali stayed there until 6:30am... never did sleep before we got on the bus to Bulgaria... Needless to say, we all slept on the short bus to Bulgaria -- Roberto has photos to prove it!
27 Feb - Ruse, Bulgaria
We were met at the hotel by the organizer's daughter, Gabriella. She was very sweet and kind to us. After a quick freshen-up, we were off to sound-check, dinner, and the show.
We had a nice traditional Bulgarian dinner with Gabriella and her father. They really love Blues and Soul music. Or, as her father said, "I don't really like Blues music, and I don't like sex, either -- I LOVE IT!!"
We played a nice theatre in the center of the town. Because it was a Sunday we didn't know what kind of crowd we would get. The place was PACKED! They also loved us. Again, Roberto and I went on first, followed by Morali Coryell, and then we did the Grand Finale together. The crowd was very responsive again. This time, I got beautiful yellow gerber daisies!
28 February - Bucharest, Romania "Passage Club"
We (Roberto and I, with Lenny B and Liviu) played a club in Bucharest that was another cantina-type of place, with the arched stone ceilings and little separate rooms for the wine barrels. It had a lot of character, and the club was only 3 days into business. Little things were missing, but the vibe was cool, and the people were mostly the same fans we had seen in Sighisoara. Some of them left their job and drove 3 hours to be with us! The only bummer is that everyone smokes EVERYWHERE, any time... It does a number on a girl's voice after 3 days and nights of it in a row, with less than 4 hours sleep each night... Janis was channeling through my groggy voice... OUCH.
We had a very special treat at the Passage Club; a man named Harvis, originally from Cuba, who sat in with the band and played his trumpeta! It was a very nice addition to the vibe.
Overall, two thumbs WAY UP for this tour. I am blessed to be surrounded by some extremely talented musicians who carry my soul to the upper echelons of musical bliss when I share the stage with them.
MERCI!!
<3
