Ad Libitum With Alex Rybeck

It’s been entirely too long since we’ve invited one of our talented cohorts to participate in our favorite questionnaire on topics musical, so after searching far and wide for just the right person to reintroduce this feature we settled on Alex Rybeck. Actually, the search wasn’t all that far or wide; I just looked across the world’s tiniest dressing room and thought “AHA!”. It has been my great good fortune to spend the better part of the last two weeks singing with Alex during Jason Graae’s stint at the Metropolitan Room. Alex has many attributes most highly prized by The Redheads: he’s a composer, pianist, arranger, and hysterically funny. Anyone who can compose a song called Sybil Why’d You Have to Split ranks high on our list of great party guests. We aren’t the only ones who crave his company. Faith Prince, Tommy Tune, Marni Nixon, Lee Roy Reams, and two of our previous Ad Libitum guests, Anne Hampton Callaway and Jason Graae, have all had the privilege of working with Alex. His latest project, Liz Callaway’s album Passage of Time, will be released October 20th, and he and Miss C will be celebrating with five shows at NYC’s Metropolitan Room October 20th – 25th. Until you can meet him in the flesh, we hope you enjoy him in the blog….

What is your current State of Mind?
More or less awake.

What was the first song you ever performed in public?
I have no idea. I am 52 years old and my memory isn't so hot. But I began playing the piano at an early age and wasn't shy when asked to play for family or company or at school assemblies. Around the age of 6, I began taking lessons and learned all those cute little pieces one learns for annual recitals. But I also composed and played by ear, and from an early age I enjoyed showing off with medleys from THE SOUND OF MUSIC, MARY POPPINS and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, or with whatever piece I'd just written. I especially loved taking requests! Clearly, from a tender age, I was destined to play in piano bars.(Too bad I never thought about passing around a tip bowl when I was six.)

What was the first musical act you ever saw in person?
First musician I ever heard was my dad playing the piano at home. He wasn't a pro, but he played very, very well, and watching him make music sparked my own interest. Hearing Artur Rubinstein playing Chopin in recital at Constitution Hall was an early memorable experience. First operas I attended were CARMEN and MADAMA BUTTERFLY. That scary Death Theme in CARMEN really got to me and appealed to my morbid nature.The first NY musical I saw was YOU'RE A GOOD MAN,CHARLIE BROWN (Off Bway), because my fifth grade teacher had played us the cast album in class.I begged my folks to see it, and so we made the trip from DC and saw it.First NYC nightclub act I saw after moving to NYC (circa 1980) was Karen Mason and Brian Lasser. MOLTO influential.

What is your idea of perfect musical happiness?
As a listener, hearing Dionne Warwick (esp.circa 1964-1975) singing those great Bacharach-David ballads. Burt playing/conducting his own music. Artur Rubinstein playing the Grieg A Minor Concerto. Thelma Houston singing Jimmy Webb ("Sunshower" album). Lehar's THE LAND OF SMILES sung by Margit Schramm and Rudolf Schock.The best of Diana Ross, Lou Rawls, Petula Clark, Laura Nyro, Dusty Springfield, Sergio Mendes, Karen Carpenter, Eva Cassidy, Luther Vandross... Billie Holiday. Esther Satterfield singing "Lullabye for Nancy Carol". The first notes of the Overture to PROMISES, PROMISES. Streisand's last note of "A Piece of Sky". "Multitudes of Amy's" and "Too Many Mornings" by Sondheim... Francis Poulenc! (2nd Movement of his Concerto for Two Pianos). Black Gospel! (one orgasmic example being Susan Quintyne and The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir performing "For Ev'ry Mountain"). The canon led by the boy soprano toward the end of Bernstein's MASS... The score to (film musical) "Young Girls of Rochefort" (Michel Legrand)...Obviously, too many treasures to name.As a composer: being in "the zone"... following a melodic or harmonic sequence in the moment of birthing it, and hitting upon something fresh and emotionally "right".As a pianist/arranger: working with great talents like Liz and Ann Hampton Callaway, or Karen Mason, for whom playing is like flying into a limitless sky. Any time I get the chance to play "The Story Goes On" for Liz is about as good as it gets -- the combination of a great song and the perfect voice to sing it never fails.And finally: being in the recording studio, hearing one's own music (be it an original song or an orchestration) come alive, and then being able to savor it afterward and share it with others.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of musical misery?

