That night at Birdland
If my head was not attached to my neck.... I meant to post this right after the gig a month ago, and realized (with some bemusement and embarrassment) that I never said anything about how the Birdland show went, at least not in the Land o' Blog. So here is the set list, with my apologies for the delay.
1. Something’s Coming Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim
2. On the Street Where You Live Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
3. Seven Years in Four Minutes Medley arr. by Tex Arnold and Laurel Massé
4. Think About Your Troubles Harry Nillsson
5. Dublin in the Rain Hubert “Tex” Arnold / Carol Hall
6. Can’t Teach My Old Heart New Tricks Richard Whiting/Johnny Mercer
7. Minuet and Gigue Johann Sebastian Bach
8. My Blue Heaven Walter Donaldson / George Whiting
9. It’s Only a Paper Moon Harold Arlen / E.Y. Harburg & Billy Rose
10. Dividing Day Adam Guettal
11. Crazy Willie Nelson
12. It’s Only a Broken Heart Carol Hall
13. Old Devil Moon Burton Lane / E.Y. Harburg
14. Obsession Medley: Losing My Mind Stephen Sondheim
With Every Breath I Take Cy Coleman / David Zippel
Breathing Michele Brourman / Amanda McBroom
15. Fascinating Rhythm George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
16. Finding Beauty Ann Hampton Callaway
(Encore: Doodlin’ Horace Silver / Jon Hendricks)
Seven Years in Four Minutes is my Manhattan Transfer medley, by the way.
In all this I was ably assisted and inspired by Tex Arnold on piano, Richard de Rosa on drums, and Steve LaSpina on bass. Everything went very very well, and I was specially pleased that the new pieces were as I had heard them in my imagination. What a great rhythm section!
The audience was wonderful, too. Folks were there from many different parts of my life: Transfer, jazz musicians, Cathedral choir folk and clergy and volunteers, classical musicians, Ashokan friends, blog readers, media, fellow artists, students, Yale Cabaret folks. Very fine indeed.
My secret wish,though, is this: one day, having just sung the last notes of the Bach piece, I will see my cello teacher from Paris, Alain Meunier, in the house, smiling and applauding. That will really be a dream-come-true.