Might use this item for storing paperwork about their taxes, health benefits, insurances and other:

Other people might use it, say, for putting all their spare music charts in one place, alphabetically.

Yes, I am getting my house in order – quite literally – because I am moving out of my flat. I’ve been so busy over the past month or so with the album launch and a new freelance job that I’ve had no time whatsoever for this fact to dawn on me, let alone prepare for it.

I’m going from East Dulwich to Brockley, which I think I’m correct in thinking is the only London area to share its name with a cruciferous vegetable [1]. And while I love my little flat, it was about time I left East Dulwich. I’m the only woman here in her thirties without a baby bump or a Bugaboo, and children were beginning to point at me [2].

So, this week is cleared for sorting and packing, and trying to reduce my life’s possessions to a size which can fit into the handy Small Moving Pack supplied by Mad4Boxes.co.uk [3]. I think this is entirely do-able – because as those who know me can testify, I don’t want for much in life, material goods-wise. I therefore own remarkably little – compared to my peers, at least. Look, I don’t even own paperwork about insurances. In the singular, let alone the plural. That’s how little I own in comparison with my peers. No, all I really need in life are my MacBook and my keyboard and my amp and my camera (yes, I got a new one – upgraded to a Canon IXUS 70, off eBay), and some form of fairy lights. The rest is just gravy [4].

And the reason I own so little is that, yes, I have never been one for ‘stuff’, really – but also because I share a lot in common with this little fella:

Blimey, it’s amazing what a Google image search can unearth. I just found not only The Littlest Hobo theme tune sung in Spanish but also this T-shirt –

– which is clearly on my birthday wishlist now – and, of course, YouTube has come up trumps with this celebration of the greatest ever TV programme: The Littlest Hobo! Hear the famed theme tune as you gaze in awe at the wondrous London, as he goes about his daily life of danger, intrigue and rescuing hopeless people!

And while I’d take issue with the YouTube poster’s claim that The Littlest Hobo was the greatest ever TV programme [5], I’d like to draw your attention to the still above, in which The Littlest Hobo (for it is he) is clearly about to drive a car.  Mind you, at 1:23 he appears to fly a hot air balloon, so, y’know. Either way, it may not be the greatest ever TV programme, but it quite possibly contained the greatest ever TV stunts performed by one dog. And London had been doing it all since 1958, too! Incredible [6].

Footnotes:

[1] Make sure you eat your Willesden Greens

[2] Usually the children of the women with the baby bumps or Bugaboos

[3] Not actually based in Manchester

[4] Note to self: Remember to pack gravy boat

[5] Haven’t they seen Saved By The Bell?

[6] Although not as Incredible as The Incredible Journey, which featured stunts by not just one but two dogs. And a cat.

My chart position earlier this week:

Still can’t quite believe it.

I’ve made it into the top five on HMV Japan’s jazz chart:

One word: Woohooo!

Clearly my Japanese friends heard me mention them at my launch gig. See? That thing about a butterfly flapping its wings is true. Only it doesn’t always create tornadoes. Sometimes it just leads to CD sales. Thank you, Japan!

A massive thank you to everyone who came down to my album launch gig at the Spice Of Life in London last night. Friends, strangers, old colleagues, young colleagues… It was a packed house and it was so wonderful to see you all. I’m truly humbled that you came out to support me.

Here I was in my ’80s outfit (silver stilettos just out of shot), probably crooning about something emotional:

The band (the trio on the album – pianist Martin Pickett, bassist Paul Jefferies and drummer Ben Twyford – plus guitarist Dave Cliff) sounded wonderful. Especially when you consider that Dave only has one arm and leg and no head, and Paul has no left elbow. It’s amazing what these jazz players can do!

That launch gig running order in full:

Intro – Welcome to The Spice of Life
(not an Indian restaurant, actually a jazz club)

Banter

Songs varying in modernity (1930s – 90s), emotional range (beyond heartbroken – deliriously happy) and tempo (very slow – furious samba)

Banter

Intermission (Banter with friends)

Welcome back – including mention of Japanese success
and a bow to my new-found Far Eastern friends

More banter

More songs varying in modernity, emotional range and tempo

More banter

A Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square

Photograph

Fin

So, it’s about time I wrote a proper blog post, no? I mean, of the sort one might expect on an Artiste’s website. It’s easy to forget one’s an Artiste. Especially when you’re eating tuna out of a can.

But I digress. Because, yes, a proper Artiste’s website blog would let you into my most innermost thoughts and musings on my music, and update you on all the latest goings-on in my career. Well, here you go, then:

The other night, I ate tuna out of a can.

I jest! I am, apart from that, doing lots of prep for my album launch gig on Wednesday; I’ve found out that Photograph is going to be reviewed in the next edition of Musician magazine; and I broke my camera. And my iPod. Oh yes, it’s all been happening!

But the most exciting music news is that I’ve had more CD orders from Japan – and have made it onto the front page of the ‘Jazz’ sections on both HMV and Tower Record‘s websites. In Tower, I am under ‘New Releases’, and therefore Herbie Hancock (unfortunately screengrab restrictions meant I had to cut my picture off. But the main thing, clearly, is that Grant Green and Herbie Hancock’s listings are visible at the top):

On HMV’s site, meanwhile, I’ve made it sufficiently high enough in their charts to place me under Melody Gardot (and, a little further up the page, Diana Krall):

(Love the Melody Gardot album, btw – partly because it’s produced by Mister Dream Producer, Larry Klein. Who really should try going by the moniker Mister Dream Producer.)

Both of the above make me clap my hands in excitement, like a small girl who’s just been given a puppy. Although, y’know, screw puppies, they just get old and stop being cute. Album sales never stop being cute.

And it gets better! Because while HMV has an English version of its Japanese site, Tower Records doesn’t. So I copied and pasted my album’s description by Tower Records Japan into Babelfish, and here’s the translation:

I don’t think I can top that.

<Drums fingers>

So: a big thank you to my Japanese guru Josh (not actually a ‘guru’, more a ‘promoter’), to the kind people at Tower Records and HMV, and most of all to everyone in Japan who is buying the album. And here’s my way of giving thanks (or: saying ?????. Unless Babelfish got that wrong and I actually just said ‘You give the me thanking to’. How embarrassing!) :

(Oh, and PS – the iPod Night was a rip-roaring success, and the next one will be on June 10th. Watch this space blog!)

*Update* A new thought: were Alphaville actually big in Japan before this single? Or did they record it and *then* become big in Japan? Answers on a Hello Kitty postcard!