Closing Words

It’s always bittersweet when a tour ends. It’s sad to face the fact that I don’t get to visit more exciting places and play our music for new, interesting people. But, writing in this blog for the first time from my desk, in Brooklyn NY (with my kitty on my lap, no less) it sure feels good to be home. It’s important for one period in life to end so that we can reflect on the experiences and learn from them and so that another, new phase can begin. I am delighted to be reunited with my wife and cat and I’m looking forward to returning to my funky organ trio, Organic! I also have several recording projects in mind for the spring, including a long-overdue new Grupo Yanqui project. Plus, before I know it, the daffodils will rear their little heads through the crusty ground and spring will again arrive in scenic Brooklyn.

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To the very end Jim, our trumpet player, remained stoic, annoyed and bitter, with those emotions largely directed at me.
When we parted ways at Newark Airport on 2/24, I felt as if a great weight had been lifted from my soul. I was still angry with him, probably my natural defense to his bad vibe. But (other than venting a bit in this blog) I’ve decided to let it go. Life’s too short to carry around excess unhappiness.

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I remain thankful to the US Department of State and to Jazz at Lincoln Center and to the Kennedy Center (who administered this program when we auditioned). The opportunity to have experienced four distinctly different cultures firsthand is one I will long cherish. We made some new friends and contacts that I hope will allow us to return to these places again to perform and visit. Learning about how other people live also gave me a new appreciation for American culture. Although I’ve been known to criticize culture and politics in this country, I was never so happy to return to it as I am now. I guess I’m a product of my culture more than I realize. I am grateful for our freedom, diversity and prosperity; this trip broadened my realization of this in many unexpected ways.

Musically speaking, Grupo Yanqui grew a great deal during our month on the road. As our comfort level with the music increased with each performance, our approach became more open, less strict. We began to approach the original songs, many with specific, involved forms, as open and flexible. By the end, we started to own the music, to play it with less thought and more feeling. Though I don’t feel that our trumpet player ever truly cared about my music, he certainly improved as he learned it. We did the best we could under the annoying circumstances to play as a band, not just as four guys who are competent professionals. I will always wonder what the tour could’ve been like if our original trumpet player could’ve made it (we missed you, Alex). But, in the end, I was delighted to be playing artistic music with my close friends, whom I love respect as people and as musicians. I hope we will get another opportunity to do it again soon. This trip re-inspired to work towards those ends.

Thanks to Sandy and all the people from the US State Department.
Thanks to Monak, Mike and Chris from Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Thanks to all of our program officers from the US embassies in Sweden, Russia, Estonia and Serbia: Ann-Charolotte, Chris & Liz, Masha, Jim K, Julia, Vlada, Maris, Eric, John J, Jelena, Dragan and Stevo.

Grupo Yanqui really appreciates your work and the love you all put into making this tour a reality. We’ll hope to see you all again, hopefully when it’s a bit warmer.