Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry because she of the Evil Eye will be here all too soon and so will dear reader Jane and her ever-lovin’ Keith. But first might I just point out that it is the final day of June? Can you believe it? June is no longer busting out all over, but tomorrow July will be busting out all over and it is my fervent hope and prayer that July will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativty, and all things bright and beautiful. Speaking of all things bright and beautiful, which, of course, is the melody in the opening Prologue of Follies, I got up yesterday to an e-mail containing the new mix of the Prologue/Beautiful Girls from the original cast recording of Follies. I really wasn’t sure what it was going to sound like, but the minute the tympani roll began and the first two gloriously glorious chords sounded I knew all things were bright and beautiful. The mix was smooth as silk and the detail and clarity was breathtaking, at least for me. I heard things that were only hinted at in the original mix, and the placement of the orchestra on this new mix makes everything crystal clear. The Dimitri Weissman began talking and again such clarity and detail, and then it was Roscoe, here as always, to sing Beautiful Girls. Again, so much smoother and richer-sounding – I immediately compared it to the original mix on the original CD release, which sounds like a used cassette in comparison, at least to my ears. The original mix was filled with moments where portions of the orchestra would suddenly be sitting on your face – they’d just bump it up so loud and it would come out of nowhere and was totally out of balance. Now it sounds like a real cast album and I was on clouds nine, ten, and eleven. Yes, I will nitpick a few things when I get together with the engineer but what a great start to this journey we’re on. He will now continue doing mixes and then next week I’ll go over there and we’ll finesse until we get them as good as they can get. I’m hopeful the rest of the album will mix as well as what I’ve heard thus far. I must admit, I played the track about fourteen times in a row. I must say it’s like ending June on a high note.
After that, I had to do a little typing on the computer, then do work on our various and sundried projects (still haven’t done the handy-dandy graph), and we also shipped out a LOT of CDs – yes, All in a Night’s Work arrived and are now on their merry way and I cannot wait for people to hear it. By the time all that was done it was almost two, so I went and picked up no packages and an important envelope, after which I did some banking at the bank. Then I came right back home, shaved, showered, and moseyed on over to the Gardenia for sound check. We worked for about an hour, then the East Coast Singer went back to her hotel, and Lanny, Jay Leonhart, and I went across the street to have a salad at Pomodoro. Only there was no more Pomodora – gone with the wind, I’m afraid. We ended up at Baja Fresh where I had their small salad. Then Lanny went off somewhere and Jay and I took a nice, long walk.
At seven it was back to the club. We ended up with about thirty people there, which was very nice. I had some pasta, and our table alone had ten people, all very nice, including my new friends, the Staitman family – daughters Sami (12) and Sara (14) will both be doing Outside the Box episodes. They had a young friend with them (16), a very nice chap who’s pursuing an acting career. We all had a lot of laughs. They even bought me a present – sour peach rings, one of my favorite candy treats. Then it was show time.
The East Coast Singer aka Sandy Bainum, did really well. She came out and grabbed the audience and held them for the duration of the show, despite some problems with the little square “stage” they have there. I’d already made the decision that it would have to go for the second show – she can work ground level and it will be much smoother. There were some nice laughs and the songs all landed very well. So, as always, some nits to pick and fix, so we’ll have a conversation today prior to the show. Just small stuff, mostly having to do with how to make the mic and stool moves smoother and some energy problems in the final ten minutes of the show. It’s really hard to do shows like this – it’s the performer alone for a little over an hour, singing almost non-stop, and I’ve seen the energy flag at that point in many acts – you have to figure out how to avoid it, even though it’s hard to avoid. In any case, I think she felt good about it, and her husband, who hadn’t seen it since Don’t Tell Mama’s thought all the changes were so much better, which they are. With a few more performances behind her, this will all be second nature.
I came directly home, answered e-mails and then it was time to write these here notes. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must try to get some beauty sleep.
Today, I’ll be meeting Jane and Keith around nine, and we’ll take a nice walk and hang out for a while. Then I have some errands and whatnot to do, hopefully some packages to pick up, then I’ll work on some of the projects we’re prepping, and then we have our stumble-through. After that, it’s show number two. There’s a partay after, but I don’t think I’ll be going, since the show won’t wrap till ten-thirty and I have the Kritzerland show the next day.
Tomorrow I shall relax and then we’ll be doing the twenty-third Kritzerland show – The Alan Jay Lerner Album. I think we’ll have a nice-sized crowd for this one. Next week will all be work on the eight to ten projects that are coming up. Track titles, liner notes, packaging – all of it. There will also be meetings, meals, and hopefully a trip to Teddy for a haircut.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, meet Jane and Keith, do errands and whatnot, hopefully pick up some packages, do a stumble-through, then see show number two at the Gardenia. Today’s topic of discussion: Of the albums I’ve produced – solo, concept, etc. – which would you most like to see as a Kritzerland show – remember, we’ve done twenty-two now – also, what composer/lyricist would you have liked me to have done a tribute album for? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland on this final day of June, June, June, which, of course, ended on a high Follies note.