ID

Scene at the police station, a few minutes before midnight. 

An empty waiting room. It’s cold outside.

“How can I help you, sir? “asks a young blonde female police officer.

“I would like to make a declaration of theft. My bag was stolen in a Five Star hotel lobby and with it my wallet, credit card, checkbook  and all my papers.”

“Do you have any ID?”

I startle.

“It’s precisely what was in my bag. No I don’t have any ID” I tell her.

“I’m sorry sir, but we need an ID to make sure about your identity. You don’t have your passport? “

“That’s what was in my bag…”

“Oh… There’s nothing we can do for you, sir, I’m afraid. We need an ID.”

“So if someone, a tourist has his papers stolen, then there’s nothing you can do for them?”

“Not if they don’t have their ID. Can you call someone, a friend who could come here with his papers to testify that you are someone that he knows…? ” she keeps on very politely.

Silence. 

Then her colleague added:

"You'd better always carry your ID with you, especially now, you know, because you look em... foreign" 

The only thing to do was to leave.

If the day ended on a rather pointless note, things were fruitful today. I completed the musical arrangement for the penultimate song of the album, Don’t be koi. I used the rhythmic skeleton of a Tom Waits cover I did a couple of years ago, changed the chords and added some strings and a recorded piano track. It was so simple. I didn’t have to think. I was doing something, and music came out of it. That’s how easily most of the other songs came these past weeks. They’re now nearly all done. Pascal has yet to record his guitar parts, Alex will be playing some strings for me on Butterfly Rider in Toronto and Deepika will grace The Blessing with her beautiful voice in India! The marvel of technology… That fast way of working would have been unthinkable even ten years ago!

I met up with Tatiana yesterday. She’s a drummer I was introduced to at the time I was starting my collaboration with Michèle Atlani. Shall I count the years…?

I bumped into her by chance in a bar, some two or three years ago. I must admit I didn’t remember her. She did. Easy to spot me, anyway: how many Vietnamese pianists were there in the little world of chanson française?

I was hoping to get her to play for the album and for the concert. I like the idea of having a female drummer. And her career has been interesting. She plays many other instruments; she worked with dance companies as well as singers. Her musical taste ranges from pop to contemporary music… The perfect girl! She’s very much in demand and that was the reason she had to decline, not without some regret. Her only availability for some recording sessions wouldn’t have been before the end of March… two weeks before the concert! However, we get along very well, so I hope to see her again and possibly get her on board for future concerts.

I don’t want to worry about finding the musicians. Things will come in due time.

Writing songs