We’re in the homestretch, the final leg of our 2 month tour. But, boy, it’s never seemed so hard to actually reach the finish line! The last week has been a comedy of errors and mishaps. Actually, more like a tragi-comedy. It all started when we tried to board a plane from Amsterdam to Moscow, somehow having overlooked the small fact that we needed visas to enter the country! Needless to say, we didn’t make the flight. Instead of a highly-anticipated two days off in the grand capital (Reuben, Antonio and I had never been to Moscow before), we ended up stranded at Schiphol (the Amsterdam airport), while Paul (our superhuman tour manager) shuttled back and forth to the Russian embassy in The Hague to secure our rush visas. (His misadventures there read like a “Murphy’s Law” handbook and could serve as a shining testament to bureaucratic inefficiency.) When we finally did get to Moscow, I was detained for 2 hours at passport control for “technical reasons.” During the whole time, I was given no explanation, information or guidance other than “You wait.” (OK, every once in a while, I was granted a “You wait, please.”) We had a good time in Russia, playing a couple of nights at the “Union of Composers” club to warm, attentive and enthusiastic audiences. Thanks to our wonderful hosts (Galina, Ana and Oleg), we even managed to get a little sight-seeing in during our one free afternoon (The Red Square, a cold war museum housed in a now-defunct nuclear bunker 60 meters underground. . . . ) But, then, just as things were looking up and the end was really in sight (”3 more to go”), we arrived in Stockholm only to discover that none of bags would be joining us. That’s right, thanks to the crack team at good ol’ Finnair (appropriately dubbed “Thin-air” by Antonio), every single piece of our checked luggage was gone (Reuben’s bass, my soprano, Paul’s mics, all of our clothes, personal items, etc. etc. etc. . . .) Now (after barely 12 hours in Stockholm, only about 2 of which could be devoted sleep), we’re on our way to southern Spain with no idea where our bags are (still sitting on some cart at the Moscow airport?) or when we will see them again. Man. Quite an ordeal. As Reuben so eloquently puts it, “It’s rough out here.” Yep. And some weeks are definitely rougher than others. Next time anyone ever tells you going on the road “must be fun,” “sounds so exciting,” or “seems so glamorous,” you tell them to give me a call. Or better yet, have them send me an email, because I don’t want to be woken by the ringing phone while I’m trying to catch up on hundreds of hours of lost sleep. . . .

Nevertheless, in spite of all these trials and tribulations, and even in the midst of all my ranting and raving, I can still say, with the utmost sincerity, that I am truly grateful to be able to do what I do. I get to travel the world, playing the music I want to play, with some of the most amazing musicians in the world. Yes, I’m still having a blast (even without clean socks and a toothbrush). And I am especially grateful to be “out here” with guys who are not only incredible players, but also dear friends. I want to take this opportunity to thank Reuben Rogers, Antonio Sanchez and Paul Boothe – not only for their brilliant artistry, but also for their stellar attitudes, their unflagging spirits, their great humor, and their consummate professionalism. With all that we’ve been through, many others would have turned sour, gotten dark, folded under pressure, maybe even thrown in the towel. But Reuben, Antonio and Paul have kept going, with smiles and jokes no less, and making some incredible music along the way. One thing I know: When you’re touring as a musician, there are a lot of things that are just as (if not more) important then the music itself. Never underestimate the value of what happens off the bandstand to the creation that takes place on it. Friendship, camaraderie, cooperation, perseverance, resilience, trust, respect, empathy – these are the things that keep you going on the road. These are the things that get you to the gig and help you make it through the tour. These are the things that preserve your sanity, maintain your focus, protect your inspiration, enhance your creativity. These are the things that make the music possible.