Saturday 18th February 2017, Incognito live at Colombo Jazz Festival, Sri Lanka 🇱🇰

Again we find ourselves in Asia multiple times in the next two months ☺️ but this time we are in beautiful Sri Lanka for the first time in Incognito's history. I have been here - exactly here - once before. In late 2005 I performed with The Dhol Foundation from the UK at Sri Lanka's first ever WOMAD Festival at the Galle Face Hotel. Tonight we are at the very same hotel. Originally I was going to write this post from the pool but I seem to have brought the rain out with me and I don't fancy having a wet laptop - so I'm back in my room! It's late afternoon as I write and it's already getting busy outside in the VIP areas. I think it's going to be a great night.

w/Johnny Kalsi from The Dhol Foundation and Billy Cobham, taken in 2005 at WOMAD Sri Lanka

This is a very special trip for Imaani who is half Sri Lankan. She's performing for the first time in Sri Lanka with family in attendance. So no pressure. 😂 I'm especially pleased for Bluey too, because he's in curry heaven, actually we all are, the food is "increbidle".

I'm looking forward to meeting up with Kevin Davy who is here with his Quartet. I used to play with Kevin at his jam sessions at Manchester's PJ Bell's back in the early 90's but also a couple of times in his quartet (that sometimes became a quintet or larger). The first gig I did with him was in a club in Fallowfield and featured Mike Gorman on keys and Paul Jones on drums. That was also my first Jazz gig ever, I'd been playing less than a year so I was pretty wet behind the ears! About four years later we ended up on the road together: Kevin began playing with Electronic duo Lamb (who he continued playing for for many years) and I began my touring career with Galliano who Lamb played support for. Now I'd love to see some photos from back then but this was the mid 90's so mobile phones didn't have cameras on them yet!

After Sri Lanka we I will be playing in Indonesia again 🇮🇩, first with Incognito at the Java Jazz Festival and then with Pete Ray Biggin's PBug in Bali. Directly after the PBug shows we will have three dates in Italy 🇮🇹, a benefit show in London for Jim Mullen (who's had surgery recently and can't work) and then we'll return AGAIN to Indonesia and Singapore 🇹🇼 and possibly further Asian destinations with Citrus Sun. Phew! I think the rain has cleared, I'm hitting the pool! FH

On arrival two evenings ago

Soundcheck w/Fra and Tony

Just before it chucked it down - let's hope it stays dry tonight! 🇱🇰