Hearing something you love and care about get massacred.

Name three composers you love and with whom you’d like to collaborate:

Burt Bacharach, Stephen Sondheim, Poulenc. (But I love so many more: Ravel. Bach. Stravinsky. Puccini. Lehar. Harvey Schmidt. Cy Coleman. John Kander. Jimmy Webb. Stephen Schwartz. Jule Styne. Margeurite Monnot. Gershwin. Arlen. Bernstein. Ellington. Jobim! Holland-Dozier-Holland! Brian Lasser... The list goes on and on.)

Four lyricists I would love to collaborate with: Lindy Robbins, David Zippel, Sheldon Harnick, Carol Hall. (Among others)

What virtue do you consider essential for every musician?
Staying open to possibilities.

What Profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Author. Illustrator. Filmmaker/film scorer. Broadway dance arranger.Witch doctor.

What profession would you not like to attempt? Toll booth collector. Policeman. Nursery school teacher. Nursing home janitor.

What is your greatest extravagance?
flying to Australia to visit someone (although at the time I would have said it was a necessity).

Who are your real life heroes?
people (past and present) who set examples of how to be decent, kind, fair, wise, compassionate, generous, funny, creative, free-thinking, risk-taking. Especially people who have overcome hardships.My personal heroes include family members, friends, colleagues, teachers, as well as folks I've never met but who inspired me by their words and/or deeds or works of art they left behind.

Where do you see yourself artistically in twelve years?

If I'm still around, I would hope to be doing what I am doing now, because I am doing what I love.

Ad Libitum with Jason Graae

Finding the right words to describe Jason Graae is something of a challenge. He’s an actor, singer, instrumentalist, voice-over artist, and musical comedian. Jason has appeared at Carnegie Hall, on Broadway, hit television shows, operas, and in his own highly acclaimed, fall-on-the-floor funny solo show. He has received the New York Nightlife Award, Four Bistro awards, and a Drama Desk nomination for Best actor in a musical. He’s also the greatest person in the world to spend an evening with at the Delta Grill eating fried okra, and gabbing, and the ONLY person to have ever hired me for my dancing abilities. Being one of the funniest people on the planet has its drawbacks, mostly that your friends are always asking you to contribute free commentary to their blogs. Fortunately, he has a soft spot for redheads, and I am thrilled to share my friend with you as this month's special celebrity guest. So pull up a chair, grab a bowl of fried okra, Girl Scout cookies, Ben & Jerry’s or whatever your guilty pleasure happens to be and enjoy…

What is your current State of Mind?
I am currently reading "The Power of Now" and am discovering the brilliance as well as the insanity that the mind is capable of.I think mine has been teetering dangerously close toward the insanity, BUT IT'S NOT ANYMORE OKAAAAY?

What was the first song you ever performed in public?
"Call Me Irresponsible" in 6th grade auditioning for "George M!"
I did get the plum role of Boy #2.

What was the first musical act you ever saw in person?
Victor Borge.He made fun of my sister coming in late for Act 2 and she was completely oblivious and I was completely mortified.

What is your idea of perfect musical happiness?
Being on the inside of a really tight chord.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of musical misery?
When my oboe reed broke in Palm Beach 2 weeks ago and I sounded like a duck with hemmrhoids(sp) and this woman in the front row had her hands over her ears. Turns out she was trying not to sneeze. But still...

