COVEpod | Carganilla Online Variety Entertainment Podcast | Storytelling, Interviews, Poetry, Music, Arts & Inspiration

Nelson Aspen & Allyson Briggs - "Tony Bennett : A Tribute" | COVEpod 41

• Paul Carganilla / Nelson Aspen / Allyson Briggs • Season 2 • Episode 1

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What if you could combine the old-world charm of retro jazz with the contemporary flair of Manhattan's cabaret scene? Our Season 2 premiere of the Cove Podcast makes this dream a reality as we welcome two sensational guests: Nelson Aspen, renowned global entertainment reporter and author, and Allyson Briggs, the charismatic band leader of Fleur Seule. Our guests give us an exclusive preview of their upcoming live performances "Tony Bennett: A Tribute", and Nelson talks about his latest book release, "Dancing Between the Raindrops: The Hollywood Years". Don't miss out on this spectacular kickoff to Season 2—it's an episode brimming with charm, nostalgia, and top-shelf musical performances.

Tickets for "Tony Bennett: A Tribute": https://thegreenroom42.venuetix.com/show/details/QbVsaj31o4LdQW96Qmaw

Nelson's book "Dancing Between the Raindrops: The Hollywood Years": https://a.co/d/027eBJ1Z

WEBSITES ---
Nelson Aspen: http://www.nelsonaspen.com
Fleur Seule: https://www.fleurseule.com

MUSIC: "La Vie En Rose" performed by Allyson Briggs & Fleur Seule
"The Lady is a Tramp" performed by Nelson Aspen w/ Allyson Briggs & Fleur Seule
"Monster Mash" performed by Nelson Aspen w/ Allyson Briggs & Fleur Seule

POEM: "Elegant (For Tony Bennett)" by James C. Allen, interpreted/performed by Craig Jackman

EPISODE VIDEOS: www.covetube.com
COVE DIRECTORY: https://linktr.ee/covepod
COVE PATREON: www.patreon/covepodcast
CONTACT: covepod@gmail.com

EPISODE PRODUCER: Craig Jackman
VOICE-OVER INTRODUCTION: Lisa Moody
SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM: Craig Jackman, Emily Thatcher, Christina Marie Bielen, Dary Mills, Amanda Benjamin
PATREON CURATORS: Jamie Carganilla, Emily Thatcher, The Faeryns, Charity Swanson, Krista Faith King, Kelsey B Gibson, Angelica Bollschweiler, Anna Giannavola, Gina Dobbs, Merrill Mielke, Susan Kuhn, Josefa Snider
INTRO MUSIC: “Papi Beat” [ KICKTRACKS ]
CREDITS MUSIC: “Fat Banana” [ KICKTRACKS ]
HOST, CREATOR, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, EDITOR: Paul Carganilla

Speaker 1:

We were at the Charlie Palmer Steakhouse in the Knickerbocker Hotel, very historic hotel where apparently the martini was created. Right, Nelson.

Speaker 2:

Well, I wasn't there at the time but, I've been trying to make up for it ever since.

Speaker 3:

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Carganilla Online Variety Entertainment Podcast. Here's your host, Paul Carganilla.

Speaker 4:

Hello everyone and welcome to Season 2 of Cove Podcast. This is the online variety show in which we aim to both entertain and inspire our podcast listeners and YouTube viewers through a wide variety of art forms, including music, poetry, storytelling, special guest interviews, travel blogs, dramatic readings a whole grab bag, a jambalaya of conversations, experiences, thoughts, reflections to listen to each week, to keep you going and get you excited when you see it drop in your podcast feed. And here in season two we will be catching up with friends we met in Season 1 and also making new friends, creators and performers with inspirational stories we've yet to explore. Today, in the first episode of our second season, we'll be doing exactly that catching up with an old pal and meeting a new one. I can't wait to dig in. But first, of course, we got to bring that cart back behind the horse and say hello and good to see you. Producer Craig Craig Jackman.

Speaker 5:

Welcome. Well, thank you so very much. I am excited as well for today's show. I mean, first of all, when we if I may say his name right now, nelson is you know when that first meeting of Nelson was just incredible, and it was. It was a fun interview, it was a great interview and he had so much to share. And when we, when you shared that we were going to once again have another interview with him to follow up with what he's doing, it was like, oh good, and now he's bringing a friend along.

Speaker 4:

That's right. And for anyone who remembers season one, if you don't remember, if you haven't seen the first episode with Nelson Aspin, go check that out. But I can tell you and those that have seen it remember. He is a global entertainment reporter. He has been for many decades. He's also the co-host of Titanic Talk with Alexandra Boyd that Everly and I actually had the pleasure of being guests on. That was a lot of fun. And he's also a published author of both fiction and nonfiction.

