"Leslie Lewis and Gerard Hagen" Joyeux Noël de Paris décembre 24, 2023 

Joyeux Noël de Paris ...

Chers Amis,

I reread last year's Christmas message and felt that it was befitting for 2023 as well.  So with deep appreciation and gratitude for your interest in our music, for your friendship and for the love you share with us, Leslie and I send you the following Christmas message.  

With hope for peace, wishes of goodwill, and the joy of giving, the world celebrates Christmas. 

We find joy and hope in the eyes of children on Christmas morning. It’s in the hearts of parents,…

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"Leslie Lewis and Gerard Hagen" Bonjour de Paris 16 Décembre 2023 

Bonjour de Paris...
 

Bob Moses on playing with Jaco Pastorius: “playing with Jaco was kind of like jumping out of a plane, at night, naked and on LSD”.
 

Chers Amis,

I can’t believe that it’s taken me this long to write since the newsletter I sent in August.  I have thought about it many times and even had scoped out some time to sit down and do it but too many things here needed urgent attention.  So here’s the list:

Our residence permits expired last May.  Since then we’ve been on a temporary permit while…

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"Leslie Lewis and Gerard Hagen" Bonjour de Paris 16 août 2023 

Bonjour de Paris...

Peter: “There were buffalos in tutus dancing in front of me while I played one of the worst gigs in my life."                                                                                                                     Gerard: “I’m just guessing, but I’d bet there were pharmaceuticals involved.”

Chers Amis,

Sunday night Leslie and I crossed our "summer concert"  finish line when we returned home from a Funky Ella band concert in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, FR.  It was the last of six…

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"Leslie Lewis and Gerard Hagen" Bonjour de Paris 19 Mai 2023 

Bonjour de Paris...


I’m going to miss seeing him there, playing pool in the bar of a Hilton hotel. At least I think it was a Hilton. I probably wasn’t the best role model!
 

Chers Amis,

 Over this past few weeks Leslie and I logged a few miles crossing a few borders and playing music together with our friends. Almost like that Willie Nelson song! Just today we returned from a Funky Ella concert at the Munster Jazz Festival in France. Leslie had a few hours to get herself together before going to play a…

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"Leslie Lewis & Gerard Hagen" Bonjour de Paris 30 Mars 2023 

Bonjour de Paris...


Auto-correct strikes again! 
Leslie's text: "I really enjoyed the vegetarian men (nem)."
 

Chers Amis,

So tonight Leslie and I went to an art show that featured the work of Carole Benzaken.  http://www.carolebenzaken.net/  Her work was an interesting combination of panels depicting everyday scenes such as waterfronts, or high-rise buildings, but each panel was cut in such a way that only portions of the scene was visible.  Each panel stretched the length of five storeys inside the…

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"Leslie Lewis and Gérard Hagen" Joyeux Noël de Paris décembre 24, 2022 

Joyeux Noël de Paris ... 

Chers Amis, 

With hope for peace, wishes of goodwill, and the joy of giving, the world celebrates Christmas.  

We find joy and hope in the eyes of children on Christmas morning. It’s in the hearts of parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters, uncles, aunts, husbands and wives, friends and neighbours as we gather to celebrate, sing songs together, share presents, and a meal (or two).   

Leslie and I look forward to 2023 with the hope that, if the stars align, we will be able to

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"Leslie Lewis & Gerard Hagen" Bonjour de Paris 20 Déc. 2022 

Bonjour de Paris ... 

“We’ll be going back again at the end of January, but this time we’ll be prepared, I hope." 

 

Chers Amis, 

We have been freezing here for the past week or so.  Completely the opposite from last winter when I wore my winter coat perhaps twice. Today was in the low 50’s which is way more normal for winter in Paris and about 15 degrees warmer than it’s been.  It’s a slow week here, no classes and no gigs.  We have plans to hear some music this week. Most notably a Christmas Eve concert…

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"Leslie Lewis & Gerard Hagen" Bonjour de Paris 2 Nov. 2022 

Bonjour de Paris ... 


“Maybe we thought it was a dream and we’d wake up in Niagara Falls with a hangover.” 
Robert Mitchum  “Out Of The Past” 

 

Chers Amis, 

Leslie and I were watching “Out Of The Past” when I was struck by how much was communicated in the above line. In our home, when it comes to music, we think a lot about what to communicate and how to communicate it. When it comes to this missive, I do the best I can to communicate through words, but I make no claim that I am, in any way, a writer. 

I…

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"Leslie Lewis et Gérard Hagen" Bonjour de Paris Aoüt 15, 2022 

Bonjour de Paris 

 “…the band was a bit amped when we started the concert…”  

Chers Amis,  

We returned to Paris from La Petite Pierre late this afternoon. We were there for the Au Grès Du Jazz festival.  It was our first time in the Alsace region of France.  La Petite Pierre is not far from Strasbourg which we are told is a very charming town that many people who travel in France will find the time to visit and after having spent a few days near there, we decided to find the time to return someday.  That…

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"Leslie Lewis et Gérard Hagen" Bonjour de Paris Juillet 2, 2022 

 Bonjour de Paris ... 

  “She conducted the band with her ass.” 

Chers Amis, 

 So it was on this day, July 2nd 2012, that Leslie and I arrived in Paris with two suitcases and no clue what awaited us.  At that point we weren’t even sure if we would receive the visas that would allow us the rights of residency and work.  About two weeks later we received a congratulatory email requesting that we come to the French Consulate in L.A. to have the visas stamped into our passports. During that time I remember…

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