Humanity is back! At least in those parts of the world lucky enough to have access to the Covid-19 vaccine! Who knows what the future will bring – but I for one am thankful that I can perform in front of an audience again. And in the gigs I have played since things opened up again, there is a new energy in audiences – a hunger, a heightened level of appreciation and excitement. I played a marathon concert at The Queen’s Hall with the SNJO a couple of weeks ago, and even though we played for over two and a half hours it felt like the audience wanted more. I’m also finally allowed to teach my students in person again – such a relief after months of stuttering, stumbling Zoom lessons where you can’t hear each other and can’t play together properly, constant wrestling with the vagaries of inconsistent wi-fi connections. Playing-wise (as you’ll see from the Events section of this site) I’ve got a lot of stuff at Edinburgh’s resurgent Jazz Bar. Bird & Diz was a project I got together with Colin Steele in 2020 to celebrate 100 years since the birth of the great Charlie Parker. We did one (great) gig at Aberdeen Jazz Festival, then lockdown was announced! It’s such great music and a dream line-up, so I’m thrilled we’ve got another gig with this project in the book. Plus Jon Green (Jazz Bar 29 Oct) is awesome – you’ve got to check out his stuff if you haven’t already! See you on the bandstand soon!