Speaker 4:

When we met him in season one, we talked about his book Dancing Between the Raindrops. When we met him in season one, we talked about his book Dancing Between the Raindrops and he's ready to release his follow up, the sequel, dancing Between the Raindrops the Hollywood Years. So we'll talk about that today, excited to catch up with him. But we'll also be chatting about his upcoming live shows there in Manhattan, new York City. They're going to be live on stage in a cabaret there, but they will also be streamed online. Anyone anywhere in the world can buy a ticket and check it out live. We will talk about that and we also will have the pleasure of meeting his co-star in that show, alison Briggs. We get to meet her tonight. Alison Briggs has been a dynamic band leader and businesswoman in Manhattan for over a decade. She is the founder and leader of oh, I should have asked her how to pronounce this. Do you have any idea, craig Fleur Soul.

Speaker 4:

I'd say either Fleur Soul or Fleur Soulé Okay, which is Manhattan's very own retro jazz band that brings the glamour and swinging sounds of the golden age of Hollywood to life on stage in hundreds of public and private events around the world every year. She also serves as an entertainment consultant to cruise lines, event planners and multiple Times Square hospitality teams. What makes her unique is her equal levels of experience on stage in front of clients and behind the scenes, working with those clients to bring their visions to life, offering her unparalleled work experience and insight. She has great relationships with the entertainment industry's top vendors and with her incredible team she creates unforgettable events and can't wait to talk to her and Nelson about the incredible events they have coming up in July and August. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming Back to Cove her and Nelson about the incredible events they have coming up in July and August. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming Back to the Cove podcast Nelson Aspin and welcoming Alison Briggs. Hello from across the country, friends, oh hello.

Speaker 2:

Hello Alison, Hello Craig, Fancy meeting you here.

Speaker 4:

Yes, alison. Hello Craig, Fancy meeting you here. Yes, yes, here on the interwebs, in that whole lovely introduction of Alison and Fleur Sull.

Speaker 2:

you neglected to mention how drop-dead gorgeous she is. She is also becoming known as a bit of a fashion plate, as you can see on all of her social media, she is something else. I can't say enough amazing things about this amazing woman.

Speaker 5:

I will say, when I saw the videos that we're going to share with everybody, stunning yeah.

Speaker 2:

Married. Sorry, all right. Not to me. Yes, dropped in gorgeous as well.

Speaker 4:

Thank you both for joining us and just spending some time with us telling us about the new stuff you've got going. But first, we can't go any further without introducing Allison with this 60 second icebreaker introduction challenge that we do here on the show. We challenge our guests to tell us everything we could possibly know about you in 60 seconds or less. Now, this is all the like not professional stuff, right? So I read your bio, so anything that wasn't on there that you can squeeze into one minute, I have to say Nelson Aspin, what has been the number one? Because he's got a timer in his head. He nailed it to the second. But we're not going to stop you if you go over and if you go under, I'll just have to throw some, some random questions at you. But are you ready for the challenge? Yeah, let's take it away whenever you're ready.

Speaker 1:

Well about me, besides what you did mention. Thank you very much for that. So, or anything close to that, is how you say the band name. I'm also a voiceover actor, so I do a lot of work here in my booth, talking to myself in my closet, so that's how I spend my days, and then I spend my nights behind the microphone singing and performing. I am also a parrot mom. I have a little bird named Ziggy who is my little assistant. I have a little bird named Ziggy who is my little assistant, and I absolutely love all things performing and fashion. So it's music, it's vintage fashion, it's all the parts of it the jewelry, hair, clothing, every part of it. I love it. I miss that glam and style and I'm on a mission to bring it back in everything I do, so if there's anything else that I left out, I'll think about that.

Speaker 4:

That was pretty good, Nelson. How'd she do?

Speaker 2:

She did great. I could talk about her for two hours and not just 60 seconds. But yeah, she is an amazing gifted performer, and not just with Fleur Saul and leading her band with all of this incredible music, but she is a very popular and sought-after presence. A lot of Broadway shows like for their opening parties or any of those kinds of high-end events at the high-end places around Manhattan. She appears and dazzles and she's quite famous.

Speaker 2:

It's so funny how we make cottage industries for ourselves in other countries. I had a 20-year television gig in Australia so I'm quote-unquote famous in Australia. Alison is very famous in Puerto Rico. It's just so funny how the world works and she's a global superstar and I'm so excited that I get to perform with her. And even how we met was noteworthy. I saw her at one of her gigs. I was a guest at this event and I was so dazzled by her that I sought her out to know her. I was doing a gig at the Green Room 42, where we'll be doing the Tony Bennett show. I was doing a different show at the time and I asked her to be my guest star and it was a really good way to see if we had that kind of chemistry, and we did. She's a far more gifted musician than I. She makes me better Even when we're in the studio rehearsing together. I really have to up my game because I feel like she's a superstar and I need to be better.

Speaker 4:

Well, I meant, how'd she do? As far as 60 seconds went. But that was a perfect complimentary introduction to her and thank you to everybody who's tuning in live in the live YouTube chat. A friend of yours, I assume named by the name of David Barfield, says Happy Birthday, Allison. Is it your birthday?

Speaker 1:

Thank you, david. It was on Thursday and I've been kind of celebrating all throughout the weekend, so we're stretching it out birthday week and you're joining us on your birthday weekend.

