watch out here it comes

Another year has whisked by, here we sit in the big 2010. SA's year of world attention. It feels like 2009 flashed by in a rather unheralded blur, but this year holds the promise of so very much for me, and I hope for many. Have not published this blog before, (wrote the odd post and left it languish in the cyber-ether) but having enjoyed reading the blogs of a few other writers, thought perhaps it would be an interesting way to connect with people. And something of an outlet too, perhaps.

So I took myself off for a few days, on a solitary sojourn to farmlands and wide wide spaces. An attempt to replenish what 2009 has drained from me, and to find some peace before a very busy year begins in earnest. What a marvellous thing to do, so enjoyed long walks (albeit accompanied by an ever faithful troop of flies) and long periods of sitting and staring and listening (it is not quiet - but the sounds are a perfect soundtrack) and more sitting, and some writing. I made my first braai, all by my lone, so proud of my perfectly cooked sausages and delectable roasted vegetables.

Now here comes the year charging at me head on:
Newly appointed Jazz Vocal Lecturer at UCT am I, with so many ideas and plans.
I will perform on the Cape Town International Jazz Festival for the first time, with my trio. SO excited, but cannot quite find the music yet. Trusting that it will come soon. Plans to record this project in a live concert....
A new acoustic project underway, with my favourite guitarist and mad genius, Dave Ledbetter, oh he-of-newly-discovered-alternate-tunings. Plans to record this project too...
And now planning and setting up my annual Jazz In The Park Fund Raising concert for the Health and Wellness Centre, with my littleBIGband. Publicity, poster design, arrangements to write, band rehearsals....so much so much.
Far into the year plans to try and bring my fellow a.s.k trio band-mates over to SA from Japan. They are jumping up and down with excitement about watching some world cup soccer, so we hope to combine that with a few concerts, and possibly a recording too. Maybe they'll even see a bit of Cape Town in between...
Seigo (bass player and mover-shaker) is already putting things in place for another Asia tour for us in September, with gigs in Tokyo again (yippee!!) and a possible Jazz Festival on a South Korean Island.
Not The Midnight Mass plans also afoot, what fun, and I will be also assisting Graham Weir with orchestrating his new Opera later in the year.
And oh, in between all of this a whole bunch of teaching will be going on.... Somewhere perhaps I'll get to go and watch some plays, a movie or two, mow the lawn...
Man, I tell ya, I bless each and every day of this life of mine - so very privileged am I to do what I do.