Well, dear readers, I am way too tired to write coherent notes, but then again I don’t believe I’ve written coherent notes even when I’m wide awake. In fact, I believe we’re known for writing completely incoherent notes, so being way too tired isn’t really an issue other than I may fall asleep as I’m typing these here notes. The reason for this extreme overtiredness is that I had one of THOSE nights – I didn’t fall asleep till almost one-thirty, I woke up at three, didn’t fall back asleep till after four, woke up at six-thirty and fell back asleep and was out until nine. I hate when that happens.
Yesterday was a weird day. I answered e-mails, the helper came by with some stuff I needed, then I went to Staples to Xerox a few items, then I had some chicken tenders. I believe I’m just about done with chicken tenders. I believe I’ve just about had it with chicken tenders. I believe chicken tenders are about to be a thing of the past, me-wise. After eating, I came back to the home environment and then John Boswell, our ace musical director for the next two Kritzerland shows, came by and we had a fairly short but very productive work session. He’s very on top of everything so I have no worries whatsoever. Then I listened to another new master, this for a two CD set, and that was all fine and I approved it and off it went. Then I did a three-mile jog, planked and did sit-ups, thirty of ‘em.
Then the Sandy mixes arrived in a Dropbox folder, so those have gone off to mastering. Sandy finally got to hear them and she wrote a lovely e-mail saying how much she liked them and how happy she was with the way she sounded, as she should be. I listened to them, but these come in at a very low volume (on purpose, for the mastering guy) – eventually the levels will all be normal and consistent, but for now one really has to crank one’s speakers to the max, and that doesn’t really make anything sound very good. But the mixes are lovely – I did catch one tiny little noise I hadn’t heard, so we redid that track and got rid of the noise. So, perhaps it’s time for a sneak preview – just like in the old days with movies. I was a preview nut and went to all the sneak previews I could. So, today we have a sneak preview of the title song from Sandy’s album. Engineer John sent me a version at proper volume level, so no need to turn your volume up. This is one of my favorite Lanny charts. Since I wrote the title song – the album is called Simply – I am always fascinated with what an orchestrator will do. I think Lanny’s initial approach when he first heard it was to keep it REALLY simple – just piano and bass or something like that. I asked him to do strings and maybe a reed or two, but that’s all I said. I’m a very pianistic writer – I don’t play the piano all that well, but I do play the stuff I write in a certain way that I like. Our own elmore did a great job on The Brain from Planet X for a five-piece band. And he also orchestrated my song, What Do I Do Now? from my musical version of The Comedy of Errors and he did a lovely job on that.
So, all Lanny had told me was that the intro, which is a very piano kind of intro, would be played by harp and guitar. I didn’t know what to think about that, but I don’t like to impede anyone’s creativity without actually having heard how it will sound. But I was skeptical and ready to tell Lanny to put it back on piano. Until I heard it, that is. And what he did with the harp and guitar and bass was pure magic. And then, when the strings enter after about twenty seconds, it was even more magical. Then there was a beautiful and very moving (to me, anyway) flute line dancing around the vocal line, and then a little French horn – simple, beautiful and very effective. What I love about the chart is how he really captured what the song is about. But, judge for yourselves. Here is the title song from Sandy Bainum’s new CD, Simply. It hasn’t been mastered so it is not the final version – mastering adds the hot fudge, whipped cream and cherry to an already tasty sundae, and until that’s done it’s not complete. But you’ll get the idea and I hope you enjoy it.
At around four, I did a telephonic interview with an author who’s writing a book about composer Cy Coleman. So, I gave him some of my history with Cy and some fun stories about working with him. After that, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Sexy Beast, from Twilight Time. I saw the film when it came out and liked it fine, especially the rather insane and fierce performance of Ben Kingsley. Watching it for the second time, I still liked it fine, and I still thought that Kingsley is great in it, as are the other actors, although several of their accents are maddeningly hard to decipher. There’s really not much to it, plot-wise, but it’s the characters that keep you watching and Kingsley’s off-center psychopath really keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s very well photographed and I’m happy to say the transfer is another total winner. I think I read something somewhere about the transfer being a little soft. Say what? It’s not soft at all – it’s incredibly detailed with gorgeous color. I really don’t see how there could be a better transfer of this film, frankly or even georgely.
After that, I finished my third set of liner notes and sent them off to be perused by perusers. All I ate in the evening hours were some melon balls (what else is new), some cherries, and a low-cal Skinny Cow ice cream bar.
Today, guess what? I get to start a fourth set of liner notes. I tell you, I am just about liner notesed out. But after I finish this last set, I think I’m good for the next couple of weeks. Other than that, I’ll have something very light to eat early in the day (maybe some scrambled eggs and an English muffin), hopefully I’ll pick up some packages, but mostly I want to relax before going to the Gardenia – Lanny wanted to drop by their open mic night – I’ve never been to an open mic night so I’m tagging along. We’ll eat there, too, so we get a table. Richard Berent is the pianist for the evening – he was the musical director of The Brain from Planet X in its original production in LA and he’s done several Kritzerland shows. I will, of course, have a full report.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals and errands and whatnot and I’m seeing a musical on the weekend, at least I think it’s this weekend.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, eat, relax, write, hopefully pick up some packages, and then attend an open mic night. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland where I shall dream simply and simply will I dream.