The Baked Potato

Live at the Baked Potato: Engqvist gang toured i LA-California from nov the 24^th to dec the 4th. The tour was based on an invitation from LA Music Academy LAMA in Pasadena.

Our regular sax player Jacob Rose could not make the tour, so we invited our first choice guitarplayer, Troels Skovgaard to join us. We decided to take contact to the great Justo Almario to sub for Jacob. Justo said yes to the project. I got in contact with Justo through my favorite drummer/percussion player Alex Acuna. I asked Alex to join the band at LAMA and our gig at the world famous jazz club ”The Baked Potato”.

We had some fantastic days in LA and we just all cut the vibe of the sizzling music mekka. Went to great concerts at the local clubs, especially Freddie Ravel at La ve`lee, is worth mentioning…..Fantastic Latin/Jazz performance.

Engqvist Orkester had two gigs in the small town Solvang, just 2 hours drive North from LA. We met some great people and did some great concerts at the Danish inn and the Royal Scandinavian inn. We can definitely recommend to visit Solvang if you ever go to California. Thanks to Bent Hansen for setting us up, helping with all the practical stuff !

In LA we had a reharsal with Alex and Justo at the reharsal place, ”The Amp” on Lankershim Blvd. The place is just cooking with music and we had a great afternoon. Alex and Justo nailed our music in 4 hours, so we were pretty much ready and set for the next day gig at LAMA.

Stage setup and soundcheck was at 6.00 pm, we decided to check out LAMA a few hours before actually set up. We went to Frank Gambales open performance guitar class. Nice to see Frank again and cool to check out his concept.

Our performance, was at 9.00 pm, and Alex Acuna was doing clinic at 8.00 pm. Alex went on stage and did a very deep, and personal clinic with a great attitude, concept. He opened up with the words: ”I dont think i can teach you anything……You have some great teachers here at LAMA”. After that, he just layed everybody down with his great playing and singing. Keyword,-CLAVE`. Alex just heated up the stage and the place, 9.00 pm we went on stage with te whole band and the concert hall was filled up with exiting LAMA students. We did songs from our CD ”Optimism” Troels Skovgaards CD and some new tunes written by Jens Noerdholm. Great to play with wonderfull musicians like Alex and Justo. I just enjoyed to share my drumming with my favourit drummer/percussionist. The gig was actually video recorded by a film crew who were producing a documentary program with Justo,- and who knows, we might have a few video shots on this web in the nearest future. We just met great people, students, staff at LAMA, and especially thaks to Director Tom Aylesbury and Mike Shapiro for setting this event up

Tuesday the 3^rd was our big day. A dream come true to play a gig at ”The Baked Potato” Actually it was Justo who took the contact to the Potato and set the event up !! I have seen all my favorit musicians at this venue over the last 10-15 years, musicians like, Jeff Porcaro, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Lukather, Larry Carlton, Koinonia, Carlos Vega, Mike Landau, Jimmy Johnson, Abe Laboriel Sr just to name a few, and even to stand on that stage sharing it with my band, Justo and Alex was a big honor !

After picking up amps from ”Andy Brauer studio rentals” N. Hollywood, we met early at The Potato, to set up and reharsing. Don Randi the owner of the Potato welcommed us, and i must say,- What a great guy and a great place. We invited the great Kim Sogaard to join us on the stage to doubble the keyboards. Kim is Danish and lives i LA, touring with Ricky Lawson and the Winans. The nights performance was fantastic. I think we played the best gig ever. The band was coocking and Justo just nailed our music. Alex did great precussion solos and really inspired me to do the best ever ! The set list was pretty much compositions from our CD, but we also did a few tunes from Troels Skovgaards CD. Troels did a great performance, singing his tunes ”Talk too much” and the ”Bamboo Bros” hit ”Johnny told Susie”……After the concert we went to the coofie-bar at Ventura Blvd, where all musicians are hangigng after ”work”. We met our freinds ”The Straightjackets” who just did a performance at ”La Ve Lee`” We did some small talk with Joey Heredia, Mendoza. Nato Neto who was actually on his way out of town with Prince……..

Breathtaking…….experience and a great exiting trip to the music mekka. Alex Acuna and Justo Almario are invited to Denmartk this summer 2003 to perform with  ”Engqvist Orkester” at Copenhagen jazzfestival ! So lets hope and cross fingers the Danish music scene are ready to set up a Denmark/Scandinavia tour……All i can say, dont miss a performance with this project !