I don’t usually use this website for calls to action, but a friend of mine is in trouble, so I am making an exception. I met Richard Dean (everyone calls him Dean) nearly 30 years ago when he was a young hip-hop producer in the Washington DC area. He later resurfaced in my world as a self-taught and self-employed film editor of tremendous industry and talent. We’ve worked together on many films, and I have always been blown away by what he brings to these projects. Unfortunately, Dean has recently had some health challenges that have kept him from working, and in order to get back to work he needs a specially adapted vehicle that he can’t afford. I’ve started a GoFundMe campaign to help. If you are able to donate or to spread the word about Dean’s situation, especially to any film editors you may know, I would be very grateful. Here is a link for more information: Richard Dean GoFundMe Page
Who uses four pianists for one show? My friend Dick Kaufmann does! I recently played at the crooner’s spectacular 80th birthday concert, at which he performed with an impressive array of musicians and singers he has worked with over the years. I played guitar and tenor banjo, along with one piece on piano. The other pianists were bandleader Glenn Pearson; Rich Dworsky of A Prairie Home Companion; and Lee Muziker, who has been the music director for both Barbara Cook and Tony Bennett, among many other credits. Everyone played great, but as a pianist I can tell you that Muziker’s musicianship is not to be believed. His accompaniment sounds like a combination of Igor Stravinsky, Fats Waller, and Frederic Chopin. The moment from the concert I will always remember — well, along with the audience’s delight when Kaufmann brought out his friend and surprise guest Garrison Keillor for a duet — was when I stood in the wings with Pearson and Dworsky, all of us amazed at the fluid genius of Muziker. Sometimes your role as a musician, and a person, is simple appreciation.
Getting ready for the Chaise Lounge gig at The Hamilton. How weird is it that I am spending more time picking out a suit than I am going over any ragged musical details? I have decided on the mauve one FWIW.
Description: A musical road trip. My parents used to drive us up Route 1 from Virginia to Maine each summer. This is my memory of that journey. Some orchestras have chosen to program individual movements of this piece, especially “The Detour, the Argument, and Finally, the Map” (Movement 3) and “Home” (Movement 4).
Description: A misty, romantic piece about going to a tiny carnival in a small town at night. The movements are based loosely on the experiences of the attractions at the carnival. This recording features clarinetist Ben Redwine.
Instrumentation: harp, strings, solo clarinet
The Fireman’s Carnival – Movement 1 – Twilight Bicycle Ride
The Fireman’s Carnival – Movement 2 – Shooting Gallery
The Fireman’s Carnival – Movement 3 – Ferris Wheel
The Fireman’s Carnival – Movement 4 – House of Mirrors
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