Well, dear readers, here I sit on a Friday evening writing these here notes whilst still trying to fight whatever this damn thing is that is lingering – I’m not sick, really, but my voice is still kind of shot and I’ve really been resting it for the last few days. Hopefully by our stumble-through I’ll be able to get through my song, if not, out it goes. And hopefully this congestion will just hit the road, Jack, and not come back, no more, no more, no more, no more.
Yesterday was, I suppose, interesting. I had to be up by nine but thanks to the hammering I was up at eight-thirty after seven-and-a-half hours of sleep. I did the usual morning stuff, then I moseyed on over to the home environment of Kay Cole, where she, her ever-lovin’ Michael Lamont, Doug Haverty, and li’l ol’ me had a little meeting about the packaging for her CD. We looked at some very nice photographs, and she also has some amazing photos taken at various points in her career, which we’ll use in the booklet. That lasted about an hour, then Doug and I went and grabbed a bite to eat – I had an omelet, hash browns, and a piece of corn bread, all good. Then I picked up a couple of packages, then came home.
Once home, I did a little work on the computer, read through the commentary for the Kritzerland show, made a few little adjustments, and then I had to sit on my couch like so much fish.
The first thing I did whilst sitting on my couch like so much fish was play one of them fancy-shmancy SACD things – this one a classic RCA Living Stereo album that had Ravel’s Bolero and Rhapsodie Espagnol and Debussy’s Images. I’m telling you, the three channel sound on this thing is really unbelievable – such clarity and sparkling sound, with incredible orchestral detail like I’ve never heard. Considering the age of this thing, well, they don’t do it better today. The good news is that most Blu-ray players can decode SACD discs (look at your manual), and if you have a five-speaker set up, or even a left-center-right set up, you, too can be amazed. The fact is that quite a few of these go for eight bucks – regular players can play the stereo layer, but you really only need to invest if you can play the SACD layer. I also listened to the first twenty minutes of Madama Butterfly with Leontyne Price – the sound on that one is even better – absolutely a stunner and I always forget how beautiful the Puccini music is. That one is two discs and more money – annoyingly three times more money. And there are a couple of discs I’d love to have but for whatever reason they go for much bigger dough and I’m not doing that.
Then I finally got around to watching one episode of Commando Cody, Sky Marshall of the Universe on Blu and Ray – it’s only been sitting on the couch like so much fish for a month now. This was done as a TV show in the 1950s, but basically using the Commando Cody and his rocket jacket character from the serials I loved so that they get to use all that footage from the serials. It’s silly, but it is my all-time favorite flying sequences in all of film. And then I watched a documentary entitled Eight Days a Week, about the touring years of The Beatles. I’ll just say it’s wonderful and a must-see if you’re a fan. And for once it’s done without ANY showing off from the director. Most documentaries I see, even the best of them, has way too much intrusive “DIRECTION” or participation from the director, not to mention leaden narration and syrupy background music. Well, the director of this certainly could have gone that route and made it about him, about how he felt growing up with The Beatles, but he’s too smart and talented to fall for that malarkey – the director is Ron Howard, and he just tells the story and avoids all the traps these things usually encounter. There is no narration at all, Ron Howard makes no appearance, and there is no background scoring. The images and a few interviews tell the story, which is how it should always be. So, for me, this was an exemplary example of everything a documentary should be and I hope it gets up for an Oscar. Highly recommended by the likes of me.
After that, I listened to music, namely the three operas of Gian-Carlo Menotti – The Consul, The Medium, and The Telephone. I thought they were all wonderful, actually, each in very different ways. Mr. Menotti just had the gift. These were probably vinyl transfers done by a PD label, so they don’t sound great and are, of course, mono. I may pick up newer recording just to hear in better sound, although I doubt these original performances can be bettered.
Today, I’ll get up by ten or so, and come hell or high or even low water I will damn well jog (it’s been really cold and yesterday it was really windy on top of the cold, and I just can’t jog in that kind of weather), then we have our stumble-through at two, after which I’m sure a few of us will grab a bite to eat, probably at Jerry’s so I can have some chicken soup, although I wouldn’t mind Du-Par’s mac-and-cheese. We shall see. After that, I would love to just stay home and relax, but I have to see a play at LACC, Clifford Odets’ Waiting for Lefty – I promised I would and when I promise something I do it. I’ll come right home after.
Tomorrow, I’ll jog and then relax until it’s time for sound check, then I’ll have my usual artichoke, then it’s the show. I’m sure a few of us will do our Little Toni’s thing after. Monday I need to rest up (I think something is happening, but unless someone reminds me of what it might be, I won’t be doing it), then Tuesday we do a rehearsal for the Richard Sherman event, Wednesday we do a sound check, sup, and then do the event, which is completely sold out. Then over the next couple of days I’ll work with John Adams, comping vocals and finalizing the mix of Kay’s album. Oh, and I’ll have a little birthday, too.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, do a stumble-through, eat, hopefully pick up some packages, relax a bit, and then see a play. Today’s topic of discussion: What is your history with The Beatles? When did you first hear them, did you ever see them, what are your favorite Beatles songs? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, hoping that this congestion will hit the road, Jack, and don’t come back no more, no more, no more, no more.