I thought I would have a
quiet week, just me and the dogs… Then
Russ called and said that Ms. Roberta Flack would like me to call her that
evening... The next thing you know, I am
flying around the house packing, making lists, checking the stove, driving off
to airport, learning songs, rushing through NYC traffic to rehearsal, packing
again, flying off to St. Maarten, trying to stuff more songs into my head,
FREAKING OUT like a groupie over Maxi Priest, taking video on my hotel balcony
at 5:37AM, hopping back on a plane, packing again, back in the car and finally
collapsing right back where I was a week ago… Maybe I can
sit still for a while THIS week (probably not - LOL).
People have told me that I am
“so lucky” when they see this video of my hotel balcony view. I am indeed very Blessed, but not in exactly
the way they probably think. Although the Island was beautiful and it was definitely a privilege to be there and to see it, I was not
on vacation in St. Maarten (at least not the way most people think of vacation).
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| View from my hotel balcony |
When other
people (there on vacation) were enjoying the sun and relaxing, I was worrying
myself to death about remembering my harmony parts. I trotted through a sea of tanned sunbathers, who were playing
BINGO and drinking fruity cocktails by the pool bar, in a mad dash to eat
quickly and gather my electronics from the room in time for the bus that would
take us to soundcheck. While tourists
cooled themselves in the ocean, we baked in the hot sun checking microphones
and running through songs on stage – and finally, while most of the Island
slept, I jumped in the pool at 3:30AM, because it was the only time that I could, and took pictures off the balcony at
5:30AM. Some band members never slept at all. But you wouldn't hear any of us complain - this is what we do, and we all LOVE it.
While my schedule and
activities might have been different than what most people think of doing when
they go to a Caribbean Island for the weekend, I had an absolute BLAST just the
same. The lucky (or Blessed, rather)
part for me is that I LOVE working on music and being part of the band of
musicians. Oftentimes, we work while
others are “playing” (although it’s funny how we say that we are “playing”
music). We are incredibly fortunate in
that we are able to work at something we truly enjoy.
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| Dinner with some band and crew members before the show... |
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| At dinner... I was still reviewing my parts on headphones |
St. Maarten is
beautiful. It was rainy and windy when
we first arrived (Friday) – Tropical Storm Ernesto was responsible for cancelled flights and
we worried for a little while if some band members flying from Barbados and NYC
would make it. They did, and the
weather cleared up nicely for the day of the show (Saturday).
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| From the bus window en route to soundcheck |
I was so excited about
singing behind Maxi Priest! (For those
of you who don’t know, my first professional music experiences were when I
joined a reggae band in Buffalo, NY. We
used to cover some Maxi Priest songs and I felt like I journeyed back to my
musical roots when I heard those familiar rhythms and melodies.) Although I was there as a singer with Ms.
Roberta Flack’s band, she once recorded a very successful duet with Maxi Priest and they would be singing it in this show. Maxi performed with
his own band as well as for the duet with us.
I danced around on the side of the stage during his set – AND OH!
I forgot to tell you… I knew Maxi’s guitar player! I sang in a band in Brooklyn when I first
moved to New York and J.J. was a part of that band. I hadn’t seen him in years and it was so nice
to see him and reminisce.
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| Russell Graham, me, J.J. Sansaverino |
Our set followed Maxi’s. Ms. Roberta Flack is one classy lady. I’m quite sure I would like to be her when I
grow up. It is an absolute privilege
and honor to be a part of her band and performance. She has a love and passion for music that
shines through in everything she does and it just makes you smile. She performed some of her classics as well as
some from her new album of Beatles material that recently came out. Her band consists of INCREDIBLE musicians who are also beautiful people and it's just a pleasure to be a part of her family of musicians – and staff and crew.
Click here to preview "Let It Be Roberta" - in iTunes
It was a late show – our set
started after midnight and we didn’t end until sometime close to 2AM. I got a picture with Maxi Priest! J.J. (guitar player) introduced me. Maxi was so nice – and didn’t
mind our taking pictures at all.
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| Me and Maxi Priest! |
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| Russell Graham, Maxi Priest |
After we got back to the
hotel, I knew it was my only chance to get into the pool. So despite the fact that I had to be in the
lobby and ready to go back to the airport at 9:45AM, and it was already 3:30AM, I changed, went back downstairs, eased into the cooler, night water and swam up to the pool bar (then
closed). The sun was just coming up when
I finally got all packed up and went to bed.
The last pictures I took were of the moon still high in the sky as the whole
horizon was illuminated by the sun.
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| Can you believe this is the MOON!? |
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| Easier to tell here... |
After we arrived back in NYC
and were saying our goodbyes, Ms. Flack told us to go on and write some songs
now… vocalize, music music music… there’s no time to waste…
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