– News –
by Charlie Barnett | Oct 1, 2021 | Charlie's Blog, News
Working with the singer and actress Katie Ganem is a true pleasure. As the star of 19: The Musical, she brought the prickly character of Alice Paul to full and vibrant life on stage. Next, Katie brought her director’s chops to bear on my one-man show, which resulted in the album Charlie Barnett: All by His Own Self. When Katie called me earlier this year to ask if I would be interested in working with her on an album project, I instantly said yes—and that was even before I knew that her idea was to record an album of songs I wrote. The title cut, “Smart,” was written just for her. You can buy the album on Amazon.
by Charlie Barnett | Jun 16, 2021 | Charlie's Blog, Home Page, News
I have finished two musicals over the past three years. Of course “finished” is an expedient word that really means, “We’ve stopped changing it…for now.” Musical theater is a collaborative medium, and there are many tasks still to come in the course of getting either of these pieces up on a stage with costumes, sets, lighting and a pit band. Usually, a composer will hand off the orchestration of his songs to a specialist in the art, but for these two shows, I couldn’t bear to. I had to do it myself. To me, the songs aren’t a full artistic statement unless I can have a hand in constructing the final ensemble sound. If you’re curious to hear a few of the final orchestrations for the shows, you can find them at these websites: 19: The Musical, a show about women gaining the right to vote, and When We Get There, a show about a fateful car trip to Selma, Alabama.
by Charlie Barnett | May 30, 2021 | Charlie's Blog, Home Page, News
I am pleased and a little surprised to report that Out Under the Sky, the newest CD from my jazz band, Chaise Lounge, made it to number 9 on a national folk music chart. Folk? you say. That’s what I said! But when I thought about it, it made sense. The band has embraced a lot of musical styles that are pretty far afield from our original “1960’s jazz” mission statement. This album has a traditional Appalachian Christmas carol on it, along with a folksy original called “Clean White Snow” and a few roots numbers. I have always struggled to define the music of Chaise Lounge. Maybe it is “folk music that swings.”
by Charlie Barnett | May 1, 2021 | Charlie's Blog, Home Page, News
I recently finished scoring a doc called Invisible Warriors for the director Gregory Cooke. This film has been a 12-year labor of love for him—the story of Black “Rosie the Riveters,” including his own mother, who joined factory lines during World War II, but whose inspiring stories were not as heralded as those of other Rosies. With little documentation or archival footage of these women, it was a nearly impossible film to put together, but Gregory somehow managed it: The movie had a virtual premiere in March, and there has been a lot of interest from streaming services. The poster for the film, created by art director Gina Cooke, is a portrait of Ruth Wilson, who worked at the Philadelphia Navy Yard during the war and helped build the aircraft carrier the U.S.S. Valley Forge. Ms Wilson recently turned 99. I am rooting for this film and its indefatigable director. It’s time for Ms Wilson and her fellow Rosies to get their due.
by Charlie Barnett | Apr 8, 2021 | Charlie's Blog, Home Page, News
This is the star of today’s recording session. My Neptune baritone guitar. I only use this about twice a year, but it is the only way to get that perfect spaghetti Western sound that we all love. Write your piece in B minor, add tremolo, and you’re there.
by Charlie Barnett | Mar 2, 2021 | Charlie's Blog, Home Page, News
If you order a
Chaise Lounge CD from Amazon or another big retailer, you’ll receive it from a warehouse somewhere. But people who don’t make and sell records for a living are often surprised to learn that the CDs and merch they order via
the band’s online store are packed and shipped by yours truly, from a “warehouse” that doubles as my basement. If you also sell your group’s recordings, you can probably picture the shelves and boxes.
Selling CDs is a joy for me. It’s my favorite chore. I love filling orders for fans we have known for years, but I also love it when the buyer has an unfamiliar name. How did they hear of us? Are we in heavy rotation in Muncie this week? I always write a note on the outside of the padded envelope. We jokingly call our fans “Chaise Lounge Nation” and say it’s a small nation, but mighty. Each time I send off a note to a new CD owner, the nation feels just a little bit larger.
