Posted on May 22, 2017 at 6:40 pm

Some nights we get to make music, some nights we get to make magic. My wonderful friend/greatest singer in the known universe Shoshana Bean came back to the SubCulture Residency for her third time, and lo and behold, miracles happened.

I love “Being A Geek” but I rarely perform it because it’s exhausting on my much-abused vocal cords; it was a real thrill to hear Shoshana dig into it – I don’t think I’ve ever heard it sung by a woman before! She also joined me on “All The Wasted Time,” which she said had been a dream of hers for years. We also got a taste of Shoshana’s glorious songwriting, when she let the band accompany her on her new single, “One Way To Go.” Sho said that “Stars and the Moon” was the first song of mine she ever learned, back in college, and she told a story about how, for years, I wouldn’t let her sing it because she was “too young.” And then, a year or so ago, I started adding the song to our sets. And, um. Well.

I got Jimmy Greene’s Beautiful Life CD a couple of years ago and reveled in his glorious music-making and the love he exuded for his daughter Ana. I can’t think of a better tenor sax player – his virtuosity and his creativity go hand in hand in hand with his enormous heart. I was thrilled – and more than a little intimidated – when Jimmy said he’d sit in with the Caucasian Rhythm Kings this month. He also brought along two of his own songs, the fierce and funky and extremely fast “Stink Thumb,” and the heartbreaking “Someday.” I loved getting to play with Jimmy, and it made everyone on the bandstand raise his game.

Meanwhile, the band went into the studio last week to start recording the new album, which I hope will be out late summer/early fall. Already some great tracks emerging, thanks to our producing wizard Jeffrey Lesser. (You can peek into our sessions with the video here.)

Hallowed Ground (2016)
King of the World (from Songs for a New World, 1995)
JIMMY: Stink Thumb (Music by Jimmy Greene; available here, from Flowers: Beautiful Life, Vol. 2, 2017)
SHOSHANA: Being A Geek (from 13, 2008)
SHOSHANA: Stars and the Moon (from Songs for a New World, 1995)
SHOSHANA: The Hardest Hill (2015)
SHOSHANA: Cassandra (from The Connector, 2016)
SHOSHANA: One Way To Go (Music and lyrics by Shoshana Bean and Britten Newbill, available here, 2017)
SHOSHANA & JRB: All The Wasted Time (from Parade, 1998)
SHOSHANA: All Things In Time (2010)
SHOSHANA & JRB: Break Me Blues (2012)
JIMMY: Someday (Music by Jimmy Greene; available here, from Flowers: Beautiful Life, Vol. 2, 2017)
Caravan of Angels (2010)
Melinda (2015)
Hope (2016)

JRB: piano, guitar, vocals
Shoshana Bean: vocals
Jimmy Greene: tenor and soprano saxophone
Todd Reynolds: violin
Jamie Eblen: drums and percussion
Randy Landau: upright, electric and fretless bass
Gary Sieger: acoustic and electric guitar

Preparing for our mad Post-Tony Extravaganza on June 12, featuring the luminous Phillipa Soo and other guests – hope to see you there! Tickets available right at this link!