How I Spent My Summer Vacation… PLUS… October's Reader Challenge…..

It would seem a bit odd that only now when most normal people are deciding which presidential candidate to impersonate for Halloween am I getting around to this post. However, with all of our running here and there over the past few weeks I kept getting delayed and here we are. So without any further delay on my part… my summer story….

After six years of administrating a summer conference for singers I announced my intention of taking the summer off. This was met with varied reactions from skepticism to confusion and in the case of my friend Michelle, a plot to kill me. Michelle is my “sporty” friend, gorgeous, all of five feet tall, and one hundred pounds soaking wet, but I’d never be fool enough to bet against her in a fight. She’s fierce, and burns near as many calories as Michael Phelps on a typical day. I’ve seen her eat her six foot six former pro football playing husband under the table when dessert was involved and still fit perfectly into a size four. Life is not fair. Upon hearing that I would be taking time off she announced that idle hands were the devil’s (or maybe Jenny Craig’s) workshop and that she was going to take charge of ensuring that I spend the summer attempting to do all the things I’ve never done before. Namely, golf, tennis, mountain biking, and horse back riding, with a bit of yoga thrown in for good measure. A few trips to the local ER and one near death experience quickly convinced me that I was not cut out for the sporting life and that the better part of valor would be for me to return to the world where I belonged. In this case the recording studio where all I would have to hit would be the correct notes and chances of accidental dismemberment were far less likely. So I ensconced myself in the small recording studio at Rick Jensen’s and worked on putting some of my favorite tunes and arrangements on the record. With Rick acting as arranger, and producer, Miss. Laurel advising, doing some of the co-producing and a back up vocal here and there, and my friend Lisa Poulos providing a few additional harmonies we had a grand old time. I have worked on other people’s recordings and that has always been great, but it’s nothing like doing your own thing.With Rick and Laurel I couldn't ask for better creative partners and that makes it all the more fun. I love being in the studio, and I am looking to do some more recording over the next year. In the meantime, we have been working on getting things mixed and up onto my website( http://www.wendylanebailey.com/) a tune at a time. I’ll keep you posted as things develop, and I hope you enjoy what we’ve done so far. Remember it keeps me safe and off the golf course. Alas, Michelle has not yet given up on her plan. She keeps trying to lure me back to sports with the promise that this gives me the perfect excuse to get a whole new shoe wardrobe. Any shoe that involves a rubber sole is not worth dying for. There are pictures of my sporting odyssey but I fear the world is not ready for snaps of me wielding a gold club.

All of this brings me to our October giveaway…..

First the prize: This month we’re giving away a CD devised especially for our winner with two tracks by yours truly and two by Miss. Laurel. To win you won’t even have to perform any feats of athletic prowess you just have to participate in something we Redheads are calling The 0-10 Challenge. We’re looking for cultural stuff to do that costs less than $10. All you have to do is write in with your suggestions for great entertainment that fall within that price range. Over the course of the month we’ll check them out and write about some of our favorites. The very best one (or maybe even two) will be declared our winner and gets a CD with us warbling away. Not in the NYC area? Not a problem, share some of the fun things going on in your neck of the woods that meet our criteria and you’ll be eligible too. You have till Halloween to get your entries in, so get out there and find some cheap thrills!

Words & Music & Pictures

As promised we remembered to bring out our trusty camera to memorialize our fabulous trip to DC for the Words & Music master class. Here are a few shots of the people who made it a memorable day...

Miss Wendy Lane with Tim Tourbin, her high school chum (and a darn fine singer himself) who along with his partner Jeff offered your Redheads his home for the evening before the class. Note the look of slight surprise on his face: who knew two redheads and their paraphernalia could take up almost on entire floor for on overnight trip!

Miss Laurel & Tim wondering if 8:30 AM on a Saturday is really the best time to take photos.

Class participant Maura Mendoza with our accompanist one of DC's best and best dressed Ron Chiles. (Alas, the tux wasn't for us he was off to another gig right after ours!)

Our DC Singers with Laurel: Left to right Maura Mendoza, Joanne Hyder, Christy Trapp, Laurel, Kathy Reilly, Chris Herman, and Terri Allen.

The moment we discover that we really could use a camera with a timer so that we can all be in one picture. Wendy Lane with the group.

We love coming to DC, and will be back for another class on March 14th. In the meantime big hugs and kisses from us to everyone who shared this experience with us. Special thanks is due to Tim Tourbin and Jeff Hamlin for housing us and feeding us a magnificent meal, to Terri Allen who takes care of all our class needs by booking our studio space, accompanist, and lugging and providing her sound system for our use. We couldn't have done it without you!!!!!

Our next class coming up will be on October 25th in New York City. If you want more details just click HERE and drop an email.