Name three composers or lyricists you wish would write a song for you?
Amanda Green,Amanda McBroom,Jerry Herman

What virtue do you consider essential for every musician?
Eagerness to please 50%
To hell with what anyone thinks %50

What Profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
1st chair Oboist in a major symphony orchestra

What profession would you not like to attempt?
2nd chair oboist

What is your greatest extravagance?
My generosity and love for others.
Just kidding.
The $$ I pay my back-up girls, the Foie Graaes.
Ask Wendy Lane Bailey.

Who are your real life heroes?
Obama.my Mama.The Dali Llama.

Where do you see yourself musically/artistically in ten years?
The front room of the Duplex singing Shipoopee.

Latin For Musicians

We are delighted to have Miss. Ann Hampton Callaway
joining us this month for our Redhead Questionnaire; so much so, in fact, we decided a new name for this feature was in order. From here on out it shall be called (drum roll please...) Ad Libitum. We think it’s the perfect name to use when asking questions on the innermost thoughts of the musically inclined.

But wait there’s more…we’ve made one other important decision regarding one of our favorite recurring themes: it’s one question too short. Eleven questions are nice, but it just doesn’t have the same roundness as an even dozen, and this dear reader is where you come in. We need a doozy of a dozenth question. Dream one up, post it in the comment section by March 5th, and if yours is our favorite we’ll make it a permanent part of the questionnaire. The author of the winning query will be gifted with Ann Hampton Callaway’s latest CD At Last. Read on to hear from one of our favorite all round musicians, then speak up and tell us what you want to ask!

Presenting: Ann Hampton Callaway

Imagine pulling a random assortment of words out of the air and handing them to a songwriter, with the instruction "Make a song that rhymes, makes sense, is musically sound... and includes all of these words".

I could write that song, in six months. Other better songwriters might be able to turn that around in a week. Ann Hampton Callaway can sing that song for you instantly, in a voice as warm, sweet, and dark as buckwheat honey, arranged and accompanied by a sensitive piano player - herself.

I have never met anyone as relentlessly creative as Ann. She has a catalogue of songs recorded by some of our finest vocalists, including Streisand. She is a delightful collaborator, as I well know from my experience of singing a benefit concert with her in 2008, and is also one of the most enthusiastic colleagues I know, who, like Amanda McBroom, is quick to appreciate and encourage the talent of others.

Ann is also on my short list of favorite singers no matter what she is singing, because of that beautiful instrument, but also because of her emotional integrity. She knows what words mean, and and so when she sings a song it has layers of meaning. She can wrench your heart, and then make you laugh. Finally I deeply appreciate her positive view of life. She does not wear rose-colored glasses - she knows that bad things happen - but she doesn't wear grey ones, either, because good things happen, too, and we can make more of them happen if we join together.

I am delighted that Ann agreed to tackle the Redhead Questionnaire - read it, and get to know her a little better. Visit her website at Then give yourself the gift of her beautiful new CD, "At Last".

So (cue fanfare!), here is Ann's take on our questionnaire:

What is your current State of Mind? I am presently a bit jet lagged from my recent trip to Spain and France and concerned about some cold symptoms showing up but in a calm, contemplative mood.

What was the first song you ever performed in public? My first solo was at J.H.S 141 in Riverdale where my music teacher Miss Morris had taken a special interest in my talent. The piece was "Sempre libera" from La Traviata, the English translation. The first line was “Ever free to take my chances, ever free to follow my heart” and was somehow very appropriate for my 12 or 13 year old spirit. I still have the sheet music I used to learn the piece and my signature looks quite innocent to have sung all those runs. I remember what I wore- a purple polyester full length dress with 70’s mod flowers on it. My hair was long and parted down the middle and I must have looked like a passionate hippie dressed up for Verdi.