Speaker 4:

That's amazing. Thank you for that. Well, nelson mentioned this and I, of course, I had to join him, so and David's gonna give me the perfect transition into our first video we're gonna share. She, he says here in the chat she sings in multiple languages too, and we happen to have a video clip of Alison with her band, floor Soul. Thank you for letting me know how to pronounce that, and this is a little La Vie en Rose ¶¶.

Speaker 6:

The alabaster always comes out of the mouth that I hold when he takes me in his arms. He speaks to me openly. I see life in red. He asks me for love. He asks me every day and it does something to me. He is in my heart, thank you. The more I persuade him, the more I feel his heart, my heart that wants Thank you when he took me in his arms.

Speaker 6:

He told me everything I had never seen. He told me about my love, About me love, the love of all time. And I had a few days of light. He entered my heart, a path of happiness. And we talk about happiness when I take the call. I live for myself, Even if I die. He will not tell me. Il me l'a dit. Je dirai nous l'aimons Le plus jeune. Je perçois alors. Je sens dans moi Mon cœur guébain, Just on the line. I'm okay, Give me.

Speaker 4:

Fantastic Move over Louis Armstrongstrong.

Speaker 2:

I have a new favorite version of that tune edith who so right and you know I have to tell you something about allison's performance of that song. Uh, so my husband and I we've been married a while, but we'd never had a honeymoon. And we were discussing where to go for our honeymoon Anniversary's in January, and so we thought, oh, we'll go someplace warm. But we actually had Alison's, one of her albums, on Sonos, and so we were listening to that and La Vie en Rose came on as we were discussing our honeymoon and I said, honey, we haven't been to Paris since before the pandemic, and we ended up taking our honeymoon belatedly in Paris thanks to Alison's rendition of La Vie en Rose. Just happened to be playing there, that's, that's kismet, wow.

Speaker 4:

And who could blame that inspiration with such a fantastic performance? Well done. So tell me, how did you get into music and when did you start singing?

Speaker 1:

Gosh, when I was probably five, four or five, I did my first musical theater performance. It just, I think, was in me from birth. My parents played everything. I'm really grateful that they played such a wide range of styles because it exposed me to so much, from a lot of Frank Sinatra, but also the Carpenters, opera, country R&B, lots of Aretha Franklin my dad loves Aretha Franklin, so it was kind of a huge range of styles and vocalists. Yeah, in that you know time capsule of like maybe the twenties to the eighties, when I think music was the best and that sparked something in me and I just couldn't. I just never stopped singing since I was like five years old.

Speaker 4:

I love that and any parents out there in still give your children the gift of music I beg of you. I had the pleasure of. My father was a band teacher growing up and he toured the country with the Air Force Jazz Band and I was exposed to a lot of big band, a lot of Frank Sinatra growing up, and I'm still so grateful for the to this day for that.

Speaker 2:

Any of your listeners who aren't aware Paul, you and your wife are magnificent, magnificent singers as well. When Paul surprised us on Titanic Talk, he and his wife on the anniversary of the Titanic tragedy, he and his wife sang Nearer my God to Thee and we just no pun intended. It was a religious experience, it was just beautiful and we're so grateful that we have this ever, ever expanding family of talented, kind people.

Speaker 4:

And thank you again for inviting us to be a part of that. I'm glad the queen Mary's wifi let us at least glitch in a little bit, but also, like that old timey, I'd love the Rat Pack era, the the Maryland look, and if anybody's just listening to the audio podcast, I encourage you to find this on YouTube and you you can see. Of course we've mentioned she's gorgeous, but she just has that whole. If Marilyn Monroe was a legit singer like that's, that seems like what you embody on stage and that is just so wonderful. So tell me so. You met by Nelson, seeing you in a show with your, with your band.

Speaker 1:

You met by Nelson seeing you in a show with your band. We were at the Charlie Palmer Steakhouse in the Knickerbocker Hotel, very historic hotel where apparently the martini was created. Right, nelson.

Speaker 2:

Well, I wasn't there at the time, but I've been trying to make up for it ever since.

Speaker 1:

That's what I think really was their claim to fame. And I performed there for many years and we were doing, I think, a series over Easter weekend and we got to chatting and and then one thing led to another and it just all started kind of clicking and we did the collaboration in June of last year and they said you know what, I have another idea for this Tony Bennett tribute thing. And I was like, oh, that sounds pretty interesting.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it was June I was doing so. It was a year ago. This is our one year anniversary, Alison, Is that right?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it was my 60th birthday show, and so she was my guest star for my 60th birthday show. And then after that, I had Tony Bennett had passed away. In July, we're coming up on the one year anniversary of Tony Bennett passing away and I had done a marvelous interview for my Australian show without with Tony Bennett back in 2014, where he had invited me to his home to discuss his painting, and I spent this incredible day with Tony Bennett in his home. It made for a wonderful segment and when Tony passed away, I was like let's take that segment and create a Tony Bennett tribute show around it, because he said these gems, pearls of wisdom about art, artistry, his upbringing, encouraging new talent, which he was such a master of encouraging new talent and I thought Alison is the perfect foil in all of this, because Tony is so famous for having performed with Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga and Diana Krall and Judy Garland.

