July 9, we had a day off in Malaga, we all maxed by the pool and some took to the beach. It was fun, whenever I see the musicians & singers we are either at soundcheck, gigs or sessions. It was nice spending a day with them by the pool talking, swimming and having a few Sangrias :)
 
July 10, We landed in London. It was sad because of the tragedy that happened a few days prior. We rode on tour bus to the hotel from Gatwick airport. On the way we passed Kings Cross and saw the remains of the areas where it happened. We all said a prayer as we rode by. I said to myself, before the show I should say something. I've been in London for many years, I see it as my home as well. We have much love there for us and have gained many friends out there over time. 
When we arrived at Kenwood House in Hampstead it was a beautiful park on a hill overlooking the city. The stage had a small lake right in front and the audience behind it on the lawn. It was a beautiful day and the perfect setting for our music. Only thing is the small lake (or large pond) was in between us and the crowd. It turned out to be a wonderful show and before we went on I said a few words to our people in London. "Our condolences to the barieved families from last week's tragedy, our prayers are with you. Hopefully we can lift your spirits just a little". Then we played our set. 
After the set, we went back to the hotel and I took the band out to dinner at Wagamama, I recommend this place to all. My good friend Kyri of R2 Records (London) joined us. We were met by our tour bus at midnight, it was a double decker bus with 16 beds, 2 living rooms, bathroom, kitchen, etc. It was the first time I ever rode and slept in a bus. It was cool. We rode to Paris, the bus got on the train, that was pretty wild (had to cross water so the train goes under the water thru tunnels). Then Wala! We were in Paris after 5-6 hours.
--louie
July 11 & 12,
We arrived in Paris to play the legendary New Morning which is the equivalent to the Blue Note or Jazz Cafe. Many of the greats have played that room: Dizzy Guilespie, Mongo Santamria, Machito, Miles Davis & many more. It is an honor to play the same place as these true legends. We did soundcheck and prepared 2 new tunes to add to the show. It keeps it very interesting for the band and singers (after doing many shows). We finished soundcheck and went back to hotel with just enough time to get ready

When we arrived the place was full of our supporters, I saw many familiar faces. Nice to see that our people in Paris from the club scene came out to a jazz club.

July 13, We finished our show at 1am at New Morning. Had to get on the tour bus at 3am. We rode from Paris to Slovakia, 20 hours. It was like a class trip.
The bus had 16 beds, 2 living rooms, a kitchen and an entertainment system. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We arrived at midnight the next night, longest bus ride I ever took, and sleeping in a bunk, a little claustrophobic at first, but then you get used to it. The hotel checkin was quick, we weren't as tired because we slept lots on the bus. But sleep is a necessity whenever you can when on tour. You have to take advantage of it.
 
July 15, The gig was not til midnight and we had an 11pm pickup. We went to a castle in the center of Trencin (the city we were staying in). We were able to squeeze in a little sightseeing. When I arrived back at the hotel we were at the restaurant. To our surprise the rock group Garbage were there. I'm a fan of the band so it was a pleasure to see them in person. Zuleica (my assistant) told me they were performing right before us. What an honor to be on the same stage as Garbage. This was a true test for EOL. To go on after a rock group with so much great music and a slammin track record. We watched them perform and it was flawless! Then came our turn to get on stage. I thought the crowd would be much more rock oriented. To our surprise they loved us as well and were dancing, arms up, held nice signs, and there were loud applauses and screams. We did a tight one hour show, thank you Slovakia, you were an incredible audience. We even had them screaming for an encore, but as soon as we got backstage, I thought we needed to be off by 2am, so we were changing our shirts and didn't know, but we did hear the applauding audience wanting more. We heard the promoter speaking in his language, so we thought he was telling them it was over. Slovakia, Pohoda, we are sorry we didn't go out again, we didn't understand and thought there was a time curfew. We love Slovokia, what a diverse and musical crowd. One of the best!
  July 17, we arrived in Madrid Spain, after leaving Berne, Switzerland. The gig was in a park about 30 minutes outside of Madrid. It was a beautiful night and in the evening. The crowd was very warm, I've always wanted to do a show in a park on a summer evening and in Spain, it was lovely. It reminded me of Summer Stage in NY. An encore is a good sign that people like the show, we had a nice one there. People knew the songs and even yelled out songs we didn't do. When Josh was on someone said "Elevation", I thought that was cool (Kev check that out). The promoter was very polite and said "Louie do what you want and perform as long as you want", and we did. Very courteous people. Thank you Alcala Jazz!
 
July 18, was our day off, we all came together (the band and artists) and had a wonderful dinner, lots of tapas, Spanish Cuisine, and Sangria!

