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Well, we survived the Christmas and New Year's Holidays intact. The Hotel Mamounia was very, very busy throughout the holiday season. All of the entertainment venues were packed solid with visitors and regular guests that came and celebrated the holidays in and all around Marrakech. But now the as the holidays have passed and we 're into the New Year of 2004 it's back to work as usual. But as usual right after a big holiday season and the last of the party people have departed we go into about 3 weeks of quietness around the hotel which gives all of the staff a chance to relax a little and take a breather and to get ready for the next big rush of guests.

From about January 20th towards the end of February it was quite busy so the days and nights seem to fly by very quickly for me. There were many return guests from the previous winter that came to say hello, there were many new guests that came and enjoyed the warm atmosphere of the Mamounia, it's beautiful gardens, and to discover Marrakech.

March 2004 became the start of many friends and relatives that have visited Marrakech in previous years and always want to return whenever I perform here.

April was a special month for me because my best friend Wilbert Landgraf, his beautiful wife Diana, and their 1 years old son Vincent came from Zurich, Switzerland for a week's visit. I had been trying to get all of the Landgraf's to come to Marrakech in prior years but there was always a last minute problem of some kind to interfere with their travel plans. But this year they all made it and we all had a wonderful week of just being tourists.

Photos of many of the visitors and guests are now in the photo gallery that I was able to capture during this period of January 1st, 2004 to May 31st, 2004. Take a look and maybe your photo is here along with many others. Please enjoy.

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It was another long flight from Toronto to Marrakech, Morocco. The usual airline delays and another sleepless overnight plane ride across the Atlantic. But I was going to the Hotel Mamounia where I would be seeing once again many old friends and be meeting some new ones.

My good friend Khalid and his taxi were at the airport waiting for me when I finally arrived. His smile was as big and bright as it always is. I was happy to see him too.

I went to Marrakech this time 3 days prior to the start of a long 9-month engagement that will end May 31st, 2004 so that I could adjust to the new time zone and be fully alert when it was time to get back to work. So my first 3 days back in Marrakech were spent in total relaxation, which was just fine with me. But after those few days it was time to start performing. So Tuesday September 2nd I started another engagement at the Hotel Mamounia in Marrakech, Morocco.

During this period of September 1st to December 31st, 2003 there was the Marrakech Film Festival, many holiday makers from many different countries, and many return visitors. So it was a fun time.

Early in December I was invited to do several performances for the Hotel Mamounia in Moscow, Russia as part of a promotional event. It was a very interesting and exciting trip. The fact that it was very cold in Moscow during the days that I was there, the fact that I did not have the proper winter clothes with me as it was an unexpected trip, and that I came down with a very nice case of the flu as soon as I returned to Marrakech did not matter one bit to me. It was a fantastic experience.

I hope to return to Moscow at some point during late 2004 or early in 2005 for a longer engagement if my schedule permits.

Happy New Year everybody!!

Most of June, July and early August was spent in and out of Lydian Recording Studios where we do most of our recording, mixing and editing. Along with the recording process there was also the graphic design and photography to oversee. Ken Jones and Dave Field, both of these very talented musicians performed on the new CD, were a huge help in the mixing and editing process along with Lydian recording engineer Jayson Stedman.

So with so many things going on, Loren Perry, my talented daughter, was placed in complete charge of all graphics. Cover photos, disc label design, and all inside CD album information and photos. Along with computer graphic wizard Rudy Nurse they did a fantastic job of putting the finishing touches to our new CD "Essential Love". You can listen to sound bytes of each track on the "Music Page."

Finally, in early August, "Essential Love" went into production and was ready for general release September 1st, 2003. Now I could relax and start to enjoy whatever was left of my vacation. There wasn't too much time to do much of anything as I was scheduled to fly to Marrakech, Morocco, August 29th, to start another engagement September 1st in that magical city at the world famous Hotel Mamounia. So it was goodbye vacation, goodbye Toronto, and hello Marrakech. It's time to get back to work.

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April 1st found me back at the Palace Hotel in Lucerne, Switzerland for another return engagement at that fabulous hotel. Head Barman Benoit Meny and his chief assistant Carlos were on hand with their usual smiles and greetings. I saw many old friends and made several new friends during this month. And as you can see, my new digital camera was working quite well. Most of these photos are from the Palace and some are from the Hotel Quellenhof in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland.

The month of May I performed at a new venue for me, the Hotel Quellenhof in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland. The Quellenhof is the top resort/hotel/spa in Switzerland. Bad Ragaz is a small quiet village located near the border of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. A very beautiful and very peaceful area.

Also performing in another part of the Quellenhof for the month was a new friend and also a pianist/singer, Fabrizio Notarpietro from Vienna. We shared many delightful hours together during the month.

After completing this current European tour I decided to start my summer vacation in Switzerland. And what better city to visit first then Zurich and my good friends Wilbert and Diana Landgraf and their new son, born in February, Vincent Landgraf. We shared many laughs, dinners, and good times together. Vincent slept through it all.

While I was in Zurich I caught up with another musical buddy, pianist/singer Herb Marshall and his wife Ursi. Herb, now living in Zurich, had just returned from a 6-month engagement in Oman for a much needed vacation. Herb and I go way back in our careers.

Also ran into Nick Liebmann, Zurich's premier jazz drummer. Nick and I are planning to record a CD together during my next European trip in 2004. The jazz scene is alive and well in Zurich.

