Well, dear readers, once again it is very late due to a late dinner meeting at the Smoke House restaurant. I arrived to the meeting at eight-thirty – it was Juliana Hansen, musical director Richard Allen, and my very own self. The first thing I noticed is menu changes. Yes, like Musso and Frank, the Smoke House is starting to try to be more with it, which is quite idiotic – people don’t go to the Smoke House for with it food, they go for the comfort of the food they’re used to. So, no more shrimp or combo Louis, and they’ve added Quinoa salad and other silly things like that. One six-month-old addition is what I had – a pulled pork sandwich and I must say it was quite tasty. I also had a cup of clam chowder and a few pieces of the great garlic cheese bread. I probably had more than I should but boy was it good food. Juliana wanted the Louis, but no dice.
The meeting was about the benefit I’ll be directing. I asked a ton of questions to get the lay of the land and also the land of the lay. I told them the potholes they had to watch out for, we went over the talent that has committed so far and I made some suggestions as to how to deal with that talent in terms of song choices. Because if left to their own devices we’ll have two hours of power ballads. So, we’ll ask them each to give us three choices they’ll be happy with and then we’ll choose so we get a balance of ups and ballads. We were there for over two and a half hours, but I think the comfort level was pretty high afterwards. It’s all in the organization. Juliana and her co-producer had a concept and it will work fine – we just have to figure out how it all fits together and then I’ll give it a structure and figure out the order.
Prior to that, I got eight hours and fifteen minutes of blessed sleep. Then I did some work on the computer, and then moseyed on over to Sweetsalt, a little trendy sandwich jernt in Toluca Lake. There, I had a wonderfully fun lunch with our very own Jason Graae. We caught up, laughed, dished and then I asked if he’d like to do our new studio cast recording of And The World Goes Round and happily the timing works and he’s doing it. That’s a huge plus for the album. I then picked up one package, then came home, e-mailed Brent Barrett and he, like Jason, agreed to do the new album and we now have a gold standard cast – we still have to find two women but with the boys on board the world is our oyster. So, that was kind of miraculous the way it all came together.
Then I had a plethora of e-mails to answer, and then Sandy and Lanny arrived and we sang through all the songs from the album so I could begin to formulate the patter. Sandy’s really got them down now, and she’s sounding great. The order, which is the CD order, is working splendidly. And I guess it’s time I told all of you dear readers exactly what’s on our lovely CD. Here is the song list:
Dancing All the Time
Simply
A Cockeyed Optimist
Goodnight, My Someone
On the Other Side of the Tracks
Make the Man Love Me
Bluesette
Why Can’t I Forget?
Where or When
You and Me Against the World
Don’t Quit While You’re Ahead
Isn’t This Better?
Something to Sing About
On My Way to You
The Beautiful Land/Pure Imagination
It’s quite an eclectic and wonderful program – some songs you’ll know and some will surprise you. I can’t wait to unleash this on the world at large.
After our work session, I did a three-mile jog, planked, and did thirty sit-ups. Then I read a few chapters (I’m thirty pages from the end now), and the it was time for the meeting about the benefit. All in all, a lovelier than lovely day and evening, with some fun surprises along the way.
Today, I shall be up early and we have a ten o’clock work session. Then the rest of the day is mine all mine – not quite sure what I’ll do with it, but the world is my oyster, baby. I don’t know what that means, but I LIKE it. I’m sure I’ll do a jog, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll do some banking, and put some gas in the motor car and maybe even give it a very necessary bath. I’ll also follow up on a rather interesting e-mail from a friend, telling me that the wonderful Deborah Gibson is dying to do an episode of Outside the Box – and I’ve got just the one, so we’re going to be put together to see if we can make it happen, which I hope we can.
Tomorrow I have no idea what’s going on, and Sunday is pretty free. Sunday night I’m going to a birthday bash for Michael Sterling – he’s put together a little partay and show at his club, The Federal, using lots of Kritzerland folks, including the just added Jenna Lea Rosen, who’ll be repeating her show-stopping Dear Mr. Gershwin number she did in the last Kritzerland show. Then next week there are many things to attend to and I have to book two count them two trips to the East Coast – New York in October and Washington DC in November.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have an early work session, eat, do a jog, hopefully pick up some packages, bank, and whatever else needs doing. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – CD, who knows anymore. Blu and Ray, next up is Alamo Bay and then The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland where I shall ponder exactly what the world and my oyster have to do with the price of cauliflower.