Speaker 2:

I mean, he performed with so many different artists over the years, including male and female. But I was like what if we can recreate some of those moments together? Not, not, not doing imitations of Tony and anyone else? Our own inter, our own interpretations, not imitations. And so we thought we would do that, and then at Halloween time, alison was doing a gig and asked me to be her guest star, and that was the first time we did a Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga song together.

Speaker 1:

Yes, and Nelson does a mean monster mash I may put out there.

Speaker 4:

That's a great tease because we're going to visit that in just a moment, but let's pull the cart back behind the horse on your show from last June Is this when you did? Lady is a Tramp.

Speaker 2:

That was the Halloween show, allison's Halloween show we did. That was the first time we performed any of the Tony Bennett material.

Speaker 4:

Gotcha, gotcha, all right. Well, let's drop in and give the audience aifted to from Maine to Albuquerque.

Speaker 6:

Alas, I missed the Bozart ball and, what is twice as sad, I was never at a party where when they honored Noel Catt. But social circles spin too fast for me. My hobohemia is the place to be.

Speaker 7:

She gets too hungry for dinner at eight. She loves the theater but never comes late.

Speaker 6:

I never bother with people that I hate.

Speaker 7:

That's why the lady is a champ. She don't play crap games with barons and earls.

Speaker 6:

Won't go to Harlem in her earlmans and pearls, and you know I won't go to Harlem eat her almonds and pearls and you know I won't dish the dirt with the best of those lovely girls.

Speaker 7:

That's why the lady is a tramp.

Speaker 6:

I like the free and fresh cobwebs in my hair.

Speaker 7:

Life without care, I'm broke.

Speaker 6:

It's oak. I hate California. It's too cold and too damp. That's why the lady has a jam. How we doing.

Speaker 7:

I go to Coney's Well, the beach is divine. I go to ball games and the bleachers are fine.

Speaker 6:

I follow the New York Times Reads every line. That's why the lady is a tramp.

Speaker 7:

I love a prize fight. Yes, it isn't a fake.

Speaker 6:

You know I love the rowing, but Tony's such a park link.

Speaker 7:

She goes to the opera and stays wide awake. That's why the lady is a tramp. She likes the green grass under her shoes. What?

Speaker 6:

can I lose? I'm flat, well, that's it. I'm all alone when I lower my lamp. That's why the lady is a tramp. Take it, andy. So.

Speaker 7:

I like the free and fresh wind in my hair. A life without care. I'm still broke. It's okay. Hates California. It's cold and it's damp.

Speaker 6:

That's why the lady is a tramp.

Speaker 1:

That's why the lady is a tramp. Oh, thank you, Nelson. Thank you, thank you.

Speaker 2:

So fun.

Speaker 4:

Such a good time and I'm so jealous, I'm going to try, like I'm so just want to like try to figure out a way to get there, get to New York to see this show that you guys are going to put on. Um, and Megan in the chat says Nelson we were talking about Nelson on his performance on stage and she says Nelson's live show is an absolute treat. His birthday cabaret was one of the best times I ever had treat. His birthday cabaret was one of the best times I ever had.

Speaker 2:

She's one of our titaniacs.

Speaker 2:

Yeah she came to us from Titanic Talk and made the trip to New York and the venue is lovely, the Green Room 42. And we'll be there for four shows at the end of July and the beginning of August. The July shows commemorate the passing of Tony and the August shows commemorate the birth of Tony. So it's really a special time and worth the trip. And if you can't be in New York in person, we do have the streaming option for the August 4th show. The August 4th show will live stream and, as it's explained to me, if you get a live stream ticket, the link is good for a week. So if you're not in a conducive time zone or a place to watch it at that exact time, you'll still have access to it for a week.

Speaker 2:

And I noticed in the chat somebody was asking about guest stars and because we're doing so much Tony material but there is one performance the July 24th performance we are having a guest star, which is a treat a young man named Tommy O'Neill. And what's exciting about Tommy is he is a direct reflection of the kind of philanthropist and humanitarian that Tony Bennett was. Tony Bennett endowed the Frank Sinatra High School of the Performing Arts here in New York City and you know, usually you think, oh, if some big celebrity is going to endow something, they're going to put their name on it. No, it's the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. But they did name and Tony Bennett founded that school and they named the concert hall the Tony Bennett Concert Hall.

Speaker 2:

And I've known Tommy since he was practically a baby and I didn't realize he was attending that school and his proud dad showed me a video of him. There's Tommy. His dad showed me a video of him singing a Tony Bennett song and I'm like you know, if Tommy would like to come and sing a Tony Bennett song with the band, that would be amazing. And he will be joining us on July 24th, which, as it turns out, is the night before he turns 17 years old. So it's a real gift from Tony and to Tony that we're going to be joined by Tommy.

Speaker 4:

That is so neat, and these specific dates are Sunday July 21st and Wednesday July 24th and, as he mentioned, sunday August 4th and Wednesday August 7th, my birthday. I'll actually be.

Speaker 2:

August 7th is your birthday. I should have known you were a Leo.

Speaker 4:

You mentioned the Tony Bennett, obviously interviewing him him how that kind of inspired the show. But how did the you know? Toward the end of his career he released that duets album, at least one with the modern uh pop or musicians of the time uh doing duets with all kinds of uh different artists.

