Well, dear readers, it was The Never-Ending Day. It was like the Energizer Bunny, it just kept on going. And in between all the stuff I, like the Energizer BK, kept on trying to write. I do not like quite that many distractions during a writing day, oh, no, I do not like quite that many distractions. They were nice distractions, yes, for sure, but my head is in the writing place right now. I was up by eight-thirty after about seven hours of sleep. The helper came by a short while later. Then I futzed and finessed and got that done before I had to leave for the first meeting o’ the day. I even managed to write about a quarter of a new page before being on my way. The first meeting took place at Jerry’s Deli and was with Paul Hefti, the son of the great Neal Hefti. We’d become Facebook friends after we announced the soundtrack to Won Ton Ton and he asked if we could lunch and so we did. He’s a really nice guy, and I heard some great stories. Then I came home briefly, wrote a little over a page, and then had to hurry to the one o’clock meeting at the Daily Grill with Joan Ryan. I’d already had a cheese omelet and a bagel, so I just had a wedge with bleu cheese dressing – it was excellent. We discussed lots of stuff about songs, and then I came right home for the three o’clock meeting. I had about fifteen minutes, so I wrote another page but was feeling very disjointed.
The third meeting was about Inside Out with Doug Haverty and Adryan Russ. That took about ninety minutes, then I went and did some banking. Once I got back from that, around five, I just refused to answer the phone or do anything else. I was in the midst of a chapter and had at least gotten a run at what I was writing, so I buckled down, Winsocki and wrote six more pages over the next hour or so. Then I took a break and did some other stuff, then I sat down again and wrote more pages, finished a chapter and wrote the first few lines of the new chapter – all in all, I did get twelve pages done and hopefully they won’t seem too disjointed when I do my futzing and finessing after she of the Evil Eye is done. Actually, I may futz and finesse before leaving in the morning, so I can just write new pages when I get home. As amazing as it seems to me, I’m just under halfway through the book now, so I am heading into territory where a bunch of decisions have to be made, some of which I already have notes on.
Today, she of the Evil Eye will be here bright and early, and I’ll futz and finesse, then go do some stuff, then come home around noon and spend the rest of the day and evening writing, making notes, relaxing and watching a motion picture or two.
Tomorrow we have our stumble-through at noon, then some of us will get some food, then I’ll spend the rest of the day and evening writing. Monday I’ll be able to write up until about three, at which point I’ll get ready and then go to the sound check and then it’s our show. I will, of course, have a full report for you. I also need some excellent vibes and xylophones for the early part of the week, very important. The majority of the week will be writing, but I also have meetings and meals, I’ll get Muse Margaret the second batch of pages next Thursday, and I have to get two releases prepped – we’re also hoping that Breaking Away and Classical Broadway will be in next week.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, futz and finesse, do stuff, hopefully pick up some packages, then it will be mostly writing with occasional breaks for relaxing and a movie. Today’s topic of discussion: Who is your favorite of the old-guard arrangers/orchestrators/conductors, the ones who worked with all the great singers and bands? I’ll start – certainly tops would be Nelson Riddle and Billy May, but also Gordon Jenkins, Neal Hefti, Glenn Osser, Marty Paich, Patrick Williams, Don Costa and Percy Faith. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland happy that the Never-Ending Day has ended and a new day has begun, like in Cats.