Well, dear readers, this week is flying by, like a gazelle listening to Darius Milhaud’s Le Boeuf Sur Le Toit. Does anyone still listen to Darius Milhaud’s Le Boeuf Sur Le Toit? I must say, the gazelle has exquisite musical taste. I became a huge fan of Milhaud’s music back in the mid-1970s and I’ve remained a huge fan ever since, especially of this piece, Suite Provencale, Saudades de Brasil and his amazing La Creation du Monde. His music was adventurous, infectious, wild and raucous and he was a completely unique voice. I probably own most of the CDs of his music that have been released and must pull them out and listen again to my favorites. When I first discovered him, I, being an idiot, pronounced his name “Millhowd” – thankfully my friend Tom Null (one of the original owners of Varese Sarabande) set me straight – it’s “Meeyoh”. Milhaud was one of the iconoclastic group of French composers known as Le Group des Six, which included many other favorites of mine – Arthur Honneger, Georges Auric, Francis Poulenc, Germaine Tailleferre – the last of the Six, Louis Durey, I don’t know at all. Milhaud moved to the United States and taught composition at Mills College. Would you like to know who a few of his students were? Well, I’m happy to tell you: Dave Brubeck, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Pete Rugolo, William Bolcom, oh, and some guy named Burt Bacharach. Milhaud once told Bacharach, “Don’t be afraid of writing something people can remember and whistle. Don’t ever feel discomfited by a melody.” Great advice, which Mr. Bacharach obviously took to heart. Why the HELL am I talking about Darius Milhaud? I don’t have a clew but I’m happy I am because everyone needs to know about such marvelous music as his. He wrote a wonderful memoir called Notes Without Music – I’m the proud owner of a signed first edition.
I think I went off on a musical tangent. Perhaps I should write some notes now – I know – notes without music. So, yesterday was a day and frankly I don’t really remember much about it. I was awakened at three in the morning by some weird alarm-like noise – that kept me up for an hour, first trying to figure out where it came from (I couldn’t – then I thought maybe I dreamed it) and then trying to fall back asleep. In the morning I saw what the alarm was – something called an “Amber Alert” on my phone, about some abducted children. While I don’t mind the principal of it, I definitely do mind the way in which it’s delivered in the middle of the night, without any warning. I am not alone in my displeasure either – many, many people were irritated by it, confused by it, scared by it, and they really need to rethink the delivery method. I eventually fell back asleep and then got up around ten – not nearly enough sleep and if I don’t get what I need tonight I will get sick again, and I really don’t want and/or need that. Then I had a noon lunch meeting with a singer/performer and that was very nice. I had my quesadilla, which was, as always, very good. I then picked up several packages, none of which were the ones that are way overdue.
Then I came home, did a three-mile jog, did a bit of work on the computer, had a telephonic conversation with the East Coast Singer, and finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on one of those home grown Warner Archive DVDs entitled You’re a Big Boy Now, Francis Ford Coppola’s UCLA thesis film that he somehow got Warner Bros. to pay for to the tune of $800,000. Not exactly fair to the other filmmakers at UCLA, but there you are. I saw the film many times on its original release – I was completely enamored of it – I found it fresh and funny and endearing and outrageous and I thought Mr. Coppola was an interesting voice in terms of the screenplay and an interesting director. Of course, he had a perfect cast: Peter Kastner (who never had the career he should have – he was terrific), who, just six years later, I would work with, Geraldine Page, Rip Torn, Elizabeth Hartman, Karen Black, Tony Bill, and Dolph Sweet. Watching it all these years later, it’s still quirky and a good deal of fun and you will see amazing location shots of a Times Square that simply does not exist anymore. There are still many lines that made me laugh out loud, and Miss Black has never been more endearing than in this film. I’ve always thought the score to the film was by John Sebastian (and performed by The Lovin’ Spoonful), but Sebastian wrote the songs (which include the wonderful Darlin’, Be Home Soon) and one strictly musical piece called Amy’s Theme. But the actual score, which is terrific, is by Robert Prince, a composer I’ve always been fond of. The transfer is pretty bad – off color, taken off a fading internegative, lots of dirt but it was still fun to see it again – it’s been several years.
After that, I had a long telephonic conversation and that was about it. Since yesterday’s song selection went over well, I thought I’d give you another song from my club act of twenty-something years ago. I rarely perform any of these songs, although I’m thinking about putting the sing-a-long into the anniversary Kritzerland show. This song I wrote specifically for the act – whether you end up liking it or not, I think you’ll have to agree that it has one huge laugh that drowns out about twenty seconds of what follows – it may well be the biggest laugh any song of mine has ever gotten – I think it’s that I went to a place that no one had gone to and then I went one step beyond. It’s my favorite kind of thing to do.
Today, I shall hopefully arise after a good night’s beauty sleep. Then I’m going to do my best to have most of the day off – I really need it. I’ll do a jog, I’ll eat, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages and I’ll probably do a little writing, but other than that I’m taking it easy.
Tomorrow, I have a late lunch meeting, Friday night I’m seeing Shrek, The Musical, which I am so not looking forward to for so many reasons – but Barry Pearl had comps and asked if I’d go with him, so why not? Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised. We shall see. Saturday is the book fair and then I think there’s some dinner thing going on – hopefully someone will remind me about whatever it is.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, eat, hopefully pick up some packages, write, but mostly relax and have a ME day. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I will arise and listen to some Darius Milhaud music.