I've been playing in Switzerland in 1992, and I've done a band tour there once a year (sometimes more) since 2001. In 2020 and 2021 there were no tours, because Covid. In 2022 we played only two gigs. One was a fantastic festival in Norway, but my boys didn't make it, because travel chaos.
In March 2023, it was almost like the good old days - 5 gigs in Switz and 1 in Germany.
The Boys:
- Markus Baumer on keys
- Sal Lombardo on drums
- Ivan Rougny on bass
- Pierangelo Crescenzo on bass (Nyon and Murten)
The band is sounding better than ever - our two-year break doesn't seem to have done us any harm.
I've been playing with Markus since 2006, and every year it's like slipping on an old favorite pair of shoes. Each of us knows pretty much what the other's going to do - but we can still pull out some surprises!
Ivan joined the band in 2012, and Sal gradually crept in over the last few years. I'm really lucky to be playing with these cats - each of them is an impressive soloist who grabs the audience's attention whenever the spotlight hits 'em, and each can handle any style of music I choose to throw at them, from country to jazz to zydeco.
The Gigs:
- Jazz Keller, Sargans
- Chabah, Kandern D
- 8-Bar, Basel
- Dos Amigos, Oberbuchsiten
- Bar de la Ferme, Nyon
- KIB, Murten (Vully Blues Club)
All of these except Kandern and Basel were repeat bookings, and every gig was a packed house. The clubs and their proprietors are also old friends. This tour marked our 20th year at Padu's place (Dos Amigos is his third club since we hooked up back in 2003). We've logged 19 years at the Bar de la Ferme - Denys looked back through the archives, and found that our first gig there was in 2004.
We had a great crowd at the Jazz Keller in Sargans. We've played this club 3 times before (I think), plus twice at their summer festival. Betty is carrying on the live music tradition in fine style. This was our third show for the Vully Blues Club, but the first at the new venue, KIB in Murten. The big stage, excellent sound and wonderful audience made it a true Grand Finale for the tour.
Gluttons for bluesy punishment can watch a video of the whole 2.5-hour show.
Highlights:
7:45 Markus’s organ solo on Can’t Hep M’seff
17:25 Piano goes wild on slow blues (and I think I did OK too)
24:17 Buckle up, baby!
53:45 Markus takes us down to N’Awlins
1:02:40 Get the slide guitar out!
1:45:35 New song in (sort-of) zydeco style: Quel Tableau!
