6.81 People and Vaguely Related Things

We have been told to sell tickets for Jazz Night to everyone we can convince to come. Since there are only 44 people performing - a sum total of three bands (Tour, Big Band and Showband) plus the guest artists Ish Ish - and the venue held upwards of 300 people last year...Shilan took the time to work it out on his phone, and each of us needs to sell tickets to no fewer than 6.81 people apiece. Interesting figures, no?

I think I might sell a ticket to my sister. I'll sell the ticket to her body from the shoulders down, and she can be the .81 of a person.

I've lost track of the number of times I've wished Cat Empire weren't touring while this is on. We came so close to doing a collaboration project with them - Ross and Kieran (trumpet and trombone for the Empire Horns) did the auditions at the end of last year, and we had a music teacher for a while who was really good mates with them. That reminds me...I need to ask about that insanely good Russian trumpet player he told me about. Sergei Something-or-other-I'll-never-manage-to-pronouce. He promised to burn me the CD when he was teaching, and he never quite managed to get around to it. Drat. Good bloke (and I know a lot of people who thought he was hot, for some reason), but forgetful.

I wish they weren't touring - that would have been brilliant. Playing with my absolute favourite band...heaven on earth. I love my music anyway, and I don't think I'm ever going to give it up, but playing with Cat Empire would have just about been the highlight of my year. As things are, I think they're kicking around somewhere in Britain at the moment. I know they did the Sheep Festival in Wales a little while ago. Alas, no Empire collab for me. Ish Ish is doing it instead, and I know they're really good - supposed to be 'Melbourne's Premier Jazz Improvisors' if you believe the poster.

I made a mistake in my last entry - 'Boogie Stop Shuffle' is a Charles Mingus chart, not a Thelonius Monk. I'm amazed I didn't spot that before I posted.

Productive rehearsals make me think a bit like that.