Well, dear readers, this week is flying by, like a gazelle singing Yes, We Have No Bananas at an open mic night. I wonder why any of today’s singers or rappers aren’t smart enough to do a cover version of Yes, We Have No Bananas – wouldn’t that be brilliant? What’s with these people? Have they no imagination? Well, I think we know the answer to THAT question, don’t we? Yes, I think we need a new 2013 version of Yes, We Have No Bananas – after all, it is as pertinent today as it was way back when, maybe even more so. And speaking of open mic night, I attended my first open mic night last evening. Lanny Meyers wanted to go, so we went together to the Gardenia. The accompanist for the evening was Richard Berent, who was the musical director for the very first production of The Brain from Planet X in 2006 (can you believe it will have been seven years this Decemeber since we premiered that show). I had no idea how any of this worked and I guess maybe I had an incorrect idea about what exactly an open mic night was or is. The doors opened at eight and then everyone but Lanny and I stood in line and signed up to sing.
We ate dinner before the show – only a handful of us did. I had the penne putanesca, which I think means penne whore nesca. Lanny had the Greek Salad, which I think means Greek Salad. The food was fine and since I hadn’t eaten and was starving, I ate it all up. I didn’t know all that many people there, although I had met a few of them before. But my old pal Sammy Williams was there – I guess he enjoys performing on these open mic nights. The show began at nine and was emceed by singer Keri Kelsey, who is charming. Then the singers began. I was not quite prepared for what I was hearing, which was almost what I would have to imagine a Karaoke bar would be like, i.e. singers just getting up to sing, some good, some not so good. Some of them have apparently done acts before, and some I’m not sure what the deal is. I think I had some idea in my head that it would be some seasoned singers trying out new stuff, but that wasn’t really the case, at least in what I saw. There were some interesting folks in attendance, including Ray Jessel, the writer of the musical Baker Street, songwriter/singer Christine Lavin, and Grammy-winning songwriter Julie Gold. The latter two did perform, singing to songs each – Julie did her big hit, From a Distance, a song I’d never actually heard before. But it’s made her a wealthy woman. We stayed for ninety minutes, but it was clear it was going to go on for some time, and Lanny and I had to leave so I sadly didn’t get to hear Sammy Williams sing. I know most of the pianists who do these evenings and apparently they can vary wildly in quality. I may give it another try one of these fine days. Keri sweetly introduced me and asked where the name Kritzerland came from. I don’t think anyone was prepared for how boring that story is, but I mentioned where it came from anyway.
Prior to all that it had been a spotty little day. I got up after about eight hours of sleep, thanks to a call from the fellow who runs Kander and Ebb’s publishing firm. He told me that both he and John are thrilled we’re going to make a new recording of And the World Goes Round and that John wanted to chat about who I was thinking of in terms of casting, and to run some ideas he has by me. I suspect the singers he’s going to pitch are all in New York and it won’t be possible to get any of them here unless they wanted to come on their own dime. In any case, I said to have John call me, which I presume he will at some point. Then I had to proof packaging and there was other stuff to do and what that stuff was I couldn’t begin to tell you. Then we had some really unnecessary drama, but alas that happens from time to time. I did a three-mile jog, picked up no damn packages, planked, did sit-ups, had some telephonic calls, and whatnot.
Our very own Nick Redman has asked me if it was possible to contact Shani Wallis about signing some Twilight Time packaging for Oliver, which they’re releasing in November. So, I had a nice chat with Miss Wallis and she told me she’d be delighted to sign so Nick and I will be going to where she is in November, having lunch and she’ll sign. I’m looking forward to meeting her, as she’s an absolute delight on the phone.
I obviously did not have time to watch a motion picture or do much of anything else. Then Lanny arrived and off we went.
Today, I shall hopefully arise after a good night’s beauty sleep. I have to return some tapes to the MGM vault, I’ll eat, I’ll jog, I’ll finish the final set of liner notes for the upcoming batch o’ stuff, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, and then I will do my damndest to actually relax and clear my head. I’ve begun to work on the sequencing for Sandy’s CD – I have a first pass at the order now and I’ll listen to that and see how it feels. Sandy has taken the photos we’ll be using for the cover and we’re supposed to see those hopefully by the end of the week.
Tomorrow, I have either a late breakfast or an early lunch meeting regarding And the World Goes Round and then just the usual writing and eating and meeting and going and doing and it’s the same for the rest o’ the week.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, return tapes, ship CDs, eat, jog, write and relax. 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, having survived my first open mic night.