2nd UNofficial Post / ...it all continues

The more we rehearse - the more excited I get! It's going to be great...I think these shows will be the BEST way to close this chapter in my life.

Elizabeth and I rehearsed last night and she introduced her guitar into the mix. That will be new for us. I remain amazed at how talented she is...such an amazing voice and incredible pianist. At our first rehearsal, Monday night, she played a song she'd written (so add songwriter to her list of talents!). It had been a while since she'd played it and the lyrics came and went but I couldn't get over how radio-ready it sounded.

Between work, the rehearsals, selling parts of my life on eBay, trying to find an apartment in NYC (that we can afford!), trying to sell my car, etc. things can be overwhelming. I've been re-energized by all the emails, phone calls and watering-hold suggestions for the show. I'm THRILLED that people would remember so clearly something I've sung and want to hear it again...and in the case of some cases...DEMAND to hear it again. That means SO MUCH to me. As I've said on stage before, I LOVE introducing an audience to a new song or songwriter. I love finding a lyric or melody that just captures me. From that moment on I look forward to singing it for someone who's never heard it. In this day and age, those moments are rare. After the show they may hear the song again...somewhere, but your voice was the first one to sing it for them. Love that!

There are a couple of new songs that I can't wait for people to hear for the first time. Hopefully they will become songs people will one day "demand" to hear again.

1st UNofficial Post / ...in from 1st Rehearsal

As my website is currently being revamped, I thought I would get a jump start on what is bound to be one of my favorite pages on the Site, my Journal.

I'm just getting in from the first rehearsal for my upcoming concerts in April. After a few months "off" it was nice to be back beside the piano with my friend, future NYC-roommate, pianist and fellow performer, Elizabeth Schenck. I'm thrilled that Elizabeth will be sharing in the upcoming shows with me - both behind the piano and in front. These two nights will complete my "Journey" trilogy, my semi-autobiographical performances that draw from life stories and various musical genres.

In August of 2003 I staged an intimate cabaret centered around Accepting The Journey. It was a wonderful success and ran for the three weeks. I based the show around my belief that our lives are not about the destination - but the journey. It is the people who come in and out of our lives that make the journey so much richer. I love singing about love, so the show also explored the relationships that define our lives. The cabaret was advertised as a show for anyone who'd ever fallen in love, fallen out of love or landed somewhere in between and that's exactly what it was. I shared part of my journey and some nights people in the audience would speak up and share part of theirs. It became a unique exchange of music and stories.

Last October I followed-up with the second chapter which focused on Embracing The Journey. The show was an amazing experience for me. I got to share some of my dreams with audiences or family, friends and fans and each evening seemed to have a unique energy to it. It was during that show that I talked about the dreams that brought me to Atlanta 8 1/2 years ago and the new dreams that were taking me to NYC. I talked about the dreams we chase and the ones we abandon. When the show's run was over I started receiving the most wonderful emails, letters and phone calls. People said that when they left they looked back at their lives and dreams - some even made major life changes because of the show. I remain completely overwhelmed by the experience of that show. I'm thrilled and honored that people heard the music and took in the stories and applied them to their lives.

Now, in just over a month, I'll be leaving Atlanta and moving to New York City. So, my story - for now - is coming full circle and it's time to Celebrate The Journey. This new show is shaping up to be a really fun evening of music. It is wonderful to be singing with Elizabeth again! I'm so glad she's joining me on the next leg of this journey - on stage and on the road to NYC. I think both of us are really excited about these two concerts. Most of the songs we've never sung before plus those that are favorites of ours and the ones people come hoping will sing.

I'm really excited. I just have a feeling that both of these nights will be totally different from anything we've done before.

We rehearse again tonight...I LOVE this part...when all the pieces start falling together.

J