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!

(New readers: see post below)

1. Valerie – Steve Winwood

2. Higher Love – Steve Winwood

3. While You See A Chance – Steve Winwood

4. Gimme Some Lovin’ – Spencer Davis Group

Not reeeeeally!

It’s:

1. Magic – Ladyhawke

2. Peg – Steely Dan

3. Josephine (La Version Francaise) – Chris Rea

4. September – Earth, Wind And Fire

Those of you who know me will know that I’m actually drawn more to singer-songwriter fare (James Taylor, Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen being my favourites) than the above Playlist would imply. But clearly, it’s the first iPod Night, I’m one of the hosts, it’s going to be in a bar, and I’m in a party mood.  As a result, I’ve picked Four Of The Tracks Most Likely To Put A Big Silly Smile On My Face. And even that was very, very hard to whittle down.

Suggestions welcome for the theme of the next iPod Night. Tracks Most Likely To Put A Big Silly Smile On *Your* Face, perhaps?