July 19, we had off as well, I had to work on a remix project for Jocelyn Brown, we converted Mike Ciro's room into a studio. Selan played keyboards, Mike played guitar and he engineered as well. We worked til the wee hours, the band each started coming in to hang, Luisito even came in and started rockin percussion on this little waste paper can, it worked! He can turn almost anything into an instrument when he plays on it, you'll hear it soon, lol. 
 I have a tight deadline on this remix and I'm on the road. So I'm preparing it for Jocelyn to sing on beginning August. It will be mixed at home though, we are only recording into Mike's protools on the road. Time to zzzzzz. 
July 20, we head out to Hamburg, Germany. The bus arrives at the hotel. It was not a very nice hotel, but we gotta do what we gotta do. This was a gig added on later and our agent suggested we do this. We never did Germany and we need to play out there. So I explained to the artists and the band and they were very understanding. Here's something funny, the room next door to mine was flooded, so water seaped into our room and the rugs were soaked. I wake up from napping, socks on and as soon as I step on the rug my socks are soaked, lol. I then find out Steve Barkan goes through the same. The perks of the business, lol. 
We are playin at Fabrik, more of a rock venue. I like when we go out of our territory so we can see what kind of people come out. When we get there, no one was out. So I begin to worry, then all of a sudden a nice crowd pops in enough to fill the dancefloor. We didn't fill it to capacity, but the crowd was really into it. We had fun on stage, there was a special energy. Josh was very soulful and was dancing on stage more than ever. Anane was sensual, sexy and shook what her mama gave her :) We even did a new version of "Sunshine" made up on the spot. For the encore, I sent out Selan to play the "Sunshine" chords alone, then had Mike Ciro come out and riff on it. Then sent out Josh, Anane, & Aaminah and it turned into a beautiful acoustic like version. Then drums, bass and percussion joined in. We did a remix live and on the spot. I love this!
 
July 21, we are getting on a plane in some very bad weather at Hamburg airport. Belgium Airlines, when we are on board, they tell us there is a technical problem and we need to get off the plane. We all get back on the bus and it heads back to the gate. The bus then makes a u-turn and goes back towards the plane. We then get back on the plane. The band gets nervous. The flight attendant is assuring us that nothing is wrong. Then the pilot gets on the mic and lets us know all is normal. It was a nerve wrecking flight with the rainy, windy weather, but we pulled through it. We arrived safely in Belgium. 
The Blue Note Festival in Gent, Belgium was the event. The venue is a huge tent, sound was on point. The crowd was more sophisticated musically than other concerts we've done. It was a jazz crowd sprinkled with some EOL heads. 
They enjoyed the show and ended once again with an encore. I look into the audience and see us all on a screen, they were filming us. I now have 3 dvds of the shows. I will put together a nice promotional cd to show all of you when we get back. Blue Note Festival in Gent rocked! 
--louie

July 22, Pori Jazz, (Pori, Finland)
We landed early afternoon in Helsinki, then a 3 hour drive to Pori, Finalnd. It's a little hectic travelling with 15 people in airports, but luckily with Zuleica Martins (My assistant and road manager) and Ralph Muniz it ran pretty smooth. They keep check-ins, etc. As smooth as possible. Thank you to them both. 
It was a nice bill at Pori Jazz, all genres of music. Lauryn Hill, Craig David, James Taylor Quartet and many more. We had our first show in an indoor space that had a feel like Wetlands in NY, but bigger. The crowd was very excited, always interesting and made us all feel good when we saw Dance Ritual & Maw shirts. Lets us know we have some people that are familiar with our music. Joshua Milan, Anane & the band were all in rare form, they brought the house down. We saw people of all ages there, I would say 21-50 years. They all had fun as the band did. We (the band and artists) also created new versions of songs, e.g. "Sunshine" which started slow as Josh sings the verses and choruses go by, then when it gets to the third verse we work our way up to the original tempo. It became the encore song that night. After the show we all had some rest since we had a second show the next day at the same festival but in another venue. Great things about these festivals is they are taylored for music lovers of all kinds. There is not just one kind of music, they mix it all up and you get to see many big name artists in large and small venues. So you can get the intimate vibe as well as the huge outdoor concert vibe. 
 
July 23, Pori Jazz, Finland is a beautiful country, very green and clean air. We really didn't get a chance to sightsee since we had an afternoon soundcheck. When arriving at the venue, we saw a huge tent with a stage. It could hold about 2000-3000 easy. We ran thru soundcheck and went back to the hotel. Then came time for the show, we arrived and heard the crowd roaring. James Taylor Quartet were rockin the place. I usually don't hear the crowd til we get on, it was the first I heard it that way. I usually arrive in between the change over. I as a bit nervous because I heard so many people, but then was over it by the time we hit the stage.
 
