Well, dear readers, I must write these notes in a hurry for I must be up before daylight and on my way to the Bank of Bur airport, after which I shall be on my way to the city that never sleeps, New York, New York. Please send lots of excellent vibes and xylophones for a safe, secure, and on-time flight, and for excellent weather for the entire duration of the trip. I shall post these here notes early. So, let me start at the very beginning, which is, after all, a very good place to start. I had a busy but nice day yesterday. The cell phone rang at four in the morning – I figured it was a wrong number and went back to sleep. I got up around eight-thirty. It wasn’t a wrong number, per-se, but it was, I think, one of those things where someone accidentally pushed a button or squeezed the phone or did something that caused it to dial. There was a lot of noise on the voice mail, none of which I could make out. I got up, packed, did some work on the computer and then went and had an early lunch of a sandwich and sweet potato fries. It was an off day for Jerry’s Deli – the sandwich wasn’t very good, and it’s not easy to have a not very good turkey sandwich, but somehow they managed. After that, I did some errands and whatnot, then went to pick up packages and mail. Unfortunately, the mail hadn’t been delivered – apparently someone at the postal office was sick and I guess that just screws up everything, as the mail didn’t get delivered until almost three-thirty. I scurried back and got the important envelope (no packages), did my banking, and came home. I then spent a bit of time sending the Kritzerland cast mp3s and sheet music, and I got it all done, and that’s a big load off.
I then printed out all the music so that it will be ready for our musical director upon my return on Tuesday. We’re trying a new musical director and I’m hopeful she’ll be good so that we have another option for our shows. I then made sure everything was just so in my suitcase, made sure I had all I needed with the exception of a handful of items I pack in the morning. After all that, I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled The French Connection. This is a brand new transfer that has apparently snuck into town and is only available at Best Buy. The previous Blu and Ray was a “revised” version by director William Friedkin, who, forty years later, decided he wanted to completely subvert and subdue the original look of the film. This should never be allowed to happen, if you ask me. But do it he did and the outcry from those who knew the film was loud and vociferous as well as vociferous and loud. We have enough color-drained films today to last a lifetime and why he would choose to do that to an award-winning iconic film is anyone’s guess. He did this without consulting the film’s cameraman, Owen Roizman. So, for this new transfer, he and Mr. Roizman restored the film back to the way it should have been done in the first place. And the transfer is excellent, with perfect color and contrast and great detail. It looks just like it should given the film stock, the era, and shooting occasionally in very low light with the film pushed. And wouldn’t you know, there are those on the usual boards who now prefer the OTHER awful transfer, thinking this has too much color. Of course these wags’ only experience with the film is on home video, so they don’t actually have a clew as to what this film looked like. But they post and post and nitpick and nitpick – hence, Mr. Friedkin cannot win. He gave everyone exactly what they wanted, only they didn’t really know what that would be and now that they have it they think it, too, isn’t right. Well, wags, it is. Take it from one who knows that stock and that era. It’s gritty and grainy but actually has color – hoo and ray, say I. Since I was a regular visitor to New York back in that era, the city on film looks exactly the way it looked. It’s like, do these people never go outside and actually look at real color? It boggles the mind. The film is terrific, with many wonderful set pieces, great acting, and a really weird but good score by Don Ellis. Highly recommended by the likes of me, but only if you can find this new transfer (completely different cover art).
After the movie, I just relaxed, shaved (so I don’t have to in the morning) and double-checked everything again. Then I put a bunch of Word documents on a little teeny-tiny flash drive so that I can work on some stuff whilst in New York. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must try to get as much beauty sleep as possible.
Today, I shall be up very early, I shall shower and do my morning ablutions, then a car will take me to the Bank of Bur airport, where I shall then be on my way to the city that never sleeps, New York, New York. It looks like I won’t be seeing a show, and I have no idea if I’ll be supping alone or with someone. I’ve talked to a few people about dinner and we’ll see if any of that happens.
Tomorrow, I have the day free, and we’re having some sort of get-together at three, thanks to FJL’s organizing it. Then at seven, we have a two to three hour rehearsal for Monday’s show. On Monday, we’ll have another rehearsal in the morning for a couple of hours. Then I’ll play, and then see the show on Monday evening. If anyone would like to see it just let me know and I’ll arrange it – it will be free. Show is at Don’t Tell Mama. Then on Tuesday, I shall be on my way back to LA and should arrive around two-thirty or three.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be on my way to the city that never sleeps, New York, New York, I must sup, and hopefully see friends. Today’s topic of discussion: No time to think of one, so you all decide and do something interesting so that when I login in New York I’ll have some fun reading. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and please don’t forget to send those excellent vibes and xylophones for a safe, secure, and on-time flight, with excellent weather for the entire duration of the trip.