3. Apr. 2015

Stuttgart (DE), Theaterhaus Jazztage

We caught the early train at 7:30 from Wien Westbahnhof to Stuttgart. I arrived at the trainstation before mathias got there and I think it was the first time ever that this happenend. I was half asleep most of the time and in between going through our setlist for tonight, chatting and listening and dancing to Miles Davis and Count Basie!Hans brought his lady of the day (his bass) and she was sitting right next to him the whole journey. I was allowed to carry her for a moment when we arrived in Stuttart!!!Guess who we met on the train...that’s right: Wolfgang Puschnig and Jon Sass. We we’re all going to play at the same Festival and found out right then on the train!!!Wolfgang Puschnig and Jon Sass were part of the birthday special of Herbert Joos. We got picked up at the trainstation by a charming young man and brought to our hotel which was right across the street from the „Theaterhaus“. An incredible venue with thousand of stages, or so it seemed to me. Backstage I met Jamaaladeen Tacuma while we were preparing for our soundcheck and he asked me how to get out of the building. I didn’t know either but we were surrounded by many many helping hands working for the 28th International „Theaterhaus“ Jazzdays and so they would guide the way. I was blown away by his glasses and his style. I was so excited to meet him!He was part of Herbert Joos’ birthday special as well. After our brief encounter I found my way to the stage and mathias, Fabian, Hans, Ingrid and I had a long and intense soundcheck. And as always Fabian helped me out with my monitor...thank youuuu dear Fab : )!We started right on time at 20:00 and I have to say: What an incredible audience!!!Thank you dear Stuttgart for your wonderful energy!mathias, Hans, Fabian, Ingrid – I loved our version of that night of „Road of no Return“!!!It was the first time that mathias was playing the songs by heart!!!Ohyeeeah!!!Birgit Gabler, our wonderful booker, came too and spend the evening and dinner with us, thank you Birgit for coming all the way and supporting us!!! We stayed up a little while : ) and Ingrid introduced me to Pinot Grigio, we got along very well : )! At this point I want to say thank you to Werner Schretzmeier for inviting us to this wonderful Festival! I woke up at 10:00 the next morning, before mathias made his wake up call and before breakfast was closed! When I got downstairs mathias was chatting with Patrice Heral and Rainer Böhm who played their set after us with Dieter Ilg. I made it just in time to our shuttle back to the trainstation and Hans, mathias, Ingrid and I spent the next 7 hours on the train. Fabian drove back by car with Bernhard Weiss (our sound engineer of last night) and I missed saying goodbye to them because they left veeeery early in the morning!I hope you slept well : )! On the way back I kept looking outside the window, listening to Lang Langs Mozart Album and continued smiling and sleeping, sleeping and smiling.