Now Available! "CAB FAB"
~ Note from Andrea ~
This album, OK , CD...is dedicated to the man who let me know that I had a talent to share. Without Michael J. Hanning, I may not have ever realized I had anything to offer this world with my voice. As it seems to be a recurring theme in my life, others seem to have way more faith in me & my talents than I have in my own. So, I am forever grateful for him and the love, support and guidance he gave to me, always.
Rest in peace, you sweet, funny man!
Also, the track, "Our Love is Here to Stay", is dedicated to the indelible memory of Rich Williams, woodwind player extraordinaire, pianist, band leader, excellent teacher & composer w/a photographic memory, (damnit!!!). He came to Colerain H.S. as a TA for the band from Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music, but I got to know him when he played sax for me at a school assembly (Hopelessly Devoted to You, does that date me???). After that he asked me and my friend, Steve, if we would like to learn more about jazz & contemporary music after school. We both jumped at the chance! He had us sifting through the classics. For me it was Carole King, Roberta Flack and Ella Fitzgerald that lit my fire. I still have the original, though yellowed mimeographed copies of the music he gave me. I was a Jr. in H.S. who had no idea of what to do in college, no less in my life. But, one day after school, Steve couldn't make it and Rich & I went ahead working on my songs. We were to begin with "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack. I loved that song....check...I LOVE that song! I remember that he was on my left at the upright piano in the music room. He started playing and I began singing. My hand on his shoulder, I had my eyes closed, delving deeper into the reality of the song. I am not sure where it began, but I seemed to be transported to another place, time or reality.
As I sang, all I saw in my mind's eye was the blue-blackness of the Universe and the brightly shining stars in it. It was then that a wave of great awareness showered over me. I could feel it physically too. The message was clear to me. I was put here to sing. THIS is what I was put here to DO!!!! I immediately felt ecstatic!!!! I KNEW what I was here to do!!! (plus this meant I could drop Elementary Analysis, which I was most likely going to fail, no matter how gorgeous Mr. Bates' forearms were!! Really, they were amazing.) So, I finished the song, opened my eyes & was about to tell Rich about what had just happened to me, when I saw he was looking at me, dumbfounded, with a single tear dropping down his red-bearded cheek. I said to him, "What's wrong?". He said, "What just happened? Where did you go?". I excitedly relayed the experience to him and then silence fell as I waited for his response. He looked at me with his eternally kind eyes and said, "I stopped playing at about the second stave."........I, however, had completed the whole song...Rich was taken from this world WAY too early and so many of us miss him so much. But, his presence will always be felt.
Thank you, my Universal friend, for helping in so many ways on this musical journey. I look forward to the next 'go round' we have!!
See you then! (but, this next time can I be the one with a photographic memory??? OK, just asking : )
This album, OK , CD...is dedicated to the man who let me know that I had a talent to share. Without Michael J. Hanning, I may not have ever realized I had anything to offer this world with my voice. As it seems to be a recurring theme in my life, others seem to have way more faith in me & my talents than I have in my own. So, I am forever grateful for him and the love, support and guidance he gave to me, always.
Rest in peace, you sweet, funny man!
Also, the track, "Our Love is Here to Stay", is dedicated to the indelible memory of Rich Williams, woodwind player extraordinaire, pianist, band leader, excellent teacher & composer w/a photographic memory, (damnit!!!). He came to Colerain H.S. as a TA for the band from Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music, but I got to know him when he played sax for me at a school assembly (Hopelessly Devoted to You, does that date me???). After that he asked me and my friend, Steve, if we would like to learn more about jazz & contemporary music after school. We both jumped at the chance! He had us sifting through the classics. For me it was Carole King, Roberta Flack and Ella Fitzgerald that lit my fire. I still have the original, though yellowed mimeographed copies of the music he gave me. I was a Jr. in H.S. who had no idea of what to do in college, no less in my life. But, one day after school, Steve couldn't make it and Rich & I went ahead working on my songs. We were to begin with "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack. I loved that song....check...I LOVE that song! I remember that he was on my left at the upright piano in the music room. He started playing and I began singing. My hand on his shoulder, I had my eyes closed, delving deeper into the reality of the song. I am not sure where it began, but I seemed to be transported to another place, time or reality.
As I sang, all I saw in my mind's eye was the blue-blackness of the Universe and the brightly shining stars in it. It was then that a wave of great awareness showered over me. I could feel it physically too. The message was clear to me. I was put here to sing. THIS is what I was put here to DO!!!! I immediately felt ecstatic!!!! I KNEW what I was here to do!!! (plus this meant I could drop Elementary Analysis, which I was most likely going to fail, no matter how gorgeous Mr. Bates' forearms were!! Really, they were amazing.) So, I finished the song, opened my eyes & was about to tell Rich about what had just happened to me, when I saw he was looking at me, dumbfounded, with a single tear dropping down his red-bearded cheek. I said to him, "What's wrong?". He said, "What just happened? Where did you go?". I excitedly relayed the experience to him and then silence fell as I waited for his response. He looked at me with his eternally kind eyes and said, "I stopped playing at about the second stave."........I, however, had completed the whole song...Rich was taken from this world WAY too early and so many of us miss him so much. But, his presence will always be felt.
Thank you, my Universal friend, for helping in so many ways on this musical journey. I look forward to the next 'go round' we have!!
See you then! (but, this next time can I be the one with a photographic memory??? OK, just asking : )