What was the first musical act you ever saw in person? I saw Ray Charles at The Westbury Music Fair around the age of 11. I was blown away by his music and asked my parents if we could try to get his autograph. We waited backstage for some time but were informed that Mr. Charles did not give out autographs. I think it was then that I developed the I’m-Too-White-To-Sing-the-Blues Blues which I later wrote a song about.

What is your idea of perfect musical happiness? Every time I let go with an audience, and truly allow myself to be a vessel of love, is perfect musical happiness. I feel this state more and more as I get older.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of musical misery? Hmmm, maybe singing with arrogant, bored musicians who do are butchering my charts for a loud, inattentive audience while I am navigating through vocal difficulties due to a sinus infection that won’t stop and the sound man has forgotten to turn the main speakers on and there’s feedback from the monitor that ruins our hearing while a music great who could decide my future is in the front row, an ex is heckling me and it is the only show being recorded for a live CD.


Name three composers you wish would write a song for you? Stephen Sondheim, Stevie Wonder and Joni Mitchell would be living ones.


What virtue do you consider essential for every musician? Emotional honesty.

What Profession other than your own would you like to attempt? It would thrill me to produce a truly fine work of fiction. I think in shorter forms- songs and poetry- but novelists who build vast and believable universes have my greatest admiration.


What profession would you not like to attempt? I would never want to do a job, for instance be a soldier or an armed policeman, where I would be required to possibly kill someone. Life is the most extraordinary and precious gift and I am grateful to have a profession that can celebrate this truth and rekindle the humanity and love that it takes to protect and uplift our brief time on this planet.


What is your greatest extravagance? I own a signed Picasso created the year I was born. I had no business buying it but it gives me great joy. As a child, Picasso’s expansive creative spirit, which seemed to know no boundaries, gave me inspiration to pursue the myriad facets of my imagination.


Who are your real life heroes? Everyone who wakes up in the morning and has the courage to be their true self is a hero to me. I see heroes all around me and I am especially happy to see one in the White House...”At Last.”

Proust The Musical Part II - Starring Jim Caruso

As we mentioned in our previous post we are devoted fans of Jim Caruso. Jim is a performer, producer, writer, and all round entertainment mogul. When he's not traveling the globe to perform with Liza Minnelli he can be found every Monday night running the show at Birdland's Jim Caruso's Cast Party. In addition to his many other accomplishments he is the award winning creator and producer of the Broadway at Birdland series. In an effort to discover more about the man of many chapeaus that is Jim we decided to give him our Musical Questionnaire....

The Questionnaire

Starring Jim Caruso

What is your current State of Mind?

Pleasantly confused

What was the first song you ever performed in public?

Three Little Fishies on The Ricky & Copper Show, WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, PA

What was the first musical act you ever saw in person?

My parents took me to The Holiday House in Pittsburgh to see Ben Vereen's nightclub act. It changed my life. He wore a brown jumpsuit with puffy white sleeves, sang and danced “Magic To Do.” I almost wet my pants. I also remember going to The Americana Hotel in NYC to see Phyllis Newman, and I got her autograph.

What is your idea of perfect musical happiness?

James Taylor singing Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight

What do you regard as the lowest depth of musical misery?

German Oom-pah Band/Autoharp

Name three composers you wish would write a song for you?

Jimmy Webb, Adam Guettel, Maltby & Shire

What virtue do you consider essential for every musician?

Senses of swing and humor

What Profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Architect. It just sounds cool, and you get to wear interesting eyeglasses.

What profession would you not like to attempt?

Proctologist

What is your greatest extravagance?

Ralph Lauren

Who are your heroes in real life?

Tom Viola for his tireless work at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

Robert Kennedy, Jr. for his environmental crusade

Kay Thompson for coaching every performer I love and jazzing up the sound of the movies

Thank you Jim for taking a minute to answer our questions, and we give you our solemn vow not to bring our autoharps to Cast Party. For the complete info on Jim you can visit his website at http://www.jim-caruso.com/. It's a great site and has more photos like the one above from our favorite photog Bill Westmoreland.

