Reviewed by
David Nathan

By Eric Mintel

Wednesday May 16, 2001 (Evening)
I'm sitting here in Moultrie, GA on the front porch of a beautiful bed and breakfast called the Barber-Crawford-Tucker Home. Apparently the place has been home for three families. I met Bob and Sharon, who are the owners and the nicest people I've ever met. Tomorrow night we'll perform at the Colquitt Community Arts Center at 8 pm. I went over to see the Arts Center, which is a short two minute walk from the B&B. I met my contact there for the first time: Mrs. Cary Carmichael. I reached over to shake her hand, and she said, "I'm going to give you a hug!" She took me over to the stage area and showed me the piano: a Yamaha concert grand. The Arts Center here has presented arts and artists to the community since 1978. I sat down and played the piano for about an hour and a half to get in tune with the muse. Again, I sense a real enthusiasm for the arts and jazz here. John and I took a ride into town to a record store, and on the way there I looked over and there above the street was a huge banner which read "The Eric Mintel Trio," publicizing our concert for tomorrow. I also found out that my uncle Les is coming up from Florida to see me and come to the concert. It will be great to get together with him again.

Thursday May 17, 2001
John, Jeremy and I went over in the afternoon to rehearse a few tunes. As we were playing, an older gentleman came back stage, grabbed a chair and listened to us. During a break I said hello, and he said he was a big jazz fan and was really looking forward to the concert. I asked if he wanted to bring his chair up on the stage to watch us rehearse. He was thrilled. After we finished rehearsing, he said he'll see us tonight, and then literally ran up front and bought more tickets for the show. This B&B is excellent. When I arrived back here, there were cookies on a tray on our freshly made beds, plus a chocolate cordial on the pillow. This happened both nights, thanks to Bob and Sharon. They are great people.

Thursday May 17, 2001 (Evening)
We had a delicious dinner before the show. People came up to us saying how much they were looking forward to the show. During the performance, they made us feel very welcome. Cheers, applause, and two standing ovations from a packed house of jazz fans: this is how our concert at the Colquitt County Arts Center was received. We performed more original music and took some chances with Thelonious Monk's "Blue Monk" and some other new pieces. Again, during our solos, the audience would clap and cheer during that inspired moment we all strive for in jazz. After the concert, everyone came up for autographs and CD's, and they offered praise about our shared experience. As the festivities winded down, it was time to head back over to the B&B. I felt great. As my uncle and I walked back, I looked down and saw some huge bugs crawling along the sidewalk. There must have been a hundred of them! It turned out that they are Palmetto bugs... harmless but very creepy.

Friday May 18, 2001
It's time to head up to Gainesville, which is about four and a half hours from Moultrie. I saw my uncle this morning. He headed out around 10 am, then I walked back over to the Arts Center. Cary told me she wants us to come back as soon as March or April for another concert. She asked me to call her when I get home. We gave each other a hug good-bye, then I rounded up the guys. As they were getting ready, Bob and I went over to take some pictures under the banner above the street. I think he got some good shots. Then we headed back, said our good-byes to Bob and Sharon, and promised we'll be back soon. Now it's off to Gainesville.

Friday May 18, 2001 (Evening)
Wow! What an end to our first tour of the South. We performed tonight at the Arts Council Depot for their "evenings of intimate jazz." It was a packed house. Big thanks to Gladys Wyantt: Gladys booked us, and she made this tour possible by giving me all of the names to contact people. The crowd at the Arts Council was great. They cheered us on, solo after solo, song after song. Joining us on this final night was Atlanta resident Tony Carere on sax. He was excellent, and we had a great time playing the originals and standards. During intermission people kept coming up to say how much they enjoyed our show. During the performance people were shouting "Turn the drummer loose!" so we did just that on "Take Five" and "Caravan." John and Jeremy were on fire tonight--we just tore up the place with the music. They want us to come back. We returned to the hotel, exultant about our first tour of the South. Tomorrow we'll head back to Philadelphia and home. If I were to use one word to sum up this tour, the people we met, and the places we've been, it would be "inspiring."