Speaker 1:

But and the viva duets too, and espanol oh yeah so there's a whole other album. Because I go to puerto rico all the time. It's interesting that those songs are what people really know. Um, because he recorded with a lot of spanish singing stars like palia and romeo santos and mark anthony.

Speaker 4:

Yeah wow, okay, I'll have to check those out as well.

Speaker 2:

Alison will be doing some of our songs in the show. She will be doing in other languages as well. So it's going to be an amazing night and we will have the clips of Tony from that interview as well, interspersed with the songs and the stories. So it's really something.

Speaker 2:

I had seen Tony around town, you know. He was always out and about. I would run into him on the street and then one day I ran into him in the TV studio where I worked and I got to talking with him and he was talking about his painting and I was like I'd love to do a story on this. And he was like, yeah, come on up to the house. And I'm like okay. And I remember I was in the bathroom thinking I got to get a really close shave and I, what am I going to wear? And I got to his house to do a sort of reconnaissance mission and while I was getting ready he was on the NBC Today show singing a Christmas carol on the NBC Today show, because it was Christmas week, I think. And I get down to his apartment on Central Park South and I was. I wasn't there five minutes getting set up when he walked in and I'm like Mr Bennett. You know we're not starting for like another hour and a half.

Speaker 2:

He's like man, you know. What do you want to see? You should give him this CD what are their names? And he just couldn't have been more hospitable. And the thing about his sort of intergenerational appeal. You can thank his son for that, because when Tony's career was sort of paused for lack of a better word it was his son who reinvented his career by saying Dad, you should be on MTV. And they got him on MTV and introduced him to a whole new audience. And then he became cool again, like he ever wasn't cool, but that let him maintain his profile and his appeal with younger artists right up until the very end. His last public performance with Lady Gaga at Radio City, you know, when he was already struggling with Alzheimer's. But you wouldn't know it in that show man they were, they were something else.

Speaker 1:

Wow and all completely sold out. By the way, all all those shows where I know people who were selling them on the black market to desperate music lovers long as they're performing.

Speaker 4:

You got to get out and see live shows and live music. You want to see your favorite performers live before you. You never know when the end of the tour is going to be for them.

Speaker 2:

You know it's so funny. You say that, Paul, because I know as a kid growing up I was such a theater nerd growing up and I lived outside Philadelphia and whenever, like Anthony Quinn would come by and Zorba and Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller and Sugar Babies and Yul Brynner and the King and I you know these, these tours would sweep through and my parents took me to see them because it yeah, and now I can say that I got to see Anthony Quinn and Yul Brynner and Mickey Rooney, whereas not many people can say that it's important. Brenner and Mickey.

Speaker 4:

Rooney, whereas not many people can say that it's important Absolutely and not to be morbid, but we have to make sure we see Alison and Nelson live.

Speaker 2:

While you still can, while we can.

Speaker 4:

That's what I'm saying Grab your tickets. The link is in the live YouTube chat and also in the show notes of the audio podcast and we'll throw it back to another performance. We mentioned a little earlier about the Monster Mash at your October show and we do have a little clip of that. Doesn't matter what time of year it is, monster Mash is always a fun listen. And here are Nelson and Allison performing live on stage. A little Monster Mash.

Speaker 2:

Here we go See, if you're old enough to remember this.

Speaker 7:

I was working in the lab late one night when my eyes beheld an eerie sight for my monster from his slab began to rise and suddenly, to my surprise, he did the mash. He did the monster mash. It was a graveyard smash. He did the mash. It caught on in a flash. He did the mash. He did the monster mash. From my laboratory in the castle east, from the master bedroom where the vampires feast, the ghouls all came from their humble abode to get a jolt from my electrodes. They did the mash. He did the monster mash, the monster mash. It was a graveyard smash. They did the mash. It caught on in a flash. They did the mash. He did the monster mash. The zombies were having fun.

Speaker 7:

The party had just begun. The guests included Wolfman, dracula and his son. The scene was rockin'. Oh, we're diggin' the sounds. Igor on chains, backed by his baying hound Coffin bangers about to arrive with their hogle group, the crypt kicker five. They did the mash. They did the monster mash, the monster mash. It was a graveyard smash. They did the mash. It caught on in a flash. They did the mash. They played the monster mash Out from his coffin.

Speaker 7:

Drax voiced it ring Seems he was troubled by just one thing he shook his fist, opened the lid and said Whatever happened to my Transylvania twist. It's now the Mash. It's now the Monster Mash, the Monster Mash, and it's a graveyard smash. He did the Mash. It cuts on in a flash. He did the Mash. He did the mash. It cuts on in a flash. He did the mash. He did the monster mash. Now everything's cool. Drax, a part of the band, and my monster mash is the hit of the land. For you, the living, this mash was meant to. When you get to my door, tell them Boris sent you and you can mash.

Speaker 7:

And you can monster mash, monster mash. It is a graveyard smash and you can mash. And you can monster mash, monster mash. It is a graveyard smash. Then you can mash. You'll catch on in a flash. Then you can mash. Then you can monster mash. Mmm Mash good. Remember that. Mmm Mmm Mash good.

