Zinco jazz club, Mexico City
We have a day off, but everybody is so tired that we kind of waste the day. No museums, pyramids or promenades, but catching up some sleep and checking our mail. But my wish to visit some Mexican jazzclubs comes true in the evening: Denisse, a nice local girl we met the evening before at the concert, takes me together with the african singer Neco Novellas to two different clubs. The first offers a guitar quartet playing some nice funky jazz, but in a rather empty cafe, so we decide to move on. The second ‘Zinco Jazz Club’ has a really great steamy atmosphere, but – though well played – the joky stand-up New Orleans act is not entirely our thing. Great though to feel a totally other local colour of jazz. The absolute unrivalled summit of the evening however, is a drive in a cab, in which the taxi driver had chosen a radio channel with high intensity raw free jazz from John Coltrane… Least accessable music ever… I am pretty sure I am never going to experience that again.
Next day we play in Cuernavaca, a 2 hour drive from Mexico City. The ambiance is great. The stage is in the middle of a beautiful park, with water in between the stage and the audience. We had managed to move our soundcheck to the late afternoon, instead of in the morning, so we still have some freshness. Pity that the food arrives too late for the concert, so I quickly drink a high calory energy drink, which helps me survive. Great concert, great atmosphere. We play Behsat’s favourite tune – Cennet – and dedicate it to him. It means ‘heaven’ – cielo in Spanish – and there is a hugh reaction. The Mexican audience is so empathetic and direct in its appreciation, it is a true joy. After our encore, we listen to some songs of Neco, who plays with a local band, and we really enjoy his approach and the atmosphere. But though staying is tempting, going back to the hotel is wiser. After arriving I even skip the beer, and I fall in a 8 h coma sleep… the first real sleep since arriving here. It seems my jetlag is over 🙂
Stage in Cuernavaca during soundchecks
Neco, during a solo performance in his concert. This guy is really great!