Jazz
                       in
                                     France

Cave 38, Paris	Django Reinhardt

We are back in France for another round of Jazz.  One week at Cave38 on the Rue Du Rivoli and a second week at the Django Reinhardt Festival in Samois Sur Seine–just 60 miles South of Paris.  Our arrival in Paris was a bit tense due to a Railway strike but we managed.

We rented an aprtment for the week right on the Rue Du Rivoli.  It came completely furnished, including a grand piano that was in tune and was only one block from Cave 38, what luck!

Cave 38, Rue Du Rivoli	Right downstairs!	One block from the gig

We played with three different groups during our stay in Paris and as usual, the mucianship was outstanding.  First was the Brzilian band Cai[irinha.   Mid-week the guitar artistry of the Flavio Annicchiarico and the Monetti Brothers.  Finally Beniot Martin and straight ahead Jazz featuring the extraordinary Monika Herzig.  

Caipirinha	Monica Herzig	Benoit  Martin

Ellen, Flavio and Bernard	The Monetti Brothers	Great place to practice

Next it was off to Samois for the Django Festival.   Each year the world descends on the little village of Samois, Djangos home.
We played non-stop for a solid week with the best guitar players from all over the world, including Flavio from Paris, the Monetti Brothers and also Levis reinhardt, the great grandson of Django.  He is only 17 but leads his own stellar group.

Ed and Pierre Monetti	Pierre and Levis Reinhardt	Ellen, Judy and Carolyn take a break.

Ed, Pierre and Flavio	Violin summit	Flavio and Pierre, outstanding!

After the Django Fest, it was on to Germany to visit with Ellen’s cousin Werner and Ingrid.  It has been ten years since we were last together.  Ingrid is quite a cook so it was quite a reunion.

We are now back on board Entr’acte and tomorrow we will depart Sevilla, “The Frying Pan of Europe,” and head down the Rio Guadalquivir.  Our immediate destination, Morocco.  This is a must because  our visas and tax exemtion will expire in a few months and we need to renew.  To accomplish this, we must leave the EU and clear into some non-EU country.  We can then re-enter the EU for another stay of 18 months.  Fortunately Moroccan destinations are quite close at hand, very pleasant and somewhat easy to get to.  After Morocco where do we go next, who knows.  This will be  the first time in years that we have no real plan, no obligations  to very long passages through dangerous reefs or other serious and complicated navigational challenges.  We can actually “play boat,” and not have every day and every decision be a matter of life and death.  This could be a lot of fun!

Of course we will return to Sevilla in the fall.

Stay Tuned