· 1. LOVE ( The Album )
· 2. LOVE ( The Concert )
· 3. BELOVED ( A Musical Theatre piece in 1 Act )
What many people don’t know is that I have been developing
this project for 5 years now. It began with the album. I started the LOVE album
with my then music director Albee Barr and during the pre-production Albee was
diagnosed with cancer and within weeks of his diagnosis he left the planet.
The album was shelved until my friend referred me to an engineer who agreed to take over the production. That’s when the new engineer and I discussed a totally different direction for the album and it changed from an easy listening album with well known and obscure love songs to a more full on pop scale album.
I’d always wanted to record something more innovative with a
popular essence and Stefan was just the producer /engineer to realize this
desire. The album is first of all orchestrated completely with what is known as
virtual instruments. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_instrumentation
I was fascinated by this technology and immediately embraced
it. I believe in taking full advantage of new technology and pushing it to the
max. Many of my colleagues who are what I might call purists when it comes to
this subject don’t appreciate virtual instrumentation but the fact of the
matter is that we live in a new era and this is what’s new and I am always
curious about what’s new. Many of the
songs featured on the album were written well before this technology even
existed and those are the most challenging to produce. But what I like most
about this album is that it’s a mix of past, present and future. It is
definitely a new direction in my recording efforts and I’m still as excited
about it as I was from the very beginning.
It is exciting to be enveloped into a world that feels simultaneously idiosyncratic and completely genuine. ~ Remy Block - Broadway World
The Concert was originally intended to promote the album and
it does to a degree based on the songs selected for its storyline within the
concert. Music Director Alex Leonard was
really the driving force behind the development of this point in the trilogy. www.alexleonard.com I met Alex one night singing at a restaurant
through my friend Sandy. I have amazing friends who hook me up with just the
right people, sometimes I think sometimes others know better what is best for me than I do. Although I had
never heard or seen Alex perform I took an instant liking to him. What I
remember most about first meeting him was how dignified and cordial he was.
What is the most pleasant surprise of all is that he is that way all of the
time. I began making trips across the river to meet with Alex and one day we
got into a conversation about a relationship I was involved in during the 80’s
and early 90’s. At some point Alex said “that’s your show” and my mental
reaction was can I pull something so personal off in a club setting? The story was already a segment within the Musical Theatre piece Beloved which I’d been writing. That’s when it dawned on me that the
concert was to actually become the second point in the trilogy in combination
with the album and the play. Metropolitan Room is the most amazing performance space and the Furshpans are a delight to work with. The concert is fulfilling to me because it allows
me to not only perform the songs featured on the album but to also include
songs omitted from the albums final song list. What really makes the music blend with the story is the arrangements Alex charted for these selections. The concert is a musical
documentary based on a true story but weaved together with many of my favorite
compositions. Towards the end of the concert we feature a song titled “My Two
True Loves” composed by Marc Mc Barron Kessler.
Reviews for LOVE...The Concert
BELOVED is the third point in the LOVE trilogy. I am writing
this story while Marc is composing the score. http://www.marcmcbarronkessler.com/ .
I was aware of Marc McBarron Kessler’s work before I had actually
met him. I was impressed enough when I first heard his music online that when
we finally wound up in the same room with each other I knew right away that it
was him and it made me somewhat anxious to finally meet him. I was singing at an open mic that my friend
Sarah was hosting. Being curious when
she invited me to come and sing and as fate would have it Marc was there to
also sing some of his work. Marc had presented his own show sometime before in
this same club and so he already knew his way around the set-up. He was talking
with another person at my table and so I didn’t find it appropriate to
introduce myself then but instead wait until a more gentle moment. When he got
up to sing one of his songs I was mesmerized and when he finished I knew I wanted
to sing that song. I affectionately
refer to this song as LOL or as we know Lullabies Of Lies. We started to hang
out and sing and during that time I told him my stories and he shared his with
me too. I felt comfortable in his presence and was inspired. When Marc had played his first piece for the show ,
through his psychic gift he had encapsulated the real essence of the story
Beloved. Our collaboration is one of
real ease and good communication. I’m always excited when he and I are creating
together. While things like this take a while to produce I’m enjoying every
step and leap in its progress. St.Marc is without any doubt the composer who consistently
demonstrates imaginative soul. Alex Leonard is half the whole heart in LOVE…The
Concert. And Stefen is the visionary for what’s yet to hit the airwaves.
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