After their encore they came off stage and I met the band (James Taylor Quartet), they were very nice. Great energy to meet up with before getting on stage. We went on and did our show. It was the full on show (I have three versions, short, medium, long), the crowd loved every minute of it. As I was looking at the crowd I see James Taylor Quartet (Him and some of his crew) checking the show. We got on to another encore, then exited the stage. On the way to our dressing rooms, I saw the band (James Taylor Quartet), they gave us a warm greeting and he then tells me it was the best show he's seen in years. He liked the way we mixed all the different styles of music in one show. He's been doing this circuit for years and is a well respected musican, so it meant a lot coming from him. He also spoke about me producing his next album, I said fo sho, lets get together and collaborate. Check out his music when you can, (James Taylor Quartet) you will enjoy it. You never know who you'll meet on the road or what can come about! 

July 24, Rome, we arrived at our hotel. Nice spot, we rested and had the day off. Pool day, Mike Ciro has every gadget around, he pulled out bose speakers, ipods and the hotel ran some electricity to us. We had fun listening to some tunes and getting some sun. That night there was a private party in honor of EOL, we all went out to a the SupperClub. There was a five course dinner set up on large beds. It was a fun experience. Then I jammed a little, everyone danced and had some fun. We went back to the hotel to rest. Thanks to Supperclub and Ornella Cichetti for the nice dinner, venue and music (Marco). 
 
July 25, we went to soundcheck at the Fiesta Festival. The stage was huge, we were on the side of a racetrack. All went well at the check, then we returned to the hotel to get ready.
When it came time to get on stage we were welcomed by the crowd. Anane, Josh Milan and the band threw down, it was on point. I saw familiar faces from the club scene as well as new faces. We played the long show, it was only EOL on this stage. When we were done, after the encore, it came time to eat. We went to another part of the festival where there were many restaurants selling their food. It was very multicultural foods from all over the world. We walked to an Argentinian restaurant in the festival area and ate there. While walking we had a little taste of the celebrity life, everyone followed us and wanted signatures on cds, records, shirts, etc. It got a little wild, but we were ok. They had to close off the restaurant area we were in. We then ate and headed to another area where I had to dj for an hour. When we arrived the party erupted and everyone was screaming. The EOL band, Anane and Josh Milan all stood near me while I dj'd. It was fun, the crowd lost it. Then we had to leave when I was done and we had no way to go but through the crowd. We made it thru safely, but there were lots of people trying to reach out for a picture or signature or just to say hello. We were surprised, but nice to see that we touched all the warm and friendly Italians. Thank you Fiesta Festival and all the fans from all over Italy that came down and supported us. 

 
July 27, We are on our way to Bari. On a plane nice and early, we connected in Rome and flew to Bari. When we landed, we rode on a bus to the hotel. San Marino was the name of the hotel, it was in between Bari & Lecce. What a beautiful hotel, only a year old, the pool was gorgeous, and very nice rooms. It was the perfect spot to have the afternoon and evening off. We all went straight into the pool and had a late lunch & finished off with some mojitos. 
 
July 28, We had souncheck just before sunset. The venue was called Mavu. It was a palace over one hundred years old, and the stage was outdoors. The setting could not be more perfect. We had delicious authentic Italian food after souncheck, then prepared for the show. When we arrived at the club everyone was very stylishly dressed and a nice looking crowd. They were ready. We started the show and the crowd went mad! When Anane came out she was having such a good time she took off her Blahniks and rocked em' to a frenzy. The crowd knew all the lyrics to each song, wow! Then Josh came and the tore the house down as well. His rendition of "Someday We'll Be Free" (Donnie Hathaway) put a phat knot in the throat. The band was supertight as well. I was so proud of them all! 
We came out to an encore, then afterwards ended up in the next openair room, the club Mavu. 
What a blast we had, I played for a while, then Luisito starts rockin a Djembe (African Drum) and Mike Ciro ripped the electric guitar. What a way to end our Italian tour, it was memorable. Thank you Mavu for one of our favorite shows and places to be, you treated us impeccably, and we love you all for it! 
--louie
July 29, ok, its our final EOL gig of the summer. We are at Reading in the UK. Playing the famous Womad Festival, we heard Robert Plant (of Led Zeppelin) was playin as well on the main stage. As we were linechecking we could hear him jammin', we were lucky enough to hear a few Zepellin tunes, we heard he rarely does them anymore. Sounded great! Our tent was ready for us, when we came out the room was packed! The band really gave their all for the last time. Josh Milan & Anane as well. It was a great show to end an incredible tour. I will never forget this experience and I think the artists and musicians feel the same way. We are a family and trips like this bring us even closer. Can't wait to get in the studio with them this fall. Look out for the next EOL Tour in the Spring. I'd like to say thank you to all the promoters, festivals, venues, Zuleica Martins, Rafael Muniz, our EOL family and most of all, our fans that supported us all through our European Tour, we are here for you musically. EOL is here to stay. Look out for albums from EOL, Anane, ito Quintero, Mr. V and Masters At Work, it will be presented to you in Miami, March 2005 at the Maw & Roots parties, peace & love, time to make some music! 
--louie