Well, dear readers, this week is flying by, like a gazelle shooting off illegal fireworks whilst performing The Rite of Spring on the kazoo. Yes, dear readers, it is the fourth of July and you know what that means – it’s a day of Independence, not dependence, so depend on no one nor anything this day. Be independent, light you your own sky with the fireworks of your essence, presuming, of course, you have an essence. The Fireworks of your Essence – that’s the title of my next novel. Whilst I am writing these notes of Independence, I am listening to very weird music by the jazz flute player Hubert Laws, a early 70s CTI album entitled Afro-Classic. It’s a real eclectic mix of pop music like Fire and Rain, movie theme (Love Story), and classical stuff. Each track starts off moodily and kind of normally, and then it all gets very weird and outré – I enjoy it on a certain level, and the arranger is Don Sebesky, but this is very much what Mr. Laws does – I have his Rite of Spring album, which I suspect I’ll like better than this one, which is frequently music to eat raw meat by.
Yesterday was kind of a waste of a day, dealing with trying to get a rehearsal for the Sherman event scheduled – one person – and it took HOURS. Not letting that happen again – too much to do. I have someone who wants to assist me on this and I think I’ll just turn all of that over to him with my schedule and our MD’s schedule. We’re going to try and do some of the rehearsals next week if we can get that together. Otherwise, I had a chicken salad sandwich for lunch – it looked huge and was huge but it was mostly lettuce so not that fattening. Then I picked up a package, and came home.
This music is making me want to choke some soup. I think the Marquis de Sade would have loved this. I think some nice Ramsey Lewis or even Jerry Lewis or Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop after this will be a good antidote. Where was I? Oh, yes. I listened to yet more music – a lot of Dionne Warwick. My goodness, was there ever a better marriage of singer and songwriters than Dionne and Burt and Hal? I especially love their lesser known stuff like Paper Mache, Who Is Gonna Love Me and others like that. The songs are just so much fun to listen to and they’re as fresh today as the day they were written, which is why so many people cover them from generation to generation. I had two Rhino Handmade limited edition two-fers and they sound really good. So, that was very pleasurable. But I was very tired all day due to only five hours of sleep. But I kept on keeping on because what were the alternatives? At some point I went to Ralph’s and got a ham sandwich, then ate that, so a two sandwich day and certainly under 1200 calories. Then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture entitled Morocco, from the new Von Sternberg/Marlene Dietrich Blu and Ray box set from Criterion. The movies they made together are one-offs and like no other movies you’ve ever seen. You know how they call every two-bit no one a “visionary director” after only one or two films, and then you watch those films and there is no vision anywhere, well, Von Sternberg had a vision that is unique in the annals of cinema. There has never been anyone like him and there most likely won’t be. He had a brilliant sense of filmmaking and his films with Ms. Dietrich have some of the most fetishistic photography ever committed to film. The other films, which I’ll be watching over the next few days, are Dishonored, Shanghai Express, Blonde Venus, The Scarlett Empress, and Devil is a Woman. Morocco looks pretty decent – the original nitrate camera negatives were trashed long ago and shame on those nitwits who did it. So there are only safety negatives left and Criterion has done what they can and that’s a lot. I love Morocco – every frame of it, and it is a completely weird movie. This is probably the Blu-ray box set of the year.
Hubert has finished, so I’m listening to Art Farmer’s incredibly flugelhorn in a small setting, play stuff like The Summer Knows, Alfie, When I Fall in Love – great stuff. This guy is the berries, baby. After the movie, I listened to some Margaret Whiting sings Jerome Kern – Verve – stereo – very pleasant performances with some great charts by Russell Garcia. Then I took a hot shower and here we are, being all Independent and free-spirited, writing these here Independent notes.
Today, I’m sleeping in, then I’ll just relax and enjoy the day off. I’m invited to a barbecue and if it were closer I might make an appearance, but it’s a good twenty-five minute drive and I don’t think I’ll be up for that. So, I’ll probably bring something home to eat, something light and amusing. Not sure there will be any fireworks to see from here, but I won’t know that until after dark. There is a nearby park so there may be some done over there. I’m sure I’ll watch more films from the Von Sternberg/Dietrich set, but mostly I’m going to zone out and relax.
The rest of the week is going to require some fancy footwork, monetarily, as this huge bill for Advise and Consent, which I should have paid last week and didn’t, must be sent, but there’s also a huge bill from the pressing plant and one from my mastering guy – I knew all this was going to catch up with us and unfortunately I have nothing to release this week and I can’t ask the mastering guy to do anything else until he’s been paid. So, juggling I’ll be doing. I have a rehearsal on Thursday for two performers for the Sherman event, as their number involves some dancing and creating that dance break. Not sure what’s up with the weekend but I’m sure something will be up.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, sleep in, relax, eat, watch stuff, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, feeling all Independent, like these here notes.