It’s been SO long since I’ve written…again I’ve allowed too much time to go by without posting on either one of my blogs. There is just so much to do, and so many hours.

The band and I had our CD release party at Yoshi’s San Francisco in October. It was truly gratifying and wonderful to see so many of my friends who had driven over 60 miles to see us…from Santa Rosa all the way down to San Jose and all points in-between, I realize how many people I know! and how many of them like the music enough to travel on a week day night to hear us. Thank you EVERYONE who came to the show! I LOVE you guys!

Anyway, I woke up sick that morning, and thought I would share with you my remedies that helped me sing my heart out that night, have a great show, and feel really good about it when I was done. I awoke with a completely swollen throat and glands, couldn’t swallow without intense pain, major headache, and really bad body aches…naturally, I haven’t been sick in YEARS, so of course would wake up sick on a very important day! I allowed myself to panic for exactly 30 seconds, then made my plan. I hope it will help any singers out there who find themselves facing an important show with a sore throat or flu. Here’s what to get, and what to do:

1. Licorice root tea (loose tea, or tea bags such as “Throat Coat” by Traditional Medicinals); this is a MUST! Make sure you sip the tea through out the day, and definitely take a cup of it on stage with you if you can. It’s naturally sweet, and keeps your mouth moist on stage. Plus, it really does soothe your sore throat. I depend on licorice root tea and it’s really saved me.
2. Raw, organic, local honey: if you can get this, I’m not kidding…it’s awesome. It immediately soothes the throat, and also gives you some quick energy. I was so tired, and my body was so sore, the honey felt like an internal balm. Honestly. I had several tablespoons throughout the day, and brought it to the gig. I took a spoonful about five minutes before going on stage, and sipped the tea afterwards. Yum.
3. “Singer’s Saving Grace” throat spray: this is an herbal remedy. It also contains licorice root, as well as Yerba Mansa and others. It is in an alcohol base, so don’t use it exclusively, as alcohol will dry out your throat passages. It’s strong, and it does bring relief. I use one or two sprays, followed by a licorice root chaser…yum. (not really…it’s not yummy, sorry).
4. Lots of water, room temperature.
5. TAKE A NAP in the afternoon.
6. DO NOT WHISPER!!! That is the WORST thing you can do to your throat when it’s swollen. Whispering forces the air through your vocal chords in an unnatural way, and puts even more stress on them in their weakened state.
7. DO KEEP TALKING, AND SINGING. Talk quietly, sing a little bit throughout the day. I have some operatic vocal techniques that I have relied on for years. When I’m sick, I do a few of those exercises without straining. If I am able to do them, I continue for just five minutes or so, then stop. If I am unable to do them, I don’t panic. I stop, rest for a while, take some honey, and try again an hour later. Do this in intervals throughout the day. You want to keep your vocal chords working, and very slightly warmed up. This is so you don’t go on stage with ‘cold’ chords, and do more damage.
8. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you should NOT talk at all. That’s not true….keep your chords working gently, a little bit at a time, as the day goes on. In the evening, an hour before your show, do your warm up, very slowly, for about ten minutes. Rest, then warm up again, for ten minutes, fifteen minutes before you go on.
9. BREATHE. Deeply, quietly, alone if you can, before you go out there. Close your eyes, and imagine yourself singing the BEST show you’ve ever done. FEEL how great it is when your voice is strong and clear and you are in complete control. Focus your attention ONLY on that. It’s hard to do, because being sick might make you feel a little more nervous…I know I was! The breathing really helped.
10. Oh yes: the chef at Yoshi’s made me a HUGE bowl of some wonderful Japanese broth, with seafood, mushrooms, veggies and noodles. It was SO good, and I felt like new afterwards. I ate it in the dressing room an hour before singing, and it kept me going all night. I love Japanese cuisine! If you can’t get Yoshi’s marvelous soup, try to get some nourishing soup without a lot of salt in it. And no cream-based soups. Even though they say you shouldn’t drink dairy before you sing because it “coats your throat” or creates more mucus, my thinking is more along the lines that it just slows you down…it’s too heavy. Know what I mean? Of course, I am not a doctor, nor an expert, but my experience through many years of singing is that drinking milk doesn’t effect my throat…it effects the way my BODY feels - heavy, slow, yuck - so I avoid it.

So that’s my plan for taking care of myself when I have to sing an important show while nursing the flu or a cold. If you have other tricks you’d like to share, feel free to add your comments.

Well, I’m kidding, of course. I think.

Can’t believe it’s been almost two months since I’ve had the time or the inclination to post anything to this blog. I’ve been so focused on recording, mixing, mastering, doing the graphics, getting the liner notes, manufacturing, making mistakes, fixing those mistakes, spending way more money than I planned, marketing, promoting, obsessing, worrying and planning…oh, I’m sorry…did I go off on a tangent? Uh..yeah! Hello, Elaine? Your Life is on the phone…could you please answer now?

