Not posted on here for a while but have just returned from a month touring round the US...

While I was in San Francisco had a couple of spiritual experiences. Firstly, going into Alden's and trying on a lovely pair of brown cordo wingtips. Handsome. Got talking to the salesman about Ivy in England. He wasn't aware that John's had closed but seemed slightly bemused by my banter. Totally polite though, as one would expect. Actually Alden's counts for two 'spiritual' experiences - the second was when I paid for the shoes! Oy!

The other experience was at the African Orthodox Church of St. John Coltrane. Wow. We only intended to put our heads round the door but ended up staying the whole two and a half hours. The first part was an extended improvisation based on 'A Love Supreme', with bits of chanting and dancing, followed by a gospel round with lots of clapping, call and response etc and then some preaching. We had to have a bit of lie down afterwards. Joking aside it was very intense experience, in a good way. The playing was top notch too. A tall guy in bishop's robes dancing down the aisle while playing a soprano sax is not an everyday occurrence; at least not round here.

By the way, Kansas City has a nice little jazz museum if anyone's visiting.