Well, dear readers, what the HELL kind of day was yesterday? I kept thinking that at every turn – what the HELL kind of day is this? And the answer was not forthcoming, oh, no, it was not forthcoming. And yet, I kept wondering as I was wandering, what the HELL kind of day is this? I first uttered it when I awoke at noon after ten hours of gloriously glorious sleep. I realized I had missed the morning and said what the HELL kind of day is this, just like that. Once up, I answered e-mails, heard that the thing that was possibly going to happen was going to happen, made a time for the work session, but had very few orders to print out, which is exactly what happened with the last Revisited release. For whatever reasons the next wave of orders came in over the weekend and then more during the first part of the week. Hopefully that will occur.
Then I went and picked up some packages, after which I had a chicken Caesar salad at Jerry’s Deli. It was good but not AS good as it usually is. And it was the last good thing I ate, but we’ll get to that in a moment. Then I came home, took a shower, and listened to some wonderful Swingle Singers music – the second volume of Jazz Sebastian Bach, which was every bit as good as the first, and then another album from a few years later that was absolutely fantastic. They are my new obsession. I have three more albums on the way, but the real crying shame is that Philips released an eleven CD set back in 2005 that contained the original group’s entire output until they disbanded in 1972, and that eleven CD set is nowhere to be found and I have looked everywhere there is to look. Normally you’d at least see some exorbitantly priced third-party sellers, but there is simply not one copy for sale at any price anywhere. Which only caused me to say what the HELL kind of day is this?
Then at six Doug came over and we were joined by the co-artistic director of the Group Rep who wasn’t at the reading. I’d offered him the chance to hear a few songs and he took me up on it. So, I ended up singing about seven songs, which he seemed to enjoy. He asked a few questions about this and that, to which I instantly responded that a reading of the script would answer all of those questions. But we all had fun. Then they left and Richard Allen arrived and we went through the songs for next week’s Kritzerland show, did a few arrangement things and that was that. We also discussed some stuff for our upcoming Sherman concert. That was finally announced officially and I think it will be sold out within days if not sooner. Here’s the little announcement they did.
After that, just for fun, I said what the HELL kind of day is this, after which I went to Ralph’s to get some snacks for the evening, since the salad was not nearly enough. And here’s where the comedy comes in. I got a sausage with onions and peppers that looked interesting and the fellow told me it was really good. I got a little thing of mac-and-cheese that was so hot it melted the plastic container he was trying to put it in – he finally used a stronger container. I got a tiny bit of the potato salad I liked and a tiny bit of another type of potato salad that looked like it might be good. And finally, just to be safe, I got one of the wraps I like. Then I came home and the comedy kicked into high gear.
I began with the sausage thing. I ate half of it before throwing the rest in the trash bag. I was trying to like it but it was just gross. So, that was a bit less than half a smallish sausage. I ate the little bit (maybe an ounce) of mac-and-cheese – that was okay. Then I moved on to the wrap, which was either past its expiry date or just rancid on its own – two bites of that and in the trash it went, so not even half of a half. Then I tried the new potato salad – a half-bite of that and I almost threw up. Then I tried my usual potato salad and THAT was barf inducing so that went into the trash. Finally, I gotten a rather nice-sized chocolate chip peanut butter cookie at Jerry’s when I’d eaten lunch, so I thought that would at least be good but it wasn’t. I finished it only because I thought I should. So, it was some of the most nauseating foodstuffs ever and I’m feeling quite sick to my stomach right now and have just had a Pepcid and may have another in a little while.
Meanwhile, I listened to two count them two Lalo Schifrin albums. The first was one of his first solo albums, way back in 1962 on the Roulette label, before he moved over to MGM and then Verve, where he would do his great work. Sadly, the Roulette album is pretty ordinary. Good sound and all, but just not to my taste. But the other album, There’s a Whole Lalo Schifrin Going On was classic Lalo and very outré, but enjoyable. And that was that.
Today, I have to make a show order and start writing the commentary for the Kritzerland show. I can assure you I will eat something very good today, and then I’ll relax and probably watch a few things.
Tomorrow will be more of the same, and then on Monday we have our first Kritzerland rehearsal. On Tuesday we have a meeting in Beverly Hills for the Sherman event, just to go over details. The rest of the week is meetings and meals, me trying to get a jump on the August Kritzerland show, which will be our final show at The Federal – I already know we’ll repeat a show we’ve done there, probably from our first year there back in 2012 – so other than casting the show’s already built and written. In September we move back to our pre-Federal home of Upstairs at Vitello’s. The move does present us some challenges, but it was necessary for reasons I’ll explain when we actually make the move. Friday is our second Kritzerland rehearsal, Saturday is our stumble-through, and Sunday is sound check and show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a show order, write commentary, hopefully pick up some packages, eat, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What were your biggest musical obsessions when you were growing up and what are they now? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, as I ask the age-old question: What the HELL kind of day was yesterday?