Speaker 1:

I forgot how much fun we have on stage.

Speaker 4:

Oh, my goodness. And so if you're in the live chat, nelson's saying there was a costume contest and, as we could hear you out there calling out who you were seeing, you're saying the Scarlett O'Hara Carol Burnett costume made famous by Bob Mackie.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, there was a very famous sketch and Carol Burnett was doing a spoof of Scarlett O'Hara when she made the curtain dress. But as Carol Burnett wore it, she wore it with an actual curtain rod in it. So it was very, it was very. It was a brilliantly executed comedy skit back in the 70s and the gal that won the costume contest brilliantly executed replicating it.

Speaker 4:

Well, so exciting for your upcoming show. Is there anything else you want to mention about the show specifically?

Speaker 2:

Well, I would encourage people, especially for the July shows. They're already selling out, so there are more seats at the moment for the August shows. Don't let that deter you, though. Go on to thegreenroom42.com and get your ticket soon. There are all sorts of different tiers of seating. It's one of the cool things about that venue and I've been performing almost exclusively there for the last five or six years is that there's no minimum. You buy your ticket and they're not forcing you to eat and drink. You just go and you eat and drink what you want. It also has some of the most beautiful vistas outside. If you're an Instagram person or if you want to just get some good shots of the city. There are all these adjacent beautifully designed bars overlooking the skyscrapers. It's just a great place to hang out. So that's what we'll be doing We'll be singing and then we're going to be hanging out, so we'd love you to join us.

Speaker 4:

So very cool. And, of course, as I mentioned, the link is in the live chat and it's also in the show notes of the audio podcast. There's also a link to the press release. The Broadway World press release is there for you to peruse as well. And, gosh, I really want to get to one of those July shows, maybe on our way out to Ireland or something. I can make that happen, but before we can't, of course, go without talking about any the millions of other projects that Nelson's been working on. Of course, in season one we mentioned his book and, as I mentioned at the top of the episode, the sequel's coming out. This came pretty quick here.

Speaker 2:

Nelson, I know that's actually the very first look. You're getting the exclusive first look at the cover. We did want it to resemble the previous cover, which it does. It's the same sort of look, but now, instead of just dancing between the raindrops, which covered the 80s in New York City of my life, now we're dancing between the raindrops, the Hollywood years, which covers the 22 years I spent in Los Angeles and I have always said 22 years in Los Angeles.

Speaker 2:

You get less for murder and part of my experience in Los Angeles included for the better, my the advent of my television career and, interestingly, a big parts of that show business career, in addition to all the celebrity interviews and experiences of traveling that I got to do, were covering some notable passings like the death of Heath Ledger, the, the death of Michael Jackson, the death of Farrah Fawcett, the death of Whitney Houston, the death of Robin Williams. I mean it made the difference in my reporting career from just being yeah, showbiz news to serious reporting and journalism. As you know, I mean entertainment is a major part of our pop culture lifestyle these days. Of course, while I was living in Los Angeles as well, I was very closely involved in the OJ Simpson double murder case because I worked at the Mezzaluna restaurant, which was made famous as a result of the murder case, and there were many connections. And I delve into the OJ Simpson experience in the book as well as the odd, you know, riots, earthquakes, all those other things that seemed to happen over the course of the time I was in Los Angeles. So but it's all told with a. It's fictionalized but very thinly veiled and all of my nearest, dearest and most loved people are represented in that. And lots of celebrity name dropping. And when you come across a celebrity's name that you don't recognize it's because I had to change it for legal purposes, but otherwise you'll probably figure it all out. So yes, that will be on sale.

Speaker 2:

Dancing Between the Raindrops the Hollywood Years will be on sale this week, so you can grab it on Amazon or ask for it at your local bookstore. If you thought the 80s in New York City were wild, wait till you go. Dancing Between the Raindrops in the Hollywood Years this sequel to my semi-autobiographical novel about life, love and building a star-studded showbiz career moves to Tinseltown in 1990 and covers the tawdry 22 years there among the rich and famous, From the LA riots and OJ Simpson's double murder trial to the deaths of Michael Jackson and Heath Ledger. There are also plenty of sexcapades and celebrity romps. As we search for lasting love in the City of Angels, don't miss out on the misadventures. Critics say it's the book you must read if you don't read anything else this year. Wildly entertaining and a juicy joyride through Hollywood. Dancing Between the Raindrops, the Hollywood Years is available on Amazon, or ask for it in your local bookstore and grab an extra copy for your bestie.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh, who doesn't love?

Speaker 2:

a juicy joyride. I love it.

Speaker 4:

And I know you initially had this idea to present your story.

Speaker 5:

You're loosely based on your life story in like three books in a trilogy, was it?

