Train Time

I had a busy day today. I started off at the department of musicology preparing my lecture on Wednesday, attending a meeting, dealing with e-mails, sending off papers, booking a flight to Stockholm, rescheduling lectures in March and April and making copies.

In the afternoon, I took the train to Kastrup to pick up Marc Johnson, Eliane Elias and Victor Lewis. It turned out that their flight left earlier from Oslo to Copenhagen. (Does this happen often?) When I arrived, they had already eaten and were ready to leave for Malmo with loads of luggage (ten items, most of them large and heavy). And then there was the matter of the non-arrival of the train on the right platform. To start with, the train was supposed to leave at 15.36 from platform one. The train was delayed and moved to platform two. So we moved too, with all the luggage. I felt embarrased although I had nothing whatsoever to do with the delay. Next, the train was delayed for nine minutes and - would you believe - moved back to platform one. So we had to take all the stuff and go to platform one. Now I was really embarrased, apologized and pointed out that I am not Danish and that such a thing would never happen in Sweden (ahem). And then, without telling anybody waiting why, the train was cancelled. Luckily, the trains run every 20 minutes. I mean, they are scheduled to run every 20 minutes.

In Malmo, we had to take a rip-off taxi to the hotel. At the hotel it turns out that the agent hadn't informed me that Johnson and Elias share rooms. In other words, I had booked one room too many. The suite booked for Marc Johnson was quite cold, especially for someone used to the warm Brazilian sun. An electric radiator solved the problem. To help Johnson & Elias with their jetlag, I got them some fruit, yogurt and crackers in case they need something to nibble on if they wake up in the middle of the night. Also set a new time for soundcheck, the delivery of the bass to be borrowed (courtesy of local bassist Mattias Svensson) and negotiated with the restaurant at Jeriko about the food for Johnson/Elias/Lewis. I am looking forward to the concert tomorrow! If the CD Shades of Jade is anything to go by, it will be a most enjoyable evening tomorrow night. Judging from ticket sales, we will get a good crowd in. Great!

Following my catering work, I was interviewed by Alexander Agrell for southern Sweden's most read newspaper, Sydsvenskan. He was impressed by the artists booked by Jazz i Malmo this spring. He is right of course, there are many big names, and it will be great to hear them during the coming months. It will be interesting to find out what I said to Alexander. It will be in tomorrow's paper. Interesting fact: Alexander lectured classed in jazz and rock at the department of musicology. From 1996 onwards, I have been in charge of these classes. Alexander is one of few music critics in Sweden whose opinion I value.

On the train back the the place I call home, I met L who recently moved here. It's good to talk.

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On Cream's Wheels of Fire you will find Jack Bruce's Train Time. Hardly his best work, but a reasonable time piece.