After a few days in Zurich I headed over to Geneva to visit another beautiful and gracious friend, Simone Rudder. Simone hosted one of her famous party's while I was there, and among the guests were Alicia Greenidge, Lee Haas and Ransford Smith. Good food, good friends, good drinks and very good times. I enjoy Zurich and Geneva very much.

So after a few days of relaxing in Switzerland it was time to get back on a plane and fly to Toronto. There was still the new CD that was started back in March waiting to be completed, a new CD that was recorded in Europe on this current tour to be edited, mixed and released. So total relaxation was, for the immediate future, still a distant dream. So it's back into the recording studio for a few more sessions. The vacation will have to wait a little longer.

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Immediately after arriving from Marrakech, Morocco it was right into several days of intense rehearsals to start recording the new CD. On Sunday March 23rd we all went into Lydian Recording Studios.

Along with Dave Field on bass, Ken Jones on string synth, Muhtadi on percussion, Archie Alleyne on drums, Michael Stuart on all of the saxophones, and me on piano and vocal we recorded six tracks. Also at the studio was my assistant Loren who made sure that my fingers hit all of the correct notes and LaRue Shields my graphic artist CD designer who will design the new CD and the covers.

It was a long recording session, but just the start as we only recorded six tracks. March 28th, I fly to Zurich, Switzerland to start several engagements in Switzerland through the end of May. We all will be right back into the studio in early June to complete the CD.

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September 2003 and I'm back once again to the Hotel Mamounia in Marrakech, Morocco, this time for another six month engagement.

Being back in Marrakech was like putting on a pair of comfortable shoes, it just felt so good. Of course the Winston Churchill piano-bar staff were all there to greet me on my first night back, as well as many of the other hotel staff members that I knew. And also there were more then a few guests that I had met before who happened to visiting Marrakech in early September.

So, armed with a new digital camera I started taking some photos of some of the Hotel Mamounia staff, many of the guests and visitors, and in general, anyone who happened in front of my camera lens. The following is a collage of some of the many people that I encountered September 1st, 2002 to February 26th, 2003. I hope that you enjoy the photos. Maybe next time I'll get a photo of you?

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In August I decided to visit Chicago, where I lived for many years before moving to Toronto. There was a jazz festival going on in the city the weekend I decided to go; an old friend, Sheila Flores, had gotten in touch with me; my oldest daughter Audrey was in the city on business; and my good friends of many years, Charles and Lorraine Walton, live there. So I had many reasons to make the trip. So off I went to Chicago, the windy city.

The first night I made arrangements to meet Sheila for dinner. During the dinner we talked about the good old days of long ago and far away, had many laughs, and in general tried to bring each other up to date of what's been happening in our lives. Also joining us for dinner were Audrey, Lee, and later Sheila's daughter, Evelyn. The conversation and the fun were so good that we decided to do it again two days later and meet for breakfast. We promised each other not to wait so long for our next meeting.

The next night we met Charles and Lorraine and had another fabulous dinner together. Also joining us were Lee and Audrey. I think that some of the photos speak for themselves. Charles is a musician, author, lecturer and noted jazz historian. Anyone interested in jazz can read his articles, "News and Views" and "Bronzeville Conversations", on the Jazz Institute of Chicago website monthly.

The jazz festival was an all-afternoon affair. It started at 12 noon and went until just after 7pm. We all went armed with chairs, lots of food, drinks and whatever else we could carry. Charles, Lorraine, Audrey, Lee and I must have looked like a small army going off to do battle. We were carrying so many things. But we were not alone. The place was packed with jazz lovers of all description. It was an outdoor concert so we all settled down for a long afternoon of some good music, some good food and some good times. I ran into several old friends that I had not seen in a long time.

It was a great day! It was a great weekend! But like all good things it came to an end. At the end of all our dinners, meetings and visits, there were hugs, goodbyes, and handshakes all around. It's almost time for Holly to start packing to fly off to Marrakech for another six-month engagement. But it sure was a fun trip!

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Another new hotel for me was the Palace Hotel in Lucerne, Switzerland. Since it was my first engagement there, I didn't know exactly what to expect. But the head bartender Benoia, and his assistant, Carlos, took complete charge of me and showed me around. Boy, did we have a fun month! Lucerne being close to Zurich, lots of friends came over to see me. My very good friend, Wilbert Landgraf, and his new wife, Diana, came several times. Wilbert's father, Dieter, a former bass player, also stopped by a few times. And my old neighbor from Toronto, Herbie Marshall, also a pianist/singer, and now living in Zurich, stopped by to say hello. Herbie and his new wife, Ursi, got married while I was in Lucerne, so I was able to go to their wedding.

Simone Rudder, Alicia Greenidge, and I run into each other everywhere in our travels. I also had a chance to visit with two friends in the music biz, Luigi and Joyce Rigamonti. They were playing their usual April/May engagement at the Noga Hilton in Geneva. We've played opposite each other several times at Reid's Palace in Madeira. Whenever Joyce, Luigi and I are in the same space, there are always tons of laughs. When I was playing at The Palace Hotel in St. Moritz, I had a chance to visit them at their home in Morbegño, Italy. That Joyce can cook too!!

A big, big surprise was a visit from two old friends that I usually only see in Madeira at Reid's Palace. Lin and Dave Meadham flew over to Lucerne from the UK for a long weekend at the Palace Hotel. It had been awhile since we'd seen each other, so we had a lot to catch up on. Between lunches, dinners, boat trips, and a trek into the mountains, we managed to get caught up on our respective lives.