Post your own answers to the questionnaire in our comments section and you could win a free ticket to see Laurel Masse' at Birdland on September 15th. If you aren't in the NYC area don't that stop you we'll send you a CD if your entry is chosen. All answers need to reach us by September 10th.

Proust the Musical…..

We must confess to being fans of both Vanity Fair Magazine and James Lipton and his TV show Inside the Actor’s Studio. Our favorite part is the questionnaire that closes each. The questionnaire is “adapted” from French talk show host Bernard Pivot, who “adapted” it from Marcel Proust, who “adapted” it from an English source, who “adapted” it from heaven only knows. Let’s just say that the use of a questionnaire to get to know the deep inner thoughts of relative strangers has a long and distinguished history, as anyone who has ever gotten certain email forwards knows all too well. Your Redheads certainly like the idea of using a few well-worded questions to reveal their current state of mind, but felt that existing versions of it didn’t specifically address their musical needs. With a tip of our lady-like bonnets to all the sources that came before here is our more musical version.

What is your current State of Mind?

LM: Happy

WLB: Expectant Agitation

What was the first song you ever performed in public?

LM: The Ballad of Davy Crockett

WLB: Paper Roses in the third grade Talent show.

What was the first musical act you ever saw in person?

LM: Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians

WLB: The Osmonds at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, VA. (Give me a break, I was nine….)

What is your idea of perfect musical happiness?

LM: Perfect harmony with all

WLB: Being surrounded by musicians I love and respect to collaborate on projects that let me use my skills as a singer, writer, and creator.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of musical misery?

LM: Being prevented from doing my best

WLB: Watching other musicians have all the fun while I do the paperwork and schlep the bags.

Name three composers you wish would write a song for you?

LM: Randy Newman, Adam Guettel, and James Taylor. But if they're too busy... Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Chris Thile, Lorraine Feather, James Bassi, Amanda McBroom and Michele Brourman, and Ann Hampton Callaway. And me. I wish I would, too!

WLB: I think I’m going to exceed my limit on this one, but here goes…Amanda McBroom & Michele Brourman (since they frequently write together they count as one), Gretchen Peters, Willie Nelson, Stephen Sondheim, and John Bucchino. Johnny Mercer too, but since he’s no longer among us I think he falls into a different category.

What virtue do you consider essential for every musician?

LM: Compassion

WLB: The Ability to listen

What Profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

LM: Other profession? I am completely happy being an artist, and I would
like to expand with writing and public speaking. But a different
profession? Hmmm. Chat show host? Traveling evangelist? Dog trainer?

WLB: Historian/Museum Curator

What profession would you not like to attempt?

LM: Formula One racing. Definitely.

WLB: Anything that involves being confined in a cubicle.

What is your greatest extravagance?

LM: Books and the time taken to read them.

WLB: Wildly impractical and terribly expensive shoes.

Who are your heroes in real life?

LM: Everyone who walks or stumbles though life with a measure of grace and compassion, and is able to change the lives of others for the better. Some get more publicity than others: Mother Teresa. Dr. Martin Luther King. St. Paul. Some are unknown. It might be you, beloved reader.

WLB: My mother, who taught me to love fiercely and that to survive with wit and grace, is the highest art form.

Not being content to gaze endlessly at our own navels in a fruitless search for answers we want to hear from YOU. We’re inviting you to take one or all of the questions from the questionnaire and answer them yourself, or if you’re feeling especially inspired make up your own question. Post it in our comments section and you will be eligible for our current fabulous give away. The winner, chosen at random, will get a free ticket to see the taller half of your redheads (that would be the fabulous and fierce Miss. Laurel) at Birdland in New York City on September 15th. If you don’t happen to be in the NYC area don’t let that stop you; if you’re our lucky winner we’ll send you one of Laurel’s CD’s. All entries are due by September 10th so get to questioning…..