Well, dear readers, before we go any further may I just point out to one and all and also all and one that it is the first of September. Yes, August has come and gone and it is the first of September, and it is my fervent hope and prayer that September will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.
The final day of August was another record-breaking scorcher – around 104 degrees in the City of Studio and humid as all get out and I think we all know how humid all get out is. This weather is ridiculous and anyone who thinks this is normal should have their head examined. One wonders if Sami Staitman and I both coming up with the following line at different times today is what it’s all about: “It’s the end of the world.” Something is rotten in the state of Denmark and everywhere else and one can only hope that the world can right itself for the new generations. It was simply stultifying outside, which is why I wasn’t outside more than a total of ten minutes for the entire day and evening.
I got about eight hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails and was happy to find in Dropbox part one of a project we’ve been working on for about five months. It would be Kritzerland’s first classical CD – one historic performance of a great symphony – it’s been out on CD for twenty years but in terrible sound because they had no tools to fix anything back then. But now we do and the mighty Chris Malone has been chipping away at it, and the result is pretty great. It’s from a radio broadcast, probably done as an on-air check disc at the time, for archival purposes. I actually had several reel-to-reel tapes of these kinds of things buried in a box. When I got this release on CD five months ago and heard it, I went scouting and found what I knew I had – a reel-to-reel of the same performance. I believe it was a closer generation tape than whatever was used for the twenty-year-old release, but with similar problems to address. So, that’s what we used. Chris is kind of a mad genius with this stuff, and he loves a good challenge and this was definitely that. The symphony is quite substantial at fifty-one minutes, and the conductor is one of the most famous in history. But I felt we could use a companion piece – nothing I had really fit, so I just chose something I personally love and have a little history with. That, too, was from a radio broadcast but from a little later. The conductor is well known to one and all and the music is simply delightful. It is, in fact, a piece I issued back in the Bay Cities days, but we’re cleaning it up good for this release. I have no idea if we’ll sell many copies, but I was determined to do this because this historic performance of the symphony is great and deserves to be heard in the best sound possible. Now, keep in mind, there’s no way for it to sound great – that’s not in the cards, but it’s so much better now and the music just glows. At the time this was done it was a fairly unique occurrence for reasons you’ll understand when you know what it is and I talk about it in both liner notes and blurb. This one’s personal and I just hope some folks come along for the ride. I do have to figure out how to get the word out for classical aficianados, but I also think some of our film music folks may enjoy this, if they’ll just take a chance on it. If we do well, I have a second volume planned.
I had an omelet and a bagel for my noon o’clock meal, then picked up one envelope and no packages, after which I came home. Then I wrote the commentary for the film music thing – I got quite a bit done before our second Kritzerland rehearsal began. This day we were joined by Jason Graae – his two numbers are great – one funny, one ballad. The rest of the rehearsal was quite good. It’s just a great cast and great material. I’d love to sell the final twenty seats – hard to know if we will. The fact is we’d have less than ten left if ten people hadn’t decided they had better things to do. Irritating, frankly.
After rehearsal, I made about four ounces of pasta with a bit of butter and cheese for my evening snack, then I just buckled down, Winsocki and finished the damn film music commentary thing. Oh, I forgot to mention that at around five o’clock we had lightning and rain – yes, 104 humid degrees and lightning and rain – sure, that’s really normal. The power also went out for two seconds, so the computer went down – I just hate when that happens. I’m sure all the entitled of Studio City are blasting their air conditioners morning, noon, and night. I never do that, but these people are spoiled, ridiculous people. Then I listened to more Miaskovsky – beautiful music and boy was this fellow prolific.
Today, I have a noon o’clock meeting with a student actress at LACC, then I come back here and hopefully pick up some packages. Then we have three rehearsals in a row for the film music thing, and during them I’ll be able to figure out the show order and then get my commentary in the right order, after which I’ll be able to futz and finesse it. I will have to eat at some point, but when that point will be I have no idea. Then I’ll relax and believe me I will NEED to relax.
Tomorrow we have our stumble-through. I’ll also eat afterwards, I’m sure. Sunday is sound check and show, Monday is the film music thing, and then on Tuesday I have to figure out and cast the October show – it’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it. I’m also starting to seriously think about doing another The First Nudie Musical staged reading next year, perhaps with pros and students at LACC. It’s been on my mind lately.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a meeting, hopefully pick up packages, do some banking, rehearse x 3, eat, 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, new Kritzerland stuff and other oddities. Blu-ray, more Twilight Time releases. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, hoping for a respite from the heat and humidity, and welcoming in September – and it is my fervent hope and prayer that September will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.