Mancini European Tour

In October, I'll be setting off over seas for my debut European tour under my own name, and will be accompanied by my good friend, the great Dutch drummer Kevin van den Elzen. Our itinerary starts with two performances in the Netherlands where we will join forces with the talented and wildly popular Dutch bass clarinet virtuoso, Joris Roelof culminating at Bimhuis in Amsterdam on Thursday, October 11. From there we board a plane and make our way up to Finland for a back to back excursion in the Vaasa region, on Friday the 12th at the Jeppis Jazz Festival, and then Saturday at the Doo Bop Club in Vaasa. The following day is a 6.5 hour train ride south to Helsinki where we'll grab an Air BnB for the night before setting off first thing in morning for Graz Austria. In Austria, we'll immediately dive into a handful of rehearsals as we prepare with world-class mezzo, Tara Venditti, for an evening of Kurt Weill done as never before as part of her inaugural concert at the Kunst Uni Graz on October 20. Somewhere in here is the off chance that we might appear with the U.K.'s finest trumpet player, Quentin Collins, at the world-renowned Ronnie Scott's Club in the heart of London. Still awaiting confirmation on that for October 9.

At this point in time, I'm doing my best to collect enough funds to not have to go into the red for the many unforeseen expenses that can arise while traveling for nearly three weeks, half way around the globe from home. Being that it is my first time playing in all of these venues, I'm not yet a trusted name, so my ability to ask for very high pay was limited. The funds which I am requesting here should be enough, however, to get us through the tour with a full stomach and enough petrol to make our way.

I am 100% confident that this tour will lead to many others like it, and that the impression I will make on the bookers, club owners, musicians and listeners in these areas is sure to be enough to grant me the clout to bargain for more money in the future, and have all expenses covered. In the meantime I turn to you, my devoted fans, friends, and family to help make this endeavor a success.