Yep. I went to Paris again. I returned to perform in the Jazz Opera: "Don't worry, Be HaRpy." It was a wonderful trip - grueling (we were driving constantly to rehearsal and soundchecks) but wonderful. But it didn't start off that way. I should note here that things got amazingly better almost immediately, but I have to describe it to you!! …
Paris and a Jazz Opera: Anxiety Sets In!
There's no turning back now! I am close to departure date and all in all I am in good shape though I haven't packed yet. I have written a list and checked it twice. I have listened to this Opera so much that I hear the melodies in my head day and night. I find myself tapping out the rhythm of the songs. Luckily, I love the songs very much and have great admiration for the composer so it's a joy actually. With each melody or song lyric I memorize comes great elation and relief. Yet I am still …
Paris and a Jazz Opera: Don’t Worry, Be HaRpy!
Happy New Year! I know it's been ages since I last wrote and to be quite honest there hasn't been too much new to tell except I did present a staged reading of one piece from my one woman show and it was well received. The response was almost overwhelming. I performed it during a cabaret show I did in late November. Since then I have mostly been scraping by as I experience some of the toughest economic times of my life. I have been poorer in the past, but I had no bills in those days. Yet, I …
What Kind of Singer Are You?
I am in the midsts of preparing for my trip to Riga, Latvia. I am a bit nervous (new band, new old material, long assed lay over in Stockholm, my thighs squeezed into a airplane seat) but ready to face what lies ahead - a brand new adventure. Ready or not, here I come! I got an emailed list of interview questions from a Latvian musician. He wanted to post it on his band's web site or something like that but it struck me how much he did not know about me. It's not his fault of course. No one …
Singing in Five Inch Heels
Just got home from a lovely two hours watching the lovely Jazz chanteuse Erin McDougald sing with special guest Kimberly Gordon at the Allerton Hotel lounge. She was adorable with her silky smooth vocals and sequined clad legs ending in patent leather five inch heels. Now don't get me wrong. That is hardly the biggest impression I have from the evening. It was a lovely, chill evening of jazz from a Chicago Jazz Diva BUT I must admit as I hobbled home in my black leather cowboy boots (with …