Speaker 2:

this was a like. Okay, I knew I was going to write the sequel and they said my deadline was originally November 1. And I finished it five months ahead of schedule and they said we can get this out in time for Summer Beach reading. And I'm like, let's do it, because I want to do a part three. So now I'm working on that and there we go. Also, I'm working on a littleanic something. Uh, I've got up my sleeve. So, yeah, I'm I'm a very busy writer at the moment and I do want to say, while we still have a few minutes left, I want allison to tell you about her burt backwrack album because, uh, I was just thinking her, she's wearing her lovely yellow and there are some photos of her from the burt backwrack album where she is unbelievable in yellow. Yellow is not an easy color to pull off. Allison, can you talk about that?

Speaker 1:

Oh sure, well, so the 60s, you know you got to go big, big, bold colors, going with these really fun, intricate arrangements. We just wrapped recording our 20 song Burt Bacharach tribute album. My band and I did this winter and we will be releasing that this July, highlighting a lot of the hits that Dionne Warwick made famous, but also some of the other women that Burt collaborated with Dusty Springfield, cilla Black, also Herb Alpert and Tijuana Brass. So it's kind of a collection of a lot of the well-known hits and then a few that you probably haven't heard before. So I was kind of digging deep in the catalog and there's some that Peggy Lee debuted and I have one that has not been recorded since she did it in the 60s. I have a Yiddish language tune featuring Broadway star Julie Benko, whose husband, jason Yeager, is our pianist every day for me and in these upcoming shows for Tony Bennett as well. So we have a lot that went into that album.

Speaker 1:

It's taking you back to that 60s world I call it the sexy 60s where the music was cool, everyone dressed fabulous and color TV was the big thing, so it was just bright colors. I wore orange for the first time in my life this year. That was scary but I was like I think I could do. Orange and yellow. This is exciting. So a new birth back rack album on the way to find that perfect balance of refreshing the oldies but goodies with a new sound that honors the original. Always finding that balance of honor. What's special about the original? Put your new spin on it. And we did this. Just as a quintet, it's just a five-piece jazz band. So instead of a massive studio orchestra, we paired it all the way down so that you could really appreciate the intricacies of Burt's arrangements and Hal David's lyrics.

Speaker 4:

And? But this isn't like your band's first work that you're you're putting out there. As I discovered earlier when I made the Instagram story, your, your, your band has recordings out there that people can listen to. Where, where do you suggest people find your music?

Speaker 1:

This is our seventh studio album and we are on all the streaming platforms. We are a very high tech retro band. So, uh, you can go to my website, fleursalcom, or any place that you listen to music. Um, if you type in Fleursal, uh, you'll'll only find us and no matter how you pronounce it, paul right, right.

Speaker 4:

What's the translation of that?

Speaker 1:

it means the lone flower, which and I just thought it was cool at the time I was like okay, this makes sense, but my musicians always tease me and they go oh, so are we the weeds? No, that wasn't what I was thinking at the time. You guys are the leaves and the branches, and the roots that support, and I mentioned Instagram earlier.

Speaker 4:

I encourage anybody out there listening to follow both Allison and Nelson on Insta, if you aren't yet. Both of their accounts are just a joy to peruse. Nelson's at Nelson Aspen and Alison is at floor soul. That's F? L E U R S? E? U? L? E. Yeah, just one L. One L, though Correct, yes, and her website, as she mentioned, floor soulcom. Nelson's at Nelson Aspen yes, and her website, as she mentioned, floresoulcom. Nelson's at nelsonaspencom. The show is on the Green Room 42 website. The Tony Bennett tribute is coming up Now. I do want to mention too we've been talking about these two books that Nelson wrote, and he just teased a Titanic book as well, but these aren't your first books either.

Speaker 2:

No, but they're my first fiction books, even though they're based on my life. They're my first novels. I've written many sort of anecdotal stories. One's called Hollywood Insider Exposed, which was sort of chronicling my time in Hollywood professionally, sort of chronicling my time in Hollywood professionally. I did a book, a how-to book, when I moved into my current home, which was during the pandemic, and that's called your Home is your Castle Live Like an A-Lister in a Post-Pandemic World and that actually debuted at number one on Amazon's home remodel and renovation charts, much to my surprise.

Speaker 2:

I don't know, I just I hit it lucky People, people like home improvement, and there was that and I did. I did a couple of dinner party books. So yeah, I've just been, I'm I'm a writing machine and I just I just want to sort of tell the stories, and the dancing between the raindrop series is really a treat because it's it's basically and I think it's one of the reasons why I can write it so quickly is it's the anecdotes that I have been telling my whole life. These are the stories that are the most noteworthy to me from my 60, almost 61 years on this earth. So I've told them so many times Now. I've just given them characters and tell them that way. So it's been fun to do and I'm really enjoying the response. I had to channel my inner Jackie Collins and not be afraid to be naughty and profane and graphic, and that was hard for me because I'm a pretty squeaky clean guy and I let her rip and people liked it. So wait till you read part two. It really starts off with a bang.

Speaker 4:

I know you've been so self-conscious about letting a bad word or two slip, but the last time you were here I was like dude, it's fine, it's totally fine.

Speaker 2:

You had me do a reading and I'm like, oh my God, what have I started? There's no going back.

