Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish listening to yet more music – music, music, music – I’m about to take a break from this during the Kritzerland rehearsal week. I’ve been going through hundreds of CDs and it’s been fun and will be fun again after a short break. But some fun listening was had yesterday and that was a nice way to spend some of the relaxing day I needed.
I got eight hours of sleep, got up, did stuff, answered e-mails, then got ready for a little meeting at one here. That lasted about an hour and we’ll see what comes of it. Then I had a surprise visit from Sami and her mom – they were in the neighborhood doing stuff. It was a nice visit, we talked about the songs she’s doing in the Kritzerland show, and it’s always fun to visit with them, especially as she’ll be leaving for college in just three and a half weeks.
After they left, it was already four-thirty, so I needed to eat. I didn’t want to make anything here so I just went to Taco Bell. It’s hit and miss at this branch, but it was a hit yesterday – everything was excellent and it hit the spot. Then I came home and began listening. About two hours later I wanted a sweet. As I was walking to the motor car I saw Grant next door, so we went to see if K’s donuts was open – it was – I had no idea that they’re open every night until ten – not good information for me to have, actually. Grant got two donuts, I got two donuts, and we got his mom three glazed donut holes, which is her favorite thing. We came home and brought the holes to his mom, then he went and did work he needed to do and I ate my two donuts all up and just kept listening to music and loading in more music. A lot of what I heard yesterday was one time fun and so I’d nuke it right out. A couple of really good albums that should have been issued on CD in stereo were mono, which was weird unless the stereo masters are lost. Baffling. I heard several chantoosies and crooners, a lot of instrumental albums, some really excellent, some not. Highlights were Miles Davis’s wonderful score for Elevator to the Gallows, a Johnny Keating two-fer, a great Gogi Grant album called Granted, It’s Gogi with charts by Johnny Mandel circa 1958, and a great Jerry Fielding two-fer of his early band in the early 1950s – great tunes and arrangements, in great sound (probably mastered from vinyl but they did a great job).
I almost finished writing a little reprise for A Carol Christmas – I just felt it was a better way to get out of a scene rather than just end with a perfunctory line and go right to the transition song to get a character from one place to another – it will smooth that out nicely. And that was pretty much it.
Today, I have some organizing to do, some telephonic calls to make, I’ll eat, hopefully pick up some packages, and then I’ll mosey on over to the Disney studios around five-thirty to check in and attend the renaming of a stage to the Sherman Brothers stage. Then there’s a reception, then a screening of Christopher Robin. Normally I don’t like going to these things – they’re too crowded and everyone is trying to glom on to Richard Sherman and sometimes you can’t even get near him, and he’s the reason I would go. I’ll call him in the morning and see how he’s doing.
Tomorrow is our first Kritzerland rehearsal – it will be relatively brief – no Sami until Thursday, Andrea Marcovicci’s rehearsing with Shelly Markham, who’s playing for her, on her own, and Grant’s not coming either. So, it should go very quickly. Not sure what’s happening Wednesday other than one rehearsal for someone who can’t be at the second rehearsal on Thursday. I do want to lunch with Nick so I’m hoping that can happen at some point. Then we have our second rehearsal, then on Saturday it’s our stumble-through with everyone here, and then Sunday is sound check and show. I have no idea how it’s selling, but hopefully well.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, organize, eat, hopefully pick up packages, have telephonic calls, and go to Disney. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite soups – Campbell’s, homemade, other canned brands, and restaurants? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, about to take a little break from all the music, music, music.