Cuban Beats

A lot of the free concerts during the music festival can be a bit take it or leave it - 'local' bands (not made it national) or niche music (you have a fan base of 200 and it's rubbish) tend to dominate in my experience of the last three years - what a seasoned campaigner I am these days.

This evening I had a rare night off from client duties and decided to take in the much lauded cuban jazz band that was playing in the Place Carnot.

Wow! Were they good or what. They were fronted by a young pianist who never ever looked at the piano or what he was playing but never ever missed a note - he has played with the Buena Vista Social Club which says all you need to know about his musical ability. The rest of the band were equally fantastic and in true jazz fashion thay all had their moment in the spotlight - the drummer's arms were a blur and the saxophonist/flautist/clarinettist was just superb. You would have paid £50 to see them in London and $100 in New York and here we had them laid on for free - 'incroyable' as my neighbours might say.

The fact that it was a hot and sultry evening after a scorchio day just added to the ambience - everyone seemed ready to let their hair down in the relative cool of the night.

Unfortunately, the much anticipated falling out between Chris and Patrick has occurred and I seem to be slightly in the middle of it - Patrick moaning at me about Chris and vice versa. I said to them both to just thrash it out between themselves cos I ain't no counsellor or anybody's keeper and anyway I haven't got the time to bother with it. However, despite asking them both separately to join me for a drink and watch the band, we ended up on opposite sides of the square - pathetic really but not my problem.

Am I bothered? Do I look bothered? Nah