Meanwhile, I’m running my own business (Girl Friday Virtual Marketing), raising a daughter (well, she’s grown up by now…how did that happen so fast?), and trying to just maintain a sense of sanity and stability during this amazing time of change and growth in my personal life, and in my family, my community, and the country and the world….my head is spinning as I type this!!

You know that Paul Simon song: “Maybe I think too much, maybe I think too much oh ooooh, maybe I think too much, maybe I think too much oh ooh…”

well, he just sings that line over and over…geez…ya think??

Maybe I think too much!!!!

The CD, “Let’s Live Again,” has been mailed to media, and Monday it gets mailed to over 250 jazz radio stations across the country. It’s so exciting, and so gratifying that people seem to really like it. I had doubts, because I never think it’s EVER good enough, no matter what. But with this project the big lesson was learning to LET. GO….just LET. IT. GO.  For a control freak perfectionist that is a tall order. The process is just so much darn fun, though. I LOVE to record! So much hard work, and time, invested; I can only believe that it’s “worth it,” but really the way I think of it…it’s simply what I have been compelled to do. And I love every minute of the process.

So, it’s painful, you’re forced to grow, to stretch, and give birth to your creation through those labor pains. ALMOST as fun as giving birth (which I loved)!!

Are you an artist? musician? dancer? writer? actor? scuptor?

What’s your process about?

I’d love to hear from you!!

OK, OK, it’s not THAT bad! Mixing is actually quite fun. No, honest…really. It IS!

As I mention in Part I, you need to start with vocal tracks that are pristine, ‘dry’ (no effects), and of the very best performance quality. Think of the mixing procedure as the Recipe, and you are the Chef. You MUST have the freshest, highest quality ingredients before you begin putting it all together…the sum is only as good as the parts! So…let’s start mixing!

Generally speaking, I ask the engineer (my engineer is the fabulous Jamie Bridges, of “Room With a View Studio” in Petaluma, CA) to first mix the instrumental tracks separately from the vocal tracks. “But I thought we were going to start with mixing my VOICE!!” Well, “Patience, Grasshopper,” is my response to you, O Impatient One. You need to build the ‘frame’ for your fabulous vocals FIRST. THEN you mix your vocals….So, where was I? Oh yes… (more…)

Yesterday I had a very long telephone interview with jazz historian, writer and all-around groovy guy Scott Yanow, who is writing my new bio and the liner notes for the upcoming CD release. (Hint for you singers and musicians out there - Hire Scott to write for you!! Even though I’ve been writing for years, it is much easier to have someone else write your history. I tried writing my own bio but got so bogged down and oh man I don’t even want to write about my inability to write!! Fagetaboutit, already!!!)

ANYWAY - the interview brought up so many memories - experiences and people I haven’t thought of for years - that I told Scott when he finished interviewing me: “This is better than therapy! You should charge me for a psychiatry session!” In fact, I’ve been up since 3:30 this morning (it’s 5:30 a.m. right now), unable to sleep with all these memories and thoughts “swirling ’round in my brain like the bubbles in a glass of champagne…” It really went to my head!

And something occurred to me that I wanted to pass on to you other singers, musicians and artists who are struggling with your own creative processes. The thought is this: Become fearless again. Wow…pretty deep, huh? But really - (more…)

Yesterday was a really fun day in the studio! I had decided that on one song in particular, an accordion would add a beautiful ambiance, a little bit of sparkle, to an already great arrangement that Gerry Grosz wrote for me. The song has a tango or rhumba feel to it, and I sing the last half of the song in Italian.

So, I hired Steve Albini, and really great accordion player (and an even greater singer!) to come in and add a little spumoni to the song…and it sounds so cool, I LOVE it!

It was a very interesting process, as Steve has such a different (and lovely) sense of melody/harmony than I do. And working with another chordal instrument was challenge, since I’ve already got piano, guitar and vibes providing the harmonic/chordal structure underneath the songs. So - how to add accordion without making everything sound muddy?

Luckily, it was really easy, with Steve! We did several tracks, and I sang the parts that I wanted him to play. He did a great job, but it wasn’t quite what I was looking for.

I decided to open the bottle of Italian red wine he had brought to the session (my kinda guy!) and we took a little break, enjoying the excellent bouquet and flavor of the wine and talking about Music, Life, Kids, and I also reminisced about my days singing at the Sons of Italy in upstate New York, oh soooooo long ago!

Anyway, that was enjoyable, but time to get back to work! I told Steve: “Now - just ignore everything I’ve told you to play, and play as if you’re on stage, in front of your own band, performing this song. Do whatever you want!!

Well, that was the ticket! He had incorporated my suggestions, but went with his own feelings, and of course, as usual, that worked beautifully. He did a great job, and he’s such a sweetie, too.

I’ve always wanted to add accordion, and now I have. Very soon I’ll begin posting some song samples so you can hear it!