mark isham and “the express”

last week i sang on a film score for my friend, the brilliant film composer mark isham.  the film is called, “the express” and stars dennis quaid and rob brown. it is the true story of ernie davis, the first black heisman trophy winner.  it looks to be a great film!   the score is very dynamic and largely orchestral.   my melody lines were written to be sung with a fairly pure tone.  mark didn’t ask me for a typically “classical” tone but did want me to use my voice as an instrument, stepping out in front of the orchestra at points with the intention of giving a more directly human feel to the some of the more emotional points of the story.  i love using my voice this way.

i played saxophones in junior high and high school and then in college my best friend and  roommate was cuong vu, one of the truly great modern trumpet players.   from when i was a kid and up throughout that time in college in boston, i was very into jazz music and particularly singers that sounded like horn players and horn players that sounded like singers.  specifically, i spent a lot of time with sarah vaughn, rickie lee jones and billie holiday in the first category and chet baker, sonny rollins and miles davis in the second.   i am very interested in the different sounds, tones and colors that a horn or a voice can make.  so anytime i can use my voice as a horn, i am happy as a clam.  no pun intended.  the film will be out this spring and i will let you know when i hear more on that.

here’s a new section of the blog:

ANSWERS……..

menno from amsterdam.  you named your cat after me.  hmmmm…….i’m not sure i believe you.

my friend from the people’s republic of china.  in general, YES, I PLAN TO GET OVER TO YOUR SIDE OF THE WORLD.  in specific, the truth is a little more drawn out.  these days what i am thinking about it making a new album.  when that is done, i will set about putting a team together to get it and me everywhere.  the last couple of years since leaving warner brothers have been a time of constantly reconfiguring my goals, beliefs and ways of getting things done.  some of my friends say, “you have an album that you just put out, “songs for tuesday”! tour now!”  but, all i am thinking about every day is a new album, and to do otherwise feels like going backwards.  anyone that has been with me for even a little while, will agree that this lag time between my making an album and then promoting it, touring etc, is just way out of hand.  it won’t always be that way.

so, right now, here’s what i’m up to: listening to leonard cohen, thinking about doing a covers album while writing songs for my new album, working on a new video for bubbles & cheesecake, doing some background vocals for my friend idina menzel who has an album coming out soon, writing songs with my friend che pope for our album tentatively titled, “i wear high heels to make coffee”, singing commercials, teaching voice and the rest of my time is about joe and the animals, spooky, milo and me-you-key.

okay menno, maybe i do believe you after all. my girl cat me-you-key, i just remembered, is named after a beautiful lady i knew from japan.

gerry from edinburgh…..i loved that show at the olympia theater!  i remember that is was such a gorgeous place.  we’ll get back there soon and i will let you know.  are you on the email list? there’s a sign up form on the news section of this site if you want to make sure to hear bout everything.  thanks for keeping up with me.

jenn…yeah, the youtube biz was surreal.  now after some time has gone by, it doesn’t seem like such a big deal.  it feels like that kind of vitriole is just par for the course when you hold up anything to public scrutiny.  there’s always gonna be somebody with something to say. thanks for your support.

lee!  don’t worry. when it goes quiet it just means that i am working and moving fast and the days are filled from top to bottom.  happy new year to you too!

xoxohp