Not a heck of alot going on....

"It's the economy, stupid."

That must be it. No gigs, no shows, no plans. Everyone's feeling it right now. I'm taking the time to get "re-charged". I was so busy in the months of August and September, working a full-time job and singing all over the place. I think I'm going to start writing again.

And, to tell you the truth, I'm rather thankful that I even HAVE a job right now.

Other than that, I've been continuing with my Russian language classes. I hated to lose everything I learned this year, so I decided to continue. I am now officially an "intermediate level" student at the Beverly Hills Lingual Institute! (drum roll, please...)

Being a singer really helps, beleive it or not, because I've trained my ear over the years to duplicate sounds. My teacher says my accent is "perfect" - can you believe that? She asked me if I had Russian blood somewhere in my past.

That's about it in a nutshell. I hadn't posted in a while, so I thought I'd throw something up here.

I hope I have more interesting things to relay, later!

Earl Palmer 1924 - 2008

I was dreading this particular news, and on Saturday I got it. Session drummer Earl Palmer, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee who was featured on hits like Ike and Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High” and the Righteous Brothers‘ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” is gone.

Though Earl was a legend in the rock-n-roll world, I knew Earl in the jazz world. Earl actually got me my first gig on the jazz circuit, at the M Club in Downtown LA, and that led to all those years at the Money Tree. I sat in with him so many times - he would always invite me up to the "bandstand" to sing a few tunes, wherever he was playing -- Charley O's, The M Club, Rick's in Santa Monica, and of course The Money Tree. Julia Holland and I did a fabulous gig with him, George Gaffney, and Ernie McDaniels for a branch of the Elks Club one year. Earl got a huge kick out of our dancing and singing.

I met Earl at the New Orleans airport in 1998, when Julia, Leni and I were there for the annual Jazzfest. Leni spotted the dapper suited gentleman on the plane as soon as we left LA. She immediately approached him, saying she was a huge fan. When he landed, she introduced us to him, and that was the beginning of a wonderful friendship among all of us. We hung out with him in New Orleans, we partied together, and we partied again at the airport in New Orleans before we headed back to LA. He loved the attention, and he also loved the fact that Julia and I were singers. He wanted to help us out when we got back to LA.

Earl was very opinionated. The week I met him, his autobiography had just come out (written with Tony Sherman), and he was very unhappy with it. I can't remember exactly why, but he was very vocal about it. (Nevertheless, he gave me a signed copy.)

He also couldn't stand my boyfriend at the time, and he never lost an opportunity to tell me that, every time he saw me. "You are WAY too good for him," he said. He was relieved when we broke up, though I sensed he didn't truly believe me when I told him.

When I went to Donna's jam session in New Orleans a few years later, Earl instructed me to mention his name. I did, and sure enough they asked me to sing.

Earl was the best drummer. The absolute best. Tasty fills, solid beat, and he knew exactly how to accompany a singer. When he played with his trio and I had the chance to sit in with them, it always felt so "right" musically. I remember his stressing the importance of "getting in" and "getting out" of the song. Everything else in the middle would take care of itself. That valuable tip has saved me on countless gigs.

Did I mention he was an impeccable dresser? I never once saw him without a dark suit.

I know Earl was a legend of rock'n'roll. But I always saw Earl as the epitome of elegance and the essence of jazz.

The funniest skit I've ever seen

St. Petersburg in August

Last week I returned from an incredible 12-day trip to St. Petersburg. I sang at the Grand Hotel Europe, toured the city, and even spent an evening at a beautiful dacha near the Finnish border (a stunning retreat that our friends Tanya and Niki Yermolayev have renovated). I took hundreds of photographs, so I've compiled several slideshows, broken down into categories. Just click on the link below to view each of them.
One fascinating aspect of this latest trip was my introduction to international politics - the day after we arrived, Georgian forces attacked South Ossetian separatists. So I was there, watching footage on "Russia Today" in my hotel room, and talking to locals and friends who were directly affected by these events. David and I even stumbled on a news conference/rally taking place in a park called "The Field of Mars". Three weeks ago, I had not even heard of South Ossetia, but I was in for quite an education.

Catherine's Palace (Tsarskoe Selo)
The Palace at Pavlovsk
Peterhof
The Peter and Paul Fortress
The Dacha in the Country
Daily Life in Russia
In and Around the City
Performing at the Grand Hotel Europe
Jazz Boat on the Neva River
What You Didn't See on U.S. Television

More photos from "Russian White Nights" performance

Laura and Mom (Julia Pursell)

Dad (Bill Pursell)

The Stage
The Show
Our Table
Irina Russell, Jim Ferguson, Laura, and David
Crowded house!

From last week's show at Cheekwood

Here's a photo of me with a friend from childhood, Elizabeth Stein. This was taken right after she and I SWITCHED SHOES before I took to the stage...My red heels were fabulous, but they were too high, and they were killing my feet! I don't think I would have made it through the night! So...what are friends for, right? Elizabeth gamely gave me her much more sensible low heels and then strutted around all night in my sassy red high heels...!
More photos to come from this really special night...

New Reviews on "Somewhere in this Room"

This really brought a smile to my face this week. Three new reviews have been posted on the internet for my 4th CD, "Somewhere in this Room". People seem to be really moved by the material, and it's so gratifying. For me, listening to the instrumentals Dad orchestrated (and played on) make this record very special to me. I've included links to each review below...
Twangtown
Midnight Jazz
Whisperin and Hollerin