Kisses,

Your Redheads

The weather was dark and rainy, but the singing was full of light. That is my memory of the great workshop master class that Wendy Lane and I taught in Washington, D.C. last weekend. After a long drive from New York City, we arrived in D.C. in time for a lovely dinner with friends (and then watching the presidential debate). On Saturday morning we met with the six singers who had enrolled in the master class,and spent the next four hours working toward richer and more nuanced interpretations of the wonderful songs they brought in. I want to thank Terri Allen, Maura Mendoza, Chris Herman, Joanne Hyder, Kathy Reilly and Christy Trapp for their great work and wit. And a respectful tip of the Redhead hat to pianist Ron Chiles, who accompanied everyone with perfect taste and contributed his experience and observations to the class. It was an inspiring day.
Our next master class in the D.C area will be in March 2009, and we are already looking forward to it!

Divo Triple Header

It truly has been raining men in these parts. Hot on the heels of Miss Wendy Lane’s weekend adventure comes not one but THREE more of our beloved musicians of the masculine persuasion. And ON THE SAME NIGHT! What’s a Redhead to do? Well, in the case of this titian tressed duo we put on our party faces, fortified ourselves with Cream of mushroom soup and quiche (ahh… the culinary pleasures of fall) and sallied forth. Our first stop was midtown Manhattan where we took in our Aussie Pal, Tyran Parke’s US debut. Tyran has been making a name for himself in his homeland as a premier musical theatre performer. He just wrapped up a run there playing George Seurat in a rapturously received Sunday in the Park With George, A show which holds a special place in your Redheads’ hearts. Just the sound of the opening chords has been known to reduce Wendy Lane to tears. On this night Tyran took the stage as himself, and a charming self it is. To hear him sing is truly a wonderful experience and his performance of Sondheim’s Finishing the Hat (from Sunday in the Park) was one of the great highlights of a memorable evening. A side benefit for us was sharing a table with some of our favorite show folk including Jim Caruso, Alex Rybeck and Julie Wilson. After a quick congratulatory hug to Tyran, and a kiss to his musical director, Christopher Denny (whose talent is only exceeded by his great height, he makes even your vertically advantaged Redheads feel petite) we were off uptown as fast as the NYC transit system could carry us. Our next stop was the final moments of a house concert given by Mandolin Phenom and former Nickel Creek member Chris Thile along with bass virtuoso Edgar Meyer. Consummate musicians and lovely human beings both there is no musical style that these two cannot conquer. It was the perfect end to the evening for your Redheads who returned home to their beds quite tired but absolutely musically sated. The only downside to the evening was that we were so busy getting from one event to the next we had no time to remove the camera from the dark recesses of the bag in which it spent the evening. You’ll have to take our word for it that everyone looked divine, and we’ll make up for it in our next outing. Tomorrow we’re off to teach in DC. We’ll file a full report upon our return.

Sunday in the Theatre with Jason

I spent this past weekend with two of my favorite men on the planet, the amazingly talented, and awfully darn nice Jason Graae and Rick Jensen. Jason, one of the funniest humans I have ever met, flew in from LA to do a gig in the wilds of New Jersey, and he invited me to come along as a special guest artist. Knowing a good time is always to be had when one is with Mr. Graae I leaped at the chance. My pal Rick, composer, arranger, accompanist and all round good egg was at the keyboard for this one. It was a great gig! Jason never fails to make me laugh uproariously even after having seen and worked with him many times over the past few years. He is a master of making every moment feel fresh and spontaneous. There are always a few delightful surprises when he's on the stage. With Rick keeping up with him on the ivories much beautiful music was made. I got to sing and be silly, and it was all bliss!!!!!

Here are some snaps of my wonderful weekend...

Jason and Me: Putting our heads together

Rick & Jason: If you see these two on a stage you know you're in for a good time!

I Could Have Danced All Night

It is a wonderful thing to sing at a great club, and Birdland is definitely a great club. The sound was terrific, the lights also fine, the piano is a Bosendorfer. The staff is friendly and respectful, and the audience was wonderful last Monday night. Really, all I had to do was sing.

Back to that piano - it has extra keys at the bass end. We had no call to use those keys, but I think having extra bass strings changes the overall sound of the instrument. It was dark and rich like...hmm, like a really good Bordeaux, or like dark chocolate (two things I don't indulge in when I am performing, so it was extra sweet to have that piano).

I am already looking forward to returning.

Monday! Monday!

The only thing blue about this Monday was the nine foot electric blue Bosendorfer that shared the stage with Miss. Laurel as she warbled away at NYC's famed Birdland. The other half of your flame haired duo Miss. Wendy Lane worked the other side of the footlights on this one as creative collaborator. Here are a few pix of our grand adventure in the Land of Bird....

Your Redheads...We're a little dazed, slightly confused...but thoroughly thrilled!

Laurel with He Who Does it All, Jim Caruso

Laurel and the too marvelous for words Julie Wilson

Many thanks to the music makers who shared the stage with Miss. L, Tex Arnold who piloted the Bosendorfer, Rich DeRosa on drums, and Mike Finck on Bass. Thanks to Jim Caruso for being the most gracious host we could possibly ask for (and for providing the photos of Wendy Lane and Julie). To Sean Corcoran who ran lights and sound, and the rest of the wonderful Birdland staff you have our undying gratitude. Finally, a virtual hug and kiss to all of you who came out to share the evening with us, it could not be done with out you!