A Note of Gratitude
To My Beloved House Guests:
Wow! This morning I awaken with the sun shining directly into my bedroom. I feel the warmth of its radiant glow on my face. I am full of gratitude.
Like a beautiful dream, I open my eyes and wonder, “What just happened?” Trying to recall the specifics of each individual event over the past several weeks, I find it nearly impossible to do….
‘Tis been a memorable month indeed! Sharing this time with love source and masterful drummer Todd Strait setting the tempo and leading the way. I’ve been completely immersed learning, performing and recording arrangements curated by Strait’s long time mentor, colleague and friend , Bill Mays - legendary pianist, composer, arranger and producer on Grammy-nominated Bop for Kerouac (Mark Murphy Muse). To say it’s been an absolute delight to work with Mays during his visit in Oregon would be a serious understatement.
Sharing “An Intimate Evening with Bill Mays” with a SOLD OUT home full of guests last month filled my heart with more joy than I have experienced in quite some time. Hosting and rehearsing with Mays throughout the week and hearing him on my mother’s piano was beyond words incredible. Truly an elixir for my soul.. Experiencing the love and joy of my house full of guests for the concert felt like family - the kind that you get to choose. And how about the gorgeous catering by Chef Connie Jo Martin!?! Simply scrumptiously divine. YUM.
To recap.
We have had some serious sessions of making music - rehearsing, performing our house concert and then recording arrangements specifically written for Todd Strait, and me.
We also had some serious sessions of silliness and laughter as well, which is my FAVORITE way to work.
Personally, I CANNOT WAIT for Mays to return for our CD RELEASE PARTY with his wife, Judy, so we can all have some more “serious play sessions!”
Last week marked the final stage of our group's recording session at HeavyWood Studio with the multi-talented arranger, composer and Grammy Award Nominee pianist, Randy Porter. Observing Porter engineer our session at his perfectly appointed studio and work collaboratively with Mays and the rest of the trio, was an incredible Masterclass in its own right. Having such a stellar musician with refined studio sensibilities engineer your project in real time as a vocalist is simply sublime!
Imagine this. Porter at his multi- screened desk adjusting board levels with one hand while at the same time playing melody notes on his keyboard leaning vertically on his desk with his other hand as he finds the exact place in the track that holds the sour note to punch a new vocal AND simultaneously communicating with musicians on 6 separate channels as he takes only a mere second to plug in a nearby Rhodes with his big toe!
(And for those of you unfamiliar with the recording phase of music, it’s not uncommon to wait extended periods of time to hear the unedited roughs post-recording. That was not the case here. Rather, Porter sent our roughs to us before I woke up the next morning! Truly amazing!)
We recorded approximately a dozen tunes during Mays’ visit - 1/2 straight instrumentals, 1/2 with vocals and each time I listen to this music I discover yet another layer of intense beauty in Mays’ arrangements. (The song selection is largely inspired by Mays himself and they are ever-so-timely and fresh.)
As a colleague recently remarked, “Mays’ brought his 5+ decades of experience to this project” and didn’t miss a beat. I whole-heartedly agree. These arrangements tell some incredibly captivating stories and for those of you who couldn’t make the concert, you are in for a real treat! And the musicians who deliver these stories do so with exquisite finesse, dynamic energy and an earnest soulfulness that comes from deep within.
I look forward to sharing more memorable moments in music with you. So let’s keep in touch and stay tuned as we finalize this project and make plans for our CD RELEASE in the Spring/ Fall of 2024. Have a wonderful holiday season.
With love,
Billie
PS. Anecdotally, less than 4 weeks ago I lost my senior pup, Maggie, to a much larger world than the one I know. It’s been a challenging time. Part of the beauty of this past month has been YOUR collective energy, love, support and sense of community. I believe that it is these types of blessings that foster peace and balance in our lives. So. Thank YOU very much for filling my home AND MY LIFE with all of that good stuff through music. Maggie did that for me too. https://magglebutt.blogspot.com/ I really feel that her spirit remains with me, that she was very much with me this past month, and that I will continue to feel an abundance of LOVE & JOY as I honor my lil girl’s legacy and life.
I am so grateful for the ability to share MY MUSIC with you.
❤️b
