Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry for I must be up at six in the morning to announce our new title. For the early birds, here is your worm – the new Kritzerland limited edition release is the first complete release of Toru Takemitsu’s wonderful score for the film Rising Sun, starring Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes, from the novel by Michael Crichton. The original soundtrack CD issued when the film came out, presented only twenty-six minutes of Takemitsu’s score, along with ten minutes’ worth of source cues not by him – in other words, a rather poor presentation of the score. Additionally, in the film itself, Takemitsu’s score was cut up, moved around and several cues went completely unused. For this release, we’ve got the score as Takemitsu wrote it, close to sixty-five minutes of it and it’s a major rediscovery. Takemitsu wrote the scores for two great Kurosawa films, Dodes-ku-den and Ran, and this score is right up there with those two. It’s kind of a neo-noir score as filtered through Japanese sensibilities, much like the film revolves around the clash of American and Japanese cultures. It’s sinuous, smoky, makes great use of the Ondes Martinot and saxophone and we’re hoping it causes this wonderful score to be reassessed by those who dismissed it based on the earlier release. For me, it’s one of the best scores of the 1990s. Here is the cover.
Yesterday, I awoke after my first night’s beauty sleep in the new big bed – I was very comfy in it and slept nine hours, although I woke up several times, thinking “this bed is very comfy” then falling right back to sleep. I was worried the height of it would feel weird to me but it doesn’t and actually I quite like it. Once I was up, I puttered around the home environment, answered e-mails, and then continued writing the commentary for the Kritzerland show. I got about two-thirds of it done and then I did a three-mile jog, planked, and did thirty-five sit-ups. After that, I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I watched the first forty minutes or so of La Cage Aux Folles on Blu and Ray from Criterion. I rather like the film and it’s still very amusing. I’ll finish it this evening, but I can say the transfer is great – some people will probably be confused by its softness, but it’s absolutely correct. It was shot with really heavy diffusion filters. The color is very accurate and it’s a lovely transfer.
After that, I moseyed on over to The Federal to see a singer. I met up with Adryan Russ and we were seated. I had a hankerin’ to try their penne alfredo – I actually didn’t realize it was alfredo – I’ve seen people eating it and it looked nothing like an alfredo dish with heavy cream. So, I ordered it, but told Claire, our waitress, to have them go very light on the cream, which they did. It was really very good, I must say. Filling, but not heavy. Also, Skip, the nice gent who overseas the club, was there when I was ordering, and just in case I thought the pasta was too heavy, he comped me the salmon filet, so I had that, too, but since I liked the pasta I just had a couple of bites of the salmon.
The singer we saw has a wonderful voice, but his act wasn’t well constructed or thought out, his patter was awkward, and worst of all, he comes off kind of Vegas/loungey, which just isn’t a good thing for cabaret. There were way too many ballads, and the show seemed long because he let a friend of his, Cherish Lee, the daughter of Charlene Tilton, do a few numbers. She’s also very good, but it just made everything a bit too long. The musical director was David O, who is really good – he stepped in at the last minute. Cabaret is hard, at least it’s hard to do it well. I always tell singers they have to decide how they want to present themselves, how they want the audience to perceive them. It’s almost as if they’re playing a role – themselves – and you have to just make sure you’re coming off real and honest without being smarmy of phony. And it’s really hard when you don’t have a director to help. Mostly every cabaret artist needs a director, another eye who can help shape things and make sure that the performer is coming off in the most appealing way.
After that, I came right home and finished the commentary, so that’s out of the way and I’m sure I’ll do some finessing and futzing this week.
Today, I shall be up at six to announce our new title, then I’ll probably try to go back to sleep, after which I will hopefully print out a LOT of orders. At noon, I’m meeting singer/songwriter Harriet Schock. I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll do a jog, and then I’ll relax.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals and meals and meetings and then meetings and meals – just about every day. On Saturday night I’m seeing Little Shop of Horrors at the Kentwood Players – I’ve never seen the show onstage, so I’m looking forward to it.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, announce a new title, I must have a lunch meeting, I must hopefully pick up some packages, I must hopefully print out a LOT of orders, I must jog, and then relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are the best cabaret shows you’ve ever seen? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall announce away.