Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much rested fish, listening to Claus Ogerman’s piano concerto, simply because one needs a little Claus in one’s ears every now and then. I’ve needed Claus in my ears ever since I heard a little recording called Bill Evans Trio with Symphony Orchestra, a real life-changing album for the likes of me. I’ve written about it many times, so I won’t belabor it in these here notes. In 1966, when it came out, I was already a huge Bill Evans fan from his album Conversations with Myself, one of the greatest albums ever made, in which he played a piece and then overdubbed himself twice. Evans also did kind of a corny movie theme album, too, but since I was a corny movie theme album kind of guy, I loved it. Unlike his other albums I had, this one had strings on it, and I really liked the sound of those strings and the sound of the recording itself. No arranger/orchestrator was credited but it was, of course, Claus Ogerman. But the Bill Evans Trio with Symphony Orchestra was in a whole other universe. All classical pieces save for three originals, two by Bill Evans and one, Elegia, by Claus. It was Elegia that really put me away, a track I played so many times I had to buy a second copy of the LP. Otherwise, composers were Faure, Granados, Bach, Scriabin, and Chopin. I wish there’d been a sequel but there never was, although Ogerman and Evans would reunite in the 1970s with Symbiosis. Then I got all his Antonio Carlos Jobim albums, all his Wes Montgomery albums, well, any album that had his name on it. And when Gate of Dreams came out in 1977, well, it was a masterpiece. When we started Bay Cities, I can’t remember how I connected with Mr. Ogerman – I may have just written him a letter telling him how much I loved his music and asking him if he had anything laying around that we could put out. To my surprise, he wrote me back quickly, was pleased that I’d taken the time to write, and then we had a telephonic conversation, and he did indeed give us an album to issue – no money, just gave it to us. That’s what I reissued on Kritzerland and if you somehow missed it, you really should have it. It’s comprised of Symphonic Dances and the piece that ultimately became Gate of Dreams. I happen to love the band and performances on our CD more than other versions that have been released. I have all our correspondence, he was thrilled with the release, and if Bay Cities could have afforded it, I would have done a new album with him. When I moved to Varese, I thought about doing one of the Trotter Sondheim albums with orchestral backing by Claus, but I knew they’d never go for what it would cost to do, even though Terry’s albums were very successful. He passed away eight years ago but his arrangements, orchestrations, and original music will thankfully live on as each generation discovers his work.
I started to watch a motion picture last night, Billy Wilder’s Avanti – I know some love it, but I’ve never been able to get past the first thirty minutes, so this time I’m determined. No one loves Billy Wilder more than I, but the 1970s and 1980s were not a good time for him. Anyway, I’ll get through it this time, come hell or high or even low water. Otherwise, it was just a day of relaxing and resting my voice. I really didn’t talk for most of the day and evening, and I only left the house to do an ATM run, a mail place run, and then filling up the motor car with gas, since the price was down to 4.85 – normally, I wait until I’m almost empty to put gas in the motor car, but I had a half a tank so forty bucks did the trick. Then I came home, ordered some fried catfish from the local fish place and that arrived pretty quickly and was really good. Sides were lobster mac-and-cheese and yams. I finessed the commentary, found out the club held more people than I thought I was told, so we’re not quite sold out but I think we will be by tomorrow. I watched some irritating YouTube videos, and that was that. Oh, and when I did the ATM run, I was delighted to find that the social security money was already in the account. I hope that’s the way it will be – halfway through the month rather than the three weeks they originally told me.
Today, I’ll be up by ten-thirty at the latest, I’ll shave and then get ready for Brent Barrett and Kerry O’Malley to arrive and run their songs at 12:45, then when everyone else arrives, we’ll begin our stumble-through at two. I’ll give any notes I may have, and then I’ll order something to eat. It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to watch the Tony Awards – Paramount Plus is streaming them but there’s no free trial and I haven’t found any free trial that’s streaming them – very annoying. I’ll keep looking. But I’ll be here for our Annual Tony Awards Bash to get all the winners and losers.
Tomorrow, I’ll be up when I’m up, then I’ll just relax and rest my voice until it’s time to mosey on over to the club – I’ll probably leave here around 3:50 in case there’s traffic, as I want to get there are 4:30 to make sure the set-up is done correctly. Then we do sound check from five to about six-twenty, then we can order food. Doors open at seven and show is at eight-thirty. After the show, I have to hang around as I’m told they’ll do our check so I can take it with me, which will be very helpful. Then I’ll probably grab a bite to eat. Tuesday, I may have a lunch thing, and then the rest of the week will be pretty free, I’m hoping. We’ll get the new, improved Benjamin Kritzer to the publisher and then they’ll send me a new soft and hardcover, then they’ll replace the files at all the places that print the books. For anyone who’d like to have the new, prettified version, I’ll make it available at Kritzerland.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by ten-thirty at the latest, shave, do a stumble-through, eat, either watch the Tonys or get the rundown right here. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, always happy to have the kind of ear candy that Claus Ogerman provides.