Well, dear readers, what is this trend that so many brothers are now directing films together. I don’t get it, really, all these brothers directing movies. I think it started with the Coen brothers, but now it’s an infestation. I watched a motion picture on the Flix of Net last night that was directed by brothers, which is what got me thinking. The Duffer brothers, the Wachowski brothers, endless brother filmmaker acts – I mean there were movie-making brothers before the Coens, like the Zucker brothers, but they didn’t call themselves brothers – they each took a credit. The movie I watched was entitled Small Town Crime a fairly cliché ridden bit of business – you know the deal – alcoholic ex-cop can’t get work but finds an injured gal and finds redemption trying to nail her assailants. But it’s short and in certain ways enjoyable, and I like John Hawkes, although he and co-star Michael Vartan are anorexic-looking – too damn skinny they are. Octavia Spencer and Robert Forster are also in it (Spencer gets an associate producer credit) but don’t have much to do. Anyway, it wasn’t horrible. And why in the history of film have their never been a sisters filmmaking act?
Prior to that, I only got about six-and-a-half hours of sleep due to Active Brain Syndrome (ABS). I was awakened by the doorbell. I asked three times who it was and got no answer, so I finally opened the door and it was some woman looking for Grant. I pointed her next door. Then I answered e-mails, and began what turned out to be hours and hours of working on the song I’d begun on Sunday night. I knew the tune worked, and the first verse worked perfectly, but getting the other two verses right without being too repetitious or gooey proved really difficult, but I hammered and chipped away at it relentlessly all day.
I did have an early lunch – a Cobb salad, and but otherwise I did not leave the house, other than banking after lunch. There was no mail to pick up. At three I had a meeting that lasted about an hour, with a choreographer who’ll be recreating the entire Charley’s Place number from Over Here at the Richard Sherman event. Then it was more work on the song. Every time I thought I had it finished, I recorded it. I wrote the bridge and an extended ending and then had to finally take a break, which is when I watched the movie by the brothers. I wonder how many people here reading the title of the notes thought I’d be talking about my very own brother?
After the movie (only ninety minutes), I had some telephonic calls, got a new chart to proof (what in essence is the eleven o’clock number for our leading lady), made a few corrections and I’ll have that track at some point today. Then he’ll do the last of the ones he has so that on Thursday, when he comes for a work session, he can record all the remaining songs, about six, I think.
Today I will write the Kritzerland commentary, which should take several hours. I’ll hopefully pick up packages and I have a few other things to do, I’ll try to cast more folks for the Sherman event (I do have a couple of asks out), and then I’m having an early supper with Kay Cole. We’re bringing her act to New York in August, to 54 Below and so for the first time in three years I’ll be coming to New York unless I decide not to. After that I’ll relax.
Tomorrow is more of the same, Thursday is a work session for Kritzerland and then recording all the remaining songs (by recording I mean Richard Allen filming my hands playing them). Then there are more meetings, more meals, and I think I have to see something at some point.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write a commentary, hopefully pick up packages, rerecord the new song as I just this minute changed another two words and also the melody on the first two lines of the intro verse – I knew it didn’t sound right when I recorded it and it wasn’t, so now it is – and then I sup with Kay Cole. Today’s topic of discussion: Who are your all-time favorite brothers and sisters acts? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have finished the song and pondering this infestation of the brothers.