Well, dear readers, two fourteen-hour days in a row and my eyes are blurry and my mind is blurry and my whole fershluganah body is blurry. In fact, I feel safe in saying that I am a blurry BK. As I write these here notes I feel it only fair that I state here and now and also now and here that my brain is not functioning in any way, shape, or form. So, I shall type aimlessly until I can type no more, and then I shall toddle off to the bedroom environment, where I will hopefully get a good night’s sleep. Speaking of a good night’s sleep, yesterday was another never-ending day. It began early, with me arriving at the recording studio at nine. The session began at ten, and again we got a very slow start, thanks to some iffy string playing. Just as we were catching up, several camera crews arrived to shoot footage of Miss Carter singing, and then to do interviews. I’d guess that we lost a good hour while that was going on. Still, we got all the work done save for one piano/vocal, which will get done when the final vocals are done. I have no idea what my involvement will be for the rest of the project. I don’t think they care one way or the other if I’m there for the vocal sessions – well, her manager cares, but, you know, this is a very tight clique and I really have no clew whether they’d be open enough to listen to another voice. From my perspective (and from her manager’s), it would be a mistake not to have me there, but I don’t really care one way or the other. But, I involved Vinnie because I thought we’d be seeing it through together. Obviously they needed me at these two sessions, and I’m here to tell you had I not been there they would not have gone down as smoothly as they did. I do think that Miss Carter’s arranger and conductor (and producer of the album) was happy to have me there and take my suggestions. Beyond that, I have no idea if I’ll even be in the mixing phase or the comping the vocal phase. Again, the manger knows how valuable I am at those stages, but he may be fighting a losing battle. Again, I have no real investment in it, but I do hate to leave Vinnie in a position that may make him uncomfortable – then again, it’s a great-paying gig for him (not for me, unfortunately – I agreed to do it for a small amount of dough as a favor to the manager – if it turns out that I don’t have to do anything else, then it was a good-paying gig for me, too). Frankly, these insular little cliques give me the creeps. I’ll give you one example – I really pushed to have Mr. Geissman play the session, but, no, the conductor needed “his” guy – “his” guy was the only guy for the job. Only “his” guy didn’t do very well, and we had to do endless overdubs to get even a decent performance – nothing great, but at least usable, whereas Grant would have nailed everything first time out. Anyway, I had a good time, I liked the conductor, and Miss Carter seems like an okay sort, if a little distant to those outside the clique. The session went a little overtime, so I really had to beat a hasty retreat to the rehearsal room.
Everything was set up when I arrived, so that was good, but my lovely assistant informed me she was going off to see Jersey Boys (a last-minute invite), which kind of left me in the lurch and was something I really didn’t need after my long day in the studio. But, what can you do? We ran some stuff, got a perfunctory sound check, and then our audience of about twelve people came in. The fellow who set up the sound, had left the room, but I knew immediately that we were in trouble after the first number, because Joan’s mic wasn’t loud enough, and the drums and bass weren’t getting any keyboard in their monitor. Since I had no assistant assisting me, I, the director of the show, had to leave and go find the guy so he could fix the sound level on Joan and give the bass and drum some piano in their monitors. So, I missed a bit of the show, which is not so good when one is trying to watch and take notes. A lot of the show went very well, but there were way too many lyric flubs for my taste, and a lot of forgotten or mis-spoken patter. When she did the patter correctly, it landed beautifully, and the audience reaction was very good, although I knew they were very uncomfortable every time lyrics were blown or patter didn’t make sense. The songs all worked very well, and the act’s structure was solid, and the pace was fine.
I gave extensive notes afterward, we ran a few things, I heard nice things from the audience, and then I finally drove home, where I immediately sat down like so much fish.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because my eyes are blurry, my mind is blurry, even the orchestra is blurry.
Today, mercifully, is not too busy a day. Oh, I’m going to try to finish proofing the book, and I have to have something notarized in the morning, which I then have to deliver, and I have to do a few errands, including shipping a package or three, and then I do have a dinner meeting, but other than that I’m just going to try to relax and recharge my blurry self.
Friday, I have a rehearsal with Joan in the morning, then I may visit the Hollywood Collector’s Show, then I have a late-afternoon meeting in Glendale, but the evening is free, so that’s nice. Not sure if we’re having a rehearsal on Saturday, but it will be a short one if we do. On Sunday, we’ll trek out to Newport at about one, and I won’t return until about nine or ten at night. I may take Monday off.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, notarize, deliver, proof, meet and eat. Today’s topic of discussion: We have so many new dear readers, so let’s do an old topic – what are your ten desert island CDs, the ten that you simply could not live without? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, and let us wish our late, beloved ozderek the happiest of birthdays wherever his wonderful soul is residing.