January 2011 was a monumental month! Starting January 22nd and culminating January 31st: two dates joining forces with the DREW DAVIES RHYTHM COMBO: (Drew Davies- tenor sax, voice); Pascal Fouquet (guitar); Fabien Saussaye (piano); Thibaut Chopin (upright bass) & Simon "Shuffle" Boyer (drums)- in Normandy, France @ L'Orient Express for a whole gang of serious dancers- then three hours sleep to drive to Paris for a Sunday matinee @ La Station Danse for about three hundred (maybe more!) dancers...
then off directly to legendary Caveau de la Huchette in Paris to begin nine consecutive dates...leading the first four nights with my Paris Blues Band, who some of you may have seen in Greater Cincinnati last May- Thibaut Chopin (upright bass, harmonica, voice); Anthony Stelmaszack (guitar, voice) & Simon Boyer (drums)...then Thibaut, Simon and myself joined forces with Nico Duportal (guitar, voice); Arnaud Desprez (tenor sax) & Jean Marc Labbe (baritone sax) as NICO & THE RHYTHM DUDES for five nights...during these days Thibaut, Anthony, Simon, myself (with Nico on two cuts) recorded @ Thibaut's studio for my upcoming release in May 2011, in time for a return visit to Greater Cincinnati from Thibaut, Anthony & Simon. This album will be full of surprises, I guarantee!
I would also like to thank Thibaut, Arnaud and Raphaël Chevalier Duflot for their hospitality during this time- they really made me feel at home- MERCI !