We’ve had the pleasure of hosting concerts with both well-known and lesser-known musicians, enjoying and appreciating their jazz, flamenco, and other performances. At our place, artists such as Jo Krause, Roger Mir, Robert Vermeulen, Jaume Vilaseca, Tali Atzmon, Stephen Keogh, Mátyás Gayer, Marc Hodgson, Gilad Atzmon, Rai Ferrer, Marjan Linnenbank, Alberto Cases, Toni Abellán, and Adán Pérez Jiménez have performed—along with a few others; I’ve even taken to the stage myself to sing…
We’ve also had jugglers like Martin Schwietzke, accompanied by guitarist Jérôme Tchouhadjian…
We fell in love with these performances and, personally, I made peace with Lluís Llach. When Alberto Cases sings his songs, they transform—becoming something magical… It was bitterly cold; they could barely play. We set up embers to warm our hands between songs. A very eventful concert, but a beautiful one…
We did it again with Albert, in milder weather.
Organizing all this takes support: Laura and Aldo, Olaf—our dear friend—neighbors like Jorge, who help with recordings… It all has a touch of improvisation, a homely feel, and that’s precisely where its charm lies, also for the musicians: a familiar, different setting that even allows for reunions, reconciliations, and connection.
The big dream—one we’re bringing back—is to host an annual gathering: the Trobador dels Comalats. A project threatened by the wind turbines they want to install in front of our home, but we’re fighting… and we’ll win. And we’ll make it happen—even if a little later than planned.
And here, a full concert: Teresa’s birthday, with Gilad Atzmon—a small gem thanks to its closeness and interaction. Be sure to watch “slapstick comedians” around the special moment of the night, at minute 1:15:45… Teresa on stage, and me mixing up the musicians while singing “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” by Charles Mingus, in a version with lyrics by Roland Kirk, included on his incredible album The Return of the 5000lb Man… the “slapstick” moment of the night…
Before meeting Gilad Atzmon, I was already in love with a version by Robert Wyatt of a song by Chic, At Last I’m Free. Robert Wyatt has revisited it again and again; the version he later recorded with Gilad is simply superb… Give it a listen… At last I’m free, I can hardly see in front of me… I sing it very often, in the shower, turning it into my own kind of Japanese koan…
It has also resulted, as a kind of side effect, in an album of ballads: Danny Boy
