Johnny James' New Year State of mind

 Truth to tell it was a compromise! Due to my hand surgery and other family complications the safari and beach vacation we had planned for our anniversary that happens to coincide with the Gregorian New Year’s day, could not happen. However when I saw that Johnny James was at the Sultan for the Eve of 2014 I thought that could be a nice way to ring out 2013 in Singapore. Dr. J is always able to make it a party, no matter what the evening is for, so this should work out quite nicely as well. 

When Johnny and his all American band of 5 took the stage it looked like they had a bit more formal thing in mind than what I thought would come. 

Dressed to the gills with tuxedos and butterflies the five band members:

Eddie  Layman (Ohio)

Johnny James (Florida)

Mario Serio (New York)

Rick Smith (Mississippi)

William Gathright (New York) 

started warming up with some Jazz standards, not the Motown dance hits I was expecting for a night like this. Don’t get me wrong no one, including me was disappointed, I can and often do listen to Jazz all day, it was just a bit different from my anticipation.

Things moved a bit in that direction when Michelle Poh 

stepped behind the microphone. I hadn’t seen Michelle perform in ages. Not since one of my favorite hang outs here, Bar Stop, shut down, victim of Singapore condo culture. Michelle added quite a bit of intensity to the stage and by midnight, which fell sort of in the middle of the second set, the party was on. Johnny and Michelle drew the party to the dance floor with those Motown tunes I was talking about and the Sultan was soon too small for all to dance.

My wife and I, like everyone else I thought, had a great night. Dr. J and his band were finger snapping good.

For me it is another lesson in putting aside expectations and to go with the flow. Jazz is perfect to get into a new years state of mind!

 Or is it,

New

 York!