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August 29, 2014:

THE WAY OF ALL FLESH

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, how can this month almost be over?  That just boggles my already boggled mind.  Although I will say that August was slow-moving compared to all the other months – I felt I had a little breathing room in August, but part of that was because I was so ahead on the Kritzerland show that I didn’t have to even think about any of that stuff.  I have no idea what my POINT was or is so I may as well just move right along.  I’m sure I had a POINT when I began typing but the POINT went the way of all flesh, although I don’t know what the POINT of that saying is.  But I suppose I should write these here notes because I only got about five hours of sleep and I am tired as all get out and I think we all know how tired all get out is.

Yesterday began with me getting way too little sleep.  I was up at five, fell back asleep at six-thirty and up at nine.  We had our final rehearsal before we record and it was a lot of fun.  Sandy’s relaxed, Lanny’s relaxed and I get to just sit there and enjoy the sound of Sandy’s voice.  Someone asked me today if there were any new songs on the album, newly written, that is.  At first I said no, but then I remembered that Two Roads is on it and that was written this year with Richard M. Sherman.  There are some songs from whatever year Writer’s Block was written but everything else is older material.  But I did have to adjust some lyrics – on one song I changed several lines because the song had been written for a male character and Sandy rightfully felt it could be tailored more for a female – that was actually pretty easy.  The other song had hopelessly dated references, just as, I suppose, the updated lyrics will be hopelessly dated five years from now.  It’s the nature of the beast when one is being topical.  One of the original verses went:

 

And I’m doing my aerobics

And I never miss Hill Street Blues

I play Backgammon daily

By myself – I never lose

 

The new version of that verse is now:

 

And I’m hanging out on Facebook

And I “like” every post I see

I’m taking lots of selfies

And my diet’s gluten-free

 

I love doing that kind of update, and there are other fun “now” stuff all throughout the song.  After we finished, Lanny and I went and had lunch with our orchestra contractor, Joe Soldo.  He’s been contracting for decades (he’s in his mid-80s now) – he is the most energetic person of his age I’ve ever seen.  He plays tennis every morning at eight.  He’s contracted for some pretty amazing folks – Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand, and many others, and he’s got some great stories.  I had a iceberg wedge with 1000-Island dressing and a small side of mac-and-cheese, both excellent.  After that I did some banking, then came home.

Then I got rid of another sixty DVDs, so I actually have some room on shelves in the garage, which means I can take all the classical CDs stacked in the hall closet where I can’t even get to them, and put them out there and catch up on some music I haven’t heard in many moons.  Then I did a mile-and-a-half jog, had some telephonic conversations, then went and had a cup of tomato bisque, after which I came home.  I watched the rest of the extras on the All That Jazz Blu-ray, and then I just relaxed and tried to ignore the heat, which I really wish would go the way of all flesh.

Today, I’ll hopefully arise after a good night’s beauty sleep, and then I have a meeting at the El Portal Theatre.  After that, I’ll eat something, hopefully pick up some packages, jog, and then relax until it’s time to go to the birthday thing.  Patter is written and finessed and just send some excellent vibes and xylophones that all this phlegm I’ve had all week just vacates the BK premises.  It weakens my voice and I hate it and I can’t have any problems after this weekend.  Then we do our little soiree  at the birthday thing, then I’m coming right home to rest.

Tomorrow I’ll be at the studio at nine and our downbeat is at ten o’clock.  I’m very excited to hear what Lanny’s orchestrations sound like.  He has such a great sense of my music and who I am – when I heard his orchestration for Simply I simply thought he’d captured everything I could have ever wanted in an orchestration for that song.  At one-thirty, Richard and Elizabeth Sherman will come by so they can hear Two Roads being recorded, so that will be fun.  It’s a full day and I’m really looking forward to it.  After the session, Lanny and I will go to Jason Graae’s – we’ll miss the wedding ceremony, but we’ll be there to mingle.  Jason said some folks will be singing and kind of hinted he might ask me, so I’ll have a song ready, just in case.

Sunday, we’re back in the studio for our second session.  When we wrap, then I go directly to the Hollywood Bowl for a Hitchcock film music concert.  I think that will be a lot of fun and I have great box seats for it.  The Staitman clan will be attending with me – we’ve yet to figure out what our food will be but I’m certainly thinking about it.  Then Monday is our first Kritzerland rehearsal and from there it’s a hugely busy week, including two evenings of final vocals for Sandy.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a meeting, eat, hopefully pick up packages, jog and relax.  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, too many to list.  Blu and Ray, next up Bay of Angels from the Jacques Demy set.  Your turn.  Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall hopefully not go the way of all flesh, unless, that is, going the way of all flesh is a good thing.

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