Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to a singer singing songs, which is always a fun thing to do for a singer. I’ve often been asked who my favorite male vocalists were when I was in my formative years and the answer is actually very simple and something I don’t even have to ponder and certainly the gentleman I’m listening to now would in the top five and that would be Mr. Perry Como – smooth, beautiful tone and – SUBTLE. Others I loved when I was in my formative years, well, the two that jump right to the top of any list would be Jack Jones and Steve Lawrence and for the same reason as Mr. Como, even though Mr. Lawrence had a bit more show business in him. And, of course, we’d have to have Andy Williams. I had all their albums along with many other singers, but these guys just did it for me right away. Not Sinatra, not till much later. If my close personal friend, Mr. Guy Haines, had influences, it was those gentlemen. Perry just finished Maria from West Side Story and is now crooning – note that word – crooning Lollipops and Roses – that song was a favorite of mine as a young teen, but with Jack Jones singing, as he introduced it. And now it’s The Sweetest Sounds. The arrangements are lush and beautiful. Other than that, I managed to watch a movie-and-a-half last evening, but they were very long. The first long movie was entitled The Godfather, in its newest transfer. I had to watch it after having just watched the awful The Offer, and boy does watching it make hash out of that sorry limited series. I saw it on opening day at the Village Theater in Westwood. We were at the front of the line, thankfully, as it stretched around the block. Coming out of the previous showing? Mr. Fred Astaire. I’d read the book and enjoyed it for what it was. But the movie bettered it in every way. It was, in an instant, an instant classic, with a bunch of immediately iconic scenes. It deserved its huge success in every way. And all its Oscars. It never feels long and it’s a bit over three hours. The other half a movie I watched is even longer – The Godfather, Part II – which clocks in at three-and-a-half hours. It’s a very different film than its predecessor and much more ambitious in its storytelling. So, we get the backstory of Vito Corleone and the current story of Michael Corleone’s comings and goings. It’s wonderfully cast, beautifully shot and I’ll finish it up before going to bed.
Yesterday was a perfectly okay day. I got eight hours of sleep, then soon after arising, I had the telephonic meeting and that actually was just fine, and I think by the end of it the same page was achieved. And now, Perry is doing the BEST version of the Strouse/Adams classic, Once Upon a Time. I ascertained no important envelope had arrived, so I e-mailed to make sure it had been sent and, of course, it hadn’t, so I’m told it will be wired this morning and hopefully that will happen.
Then I decided I wanted that excellent pappardelle with sausage again, so that’s what I had for food. Much later, I had a small slice of cheesecake and that was very good, too. I had a brief visit with a nice fellow who picked up some CDs, watched the movies, and here I am, writing these here notes listening to dreamy Perry Como.
Today, I’ll try to be up by eleven or so, then I’ll spend the day choosing songs, I’ll eat something light but fun and not pappardelle with or without sausage. We shall see. And then, at some point, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week will be finalizing song choices and getting everyone their music, doing a Zoom screenplay meeting after David finishes his adjustments, doing more casting for the web series, and doing whatever else needs doing, including having a meeting with a PR person.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eleven or so, choose songs, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: Who are your favorite male singers, especially of the classic crooners? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, about to go down the boy singer rabbit hole of my formative years.