Michael West is one of my favorite vocalists.  He has a natural easy delivery and a smooth voice that I could listen to all day.  His presence and emotive qualities really bring me in as a listener.  He's the same on stage.  He deserves to be heard.  Anyway,  Michael got Freddy Freeman to work up an arrangement of a Christmas tune I wrote and it's now posted over on his site.  Click on his pic in the friends section of my site and let he and I (and Fred for that matter) know what you think.  Here's the story of the tune.

Last year (2007) the Sterling Awards had their annual benefit fund raiser in December like they always do.  The Awards are for professional theatre in Edmonton and the awards are held in June to honour the season just past.  The fund raiser is to acquire money for the awards, pay for a theatre setting which can accomodate the five hundred or so folk who come and assist with costs of the awards banquet.  Anyway, Judy Unwin, a local theatre stalwart here in Edmonton and someone who I've sound designed for in the past, gave me a buzz and asked me if I would write a Christmas song for the show.  I laughed at her and asked her if she had ever listened to any of my material as I'm not quite a Christmas song kind of guy.  She said she didn't care and wanted me to try anyway so I thought "ok, I'll write something, she'll hate it, they won't want to use it and that will be that."  I came up with something which has agnostic and existential leanings and called her.  She got me to sing a bit of it to her and I did.  Well, long story short, she loved it, asked to sing it with me as a duet, folk in the audience asked me to come and play it at other Christmas shows that they were arranging and it still went over gangbusters.  I thought, 'that was fun' and I assumed end of story.  Not quite....  I played the tune for Michael West and Freddy Freeman when we were all scheduled to be playing the Milwaukee Pride festival cause I thought it was the kind of tune that Michael could really deliver.  Michael liked it and unbeknownst to me when they got back to Nashville, they decided to work up a version of it with Freddy producing and Michael singing.  It's really a seasonal song for the rest of us.  It's now posted over at Michael's site.  Hope you enjoy it and best of the season to all.  Let us know what you think.  cheers and the season's best to all of you.  I certainly hoped you're all feeling loved because you most certainly are......andy

Ok, you guys, I've told you before and I'm telling you again, go check out Nick Granato's music.  Number 1 at Outvoice.com more weeks that even he'll admit.  Stonewall Society artist of the year.  Beautiful range, polished delivery, heartfelt writing that moves a heart the way the best do.  Refined, well produced, and immediately listenable tunes from one of the most deserving people on the planet.  Please support him.   Do it now, click away from here and go to http://www.nickgranato.com

listen, buy, support and check him out live if you're lucky enough to be around for his shows.

Why are you still here.  Click now.  :)    hugs all

andy

Last day of Hospitality Days in Bathurst last night and I dropped in to catch "Trooper" another of the great Canadian party bands.  Those of you who caught Linda Wood Edwards' "Spring Alibi" will remember that my character of Mac was a huge Trooper fan.  Anyway I caught up with the lead singer Ra McGuire after the show and had him sign a copy of his book for Linda.  Told him about the play and how we got to the Embassy in Washington.  He was very proud that Trooper music was featured in the play (as our curtain call music) and that the band was referenced in the play.  He asked me to send him the story at Trooper.com which I'll do as he wants to give Linda a link for the show.  Fun eh?   Back to Edmonton on Thursday the 31st.  Looking forward to seeing Dennis.

Edmonton Fringe Reviews have been coming in with the reviewers enjoying both "True Grid" and "A Poster of the Cosmos".  Reviews range from 3.5 stars to 5 stars.  Crowds at the shows have been great with all three of True Grid's performances selling out and 'Poster' close behind.  We're grateful and glad you're enjoying the shows.  Please feel free to comment if by sending an email or message.  Cheers Andy.

We start off touring Poster of the Cosmos by Lanford Wilson to the Winnipeg Fringe Festival.  We had hoped to do this show as a co-presentation with another show but unfortunately the other show was unavailable to us at the last minute. We'd like to apologize to anyone who had hoped to see the second piece as we were excited to bring it to you but unfortunately a snag with the rights has prevented us from proceeding so the show will be comprised of Lanford Wilson's "A Poster of the Cosmos" by itself.  It's really too bad as Melissa Thingelstad was so impressive in the titular role of the other piece and we had hoped to feature her but we'll find something else to feature Melissa in and hopefully this will be ready for the Edmonton fringe.  Russ Hewitt took some great shots for us and Brad Fischer is working on a poster.  I'll post when it's available.  We open in Winnipeg on July 19 at 9:00 pm in Venue 6 MTC warehouse.  In the meantime I'm also rehearsing for TRUE GRID, the new show from Linda Wood Edwards about rabid Edmonton Eskimo football fans who have their lives and superstitions disrupted by a beautiful new stranger who occupies a seat that's been vacated by a friend of the other three male cast members.  It's a funny and novel look at what people will do to keep their quirks intact and respected.  It goes up for Edmonton's 2007 Live and Let Fringe on August 18.   We'll also be doing A Poster of the Cosmos for Edmonton's fringe festival so I'm going to be an actor doing rep.  Kind of daunting but I'm looking forward to the drill.  Please try to see our shows if you can, times and dates are listed on the site.  In September I'll be heading to Nashville for Bearapalooza and then home to record the third album with Jan Randall, Pat Campbell and others.   Talk soon.  Say hello when you can.