Speaker 4:

Yes and oh my gosh. So we have so much to explore, so much to check out. But, um, and I'm gonna do my darndest to get there and to see your tony bennett tribute live, and anyone that can, that's in the manhattan area. You, it's a must see, you got to be there and, um, I'm, I'm hoping that I can as well.

Speaker 2:

But thank you, paul. You're always so generous. You're always so generous and and inclusive, and you know that's why. You know that's why we made friends and stayed friends, so we're grateful.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for having us today and something about the show itself, too, to not forget is that we have these incredibly intricate, unique arrangements that Tony did. His arrangements were very different from what you typically hear. His version of Fly Me to the Moon was very different. Our duets are a lot more complicated, the ones that he did with Gaga on those collaborations very intricate and not commonly heard. So they're going to be fresh versions that you're not familiar with probably as well as we've got a snappy, fabulous band of mine that, nelson, you know. You've been working with us, so you're going to get all kinds of top caliber entertainment squeezed into one concert.

Speaker 2:

There's a lot of talent out concert. Our musical director, andy Warren, we. You know it's impossible, with the body of work that Tony Bennett produced over the course of his 96 years on earth, to get it all in. And so what we've done, we've selected the songs that we wanted to do for ourselves, but we also wanted to make sure we included as much as possible. So Andy has concocted what we call the mega medley, so that we get as many Tony songs in as we can and please, please everybody.

Speaker 2:

We can't get it all in, but, boy, we're getting a lot in and should run about 75 minutes by our calculations. If you just hold for applause, it should run about.

Speaker 4:

And, of course, if we can't get there live we mentioned the August 4th show will be live streamed. This, this YouTube network, the Vodacity Network, was born from live streaming, live performances during covid, so a lot of our audience here is used to just watching a live stream live performances If you can't be together in person.

Speaker 2:

And that link. The Green Room tells me that if you purchase the live stream ticket, you have that link for a week, so you don't have to watch it live. You'll have it for up to a week.

Speaker 4:

Very excited and I'm so grateful to both of you for joining us. Nelson, just always a pleasure You've mentioned, like me, being gracious like the minute we started talking. You've just been nothing but the most welcoming and hospitable man and I can't thank you enough for spending time with us and Allison. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you and hopefully this is not our last conversation, oh, and happy birthday. Belated birthday weekend. Thank you having me, oh, and happy birthday Belated birthday weekend.

Speaker 4:

Thank you 25 again and thank you Nelson, thank you Allison. Ladies and gentlemen, give him a hand and have a great rest of your night. See you soon.

Speaker 5:

Well, they are wonderful they are. They certainly are. I definitely I'm going to see if we can make an arrangement when Susan and I plan on getting out there to see Nelson. I think that would be so cool.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, and even just to meet him like that's what Jamie and I went to his book signing in December and he's just the man you see on the live stream is who he is. He's just so kind and welcoming and a wonderful person to chat with for sure.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, wow, love it. I don't know if we have the time for a poem, but I actually did find a Tony Bennett poem.

Speaker 4:

You did, yes, poetry, not even lyrics, but poetry Poetry. Okay, what's it about?

Speaker 5:

Well, actually it's about Tony Bennett's later years and it's from somebody by the name of James C Allen. It was written in 2012. I think he went and he saw he's always been a fan of Tony Bennett and so it actually does talk about the duets and the times. His, you know, tony re-emerged and I agree with that, with what was said. Is he re-emerged because, when you think about it, uh, when tony bennett came out and did the duets album, uh, I mean, the only reason why people would see tony bennett was if, maybe, their mother or father or grandparents shared some of the songs and maybe, if anybody knew about you know, I left my heart in san francisco that would be really the only, um only reason why people would say, oh, that's tony bennett.

Speaker 5:

And then he totally reinvents himself. He does what he has always done, and what I love is, like even the little story that, uh, that was shared earlier in the podcast. It, you know, it's like this is tony you. This is who I am and, like me or not, I'm not changing. And this particular poem is called Elegant parentheses for Tony Bennett, and it's just a short poem, but it's really, really nice.

Speaker 4:

Craig Jackman's first poetry reading of season two. Ladies and gentlemen, here's Elegant.

Speaker 5:

Despite my initial impression, there was nothing sour or bent about the direction he has taken his music in recent years. The duets with Winehouse and Gaga other things that I might have thought would have been off were sharp poking me to that higher appreciation. So this is what it means to be an artist the inevitable transformation, his constant reinvention of the ancient style, the inability to rest on one's laurels even after delivering the perfect song in San Francisco and just like that, season two has launched.

Speaker 4:

Be sure you're subscribed, as here in season two, cove podcast will be on every other tuesday and in the tuesdays in between will be my new show, titanic legacy podcast. Be sure you're subscribed to that if titanic interests you. But uh, can't wait for a brand new season, catching up with old friends and meeting new ones here in the Cove. And I want to say thank you to all of our Cove community Patreon curators Angelica Bolschweiler, anna Gina Voller, charity Swanson, emily Thatcher, gina Dobbs, josephus Snyder, kelsey Blaine Gibson, krista King, meryl Milkey, the Farren one helping us continue to go and grow. And until the next one, make each day count.

Speaker 7:

I put the coat on her.

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Paul Carganilla

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