Well, dear readers, here I sit like so much fish, listening to one of the most incredible-sounding albums ever. An RCA album from their classic early 1960s stereo era, these recordings done in the years 1960 and 1961. The original LP version of this CD only included two pieces by Darius Milhaud and they were my introduction to this music – La Creation du Monde and Suite Provencale as conducted by the amazing Charles Munch. These were sonic masterpieces on LP. There was a CD release of these two pieces coupled with some Munch-conducted Honegger pieces and of course I had it, but was very disappointed in the sound, which was nothing like what I knew it should be and remembered. But now there’s a Japanese release, something called a Blu-Spec CD and at last we have the sound I remember and it is something else. They don’t make better recordings today, in fact, they don’t even approach these classic RCA classical LPs. Added to the two pieces are Poulenc’s Concerto for Organ, Strings, and Timpani and Stravinsky’s Jeu de Cartes, also great sounding on this CD and also conducted by Munch. And what music. If you’ve never heard La Creation du Monde seek it out. It’s as radical today as it was then – moody and wonderful. Suite Provencale is probably my favorite Milhaud piece. The Poulenc and Stravinsky are wonderful, too. I gather this is getting hard to find so grab a copy if you can. It has the original RCA cover art and look for the Blu-Spec logo on the inlay card. Another great sonic treat comes from Fresh Sounds Records from south of the border. This label does really good work. This is one CD with two albums by jazz arranger Manny Albam. The first is his jazz treatment of West Side Story, a score that has had many, many jazz cover versions. But this one has always been a favorite and the stereo is superb as is the first class band. The second album is called Steve’s Songs, and features the really tuneful songs of Steve Allen. Total winner.
Yesterday was what we call and up and down day and I am so very tired of the down part, but as long as there’s an up part, things are at least okay. Robo calls at nine and ten, but I kept falling asleep again, but the alarm didn’t go off at eleven (I didn’t go to bed until after three-thirty) and thankfully my internal alarm went off at 11:50, ten minutes before Kay Cole arrived. So I was able to pull myself together (no mean feat) and we had a nice thirty-minute chat and she got her Levi CD.
After that, I did some work at the piano and on the computer and I’m hoping we’ve set more cast for the March Kritzerland – I’ll know that today. I suppose other things happened but I really cannot remember a damn thing. Of course the Freshly delivery by Ontrac arrived thirty seconds before the mail place closed. I was there, however, and I immediately took on the driver and asked him why he would make a UPS Store that has fixed hours his final stop every damn day. He was a nice chap, but he just kept saying “it’s my route” to which I replied “change your route.” I never understand these things – start at the UPS Store and finish with the home delivery stuff because there are no fixed hours there. He did say they really had a ton of packages today. But my point with him was if he’d been two minutes later he would not have been able to deliver and I would have had the package returned to sender.
When I got home, I had the meatloaf dinner – only 400 calories and somehow filling. So that was my main food and the only other thing I ate was a little ice cream and a few chocolate covered almonds, so well under 1000 calories for the day. Then I heard about a lot of Group Rep internal drama – people have already quit over it and the perps really need to be ousted from the company because they’re amateurs who thrive on negativity. We’ll see how it plays out, but if I’m not happy with how it plays out, then I’m not going to be so thrilled about doing another show there.
Today, someone is coming at eleven to organize and unpack garage stuff. That they’ll do for three or four hours, then I’m going to see editor Marshall Harvey. I will have either had one of the Freshly dinners prior to that, or I’ll wait and maybe eat a little something with Marshall and then have one later in the evening. We shall see.
Not sure what is happening tomorrow, but Saturday I’m seeing a matinee of Hamilton High school’s Guys and Dolls then going to dinner somewhere after. I suppose I should research what jernts are around there, my old neighborhood. Or I suppose we could just go to Genghis Cohen. I’m also hoping to have some of the proofer’s stuff by then so I can begin entering those fixes. I do feel good about the final sequence of the book now, so that’s a relief.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do things, hopefully pick up packages, see an editor, eat, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What is your favorite comfort food? I’d have to count meatloaf as one of mine and the Freshly meatloaf, while very small, is very tasty. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, hoping to have an all up day one of these fine up and down days. Make it so.