Well, dear readers, I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date with these here notes. I’ve decided to post a few of my favorite tracks I’ve recorded on Facebook – I haven’t listened to some of these since we did the albums. What a trip. I’m kind of impressed at the quality of Unsung Sondheim – it has no right to be as good as it is – none of us really knew what we were doing, but I tell you, right out of the gate you can hear what will become my signature sound – it got better as we went along because we figured out a few things, but there’s nothing embarrassing on the album, which just amazes me. Luck was sure with us. Our very own elmore did the orchestrations – that and the Liz Callaway/Frank Loesser album began our rather long association. Last night, I put up the opening track of The Stephen Sondheim Album, Brent Barrett singing Make the Most of Your Music, a song written for the very misbegotten and heavily revised Follies. It replaced Live, Laugh, Love and was nowhere near as effective. But I was taken with the song itself and I knew it would be a perfect way to open the album. The orchestrations for that album were by David Siegel, who did a fine job of it. Todd Ellison, one of my favorite conductors did the conducting honors, we had a great ensemble of singers, and while I don’t have it in front of me, I don’t think our regular tapper, Niki Harris, did this one. I think it was Randy Skinner. If anyone has the album they can let us know. Anyway, I went through quite a few tracks, choosing the next few I’ll post. So, yesterday was certainly weird. I only got three or four hours of sleep, was up at eight and out the door at eight-forty. At nine, I received a text I did not care for and ignored it, then went to Vivian’s Café for breakfast. I remember really loving their eggs Benedict, so that’s what I ordered. I shouldn’t have. The English Muffin was severely undercooked as were the whites of the eggs and there wasn’t enough Hollandaise on it. I ate them but it was not much to my liking. The home fries were very good. I guess I’ll just not have that again there. They do have a breakfast burrito that looks quite tasty, so next time I might try that. Anyway, very disappointing. After that, I went to the Ralph’s that’s across the street from Vivian’s and got some hot dogs and buns. After that, I did a stop at Gelson’s and got a few shrimp cocktail shrimp and some some Heinz chili sauce and some horseradish to make cocktail sauce. I came home and she of the Evil Eye was just leaving, so good timing. I was super tired, so I just watched some stuff, including the remake of Twelve Angry Men, remade for TV with Jack Lemmon, George C. Scott, Ossie Davis, James Gandolfini, Hume Cronyn and others – all very good. It’s not as good as the Lumet film but fun to see good actors do their thing. For my early evening food I had the shrimp cocktail shrimp (pretty much calorie-free) and a hot dog, then had a long telephonic conversation with Walter Willison. That was pretty much it.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll eat, I’ll have a Zoom with David Wechter, I’ll check with the mail place, I’ll hope for a modern major miracle, and I’ll post another song to Facebook. At some point, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is writing, getting the book to the designers – just waiting on the photos – hopefully I’ll get the blurbs soon, Friday I have a lunch with an old friend who was in my show Together Again and who I haven’t seen since the early 1990s. Not sure what’s happening on the weekend.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or the tango, for today is the birthday of dear reader, Matthew. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to dear reader Matthew. On the count of three – one, two three: A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO DEAR READER MATTHEW!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, eat, have a Zoom, check with the mail place, hope for a modern major miracle, post another song to Facebook, and then watch, listen, 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, happy revisiting some of my recordings.