OH, BETTER FAR TO LIVE AND DIE

As promised

2012-01-28T02:17:00.001-05:00

Amongst other madness, I am still in the midst of pouring through all the live tracks I've accumulated in the past year or two to see what if anything is worth remastering to use on a live CD. As promised, here are a few preview tracks: I Don Quixote, My Way, If Ever I Would Leave You, Mack the Knife, and a nice, intimate version of Faithfully with Penn Farmer on guitar.

I'm linking you the tracks, which are on bandcamp, through my Facebook fan page. While you're there, please give it a "like" if you haven't already, and feel free to share the link with others to do the same. I'd really appreciate the support, every little bit helps! Click here for the tracks. (I believe I Don Quixote is the first track to load, and the rest are linked underneath.)

On the horizon

2012-01-26T11:29:00.000-05:00

Like my fan page on Facebook for updates on the new live CD and upcoming announcements about dates and appearances in 2012. News coming soon!

Music Lessons

2011-11-15T12:35:00.001-05:00

While I'm in Macau, you should learn about music. Teachers, this is for you - put this filmstrip on, leave the kids to learn, and go have a drink.

Great job, EINSTEIN.

2011-11-15T06:20:00.001-05:00

"Private capital tends to become concentrated in few hands, partly because of competition among the capitalists, and partly because technological development and the increasing division of labor encourage the formation of larger units of production at the expense of smaller ones. The result of these developments is an oligarchy of private capital the enormous power of which cannot be effectively checked even by a democratically organized political society. This is true since the members of legislative bodies are selected by political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the electorate from the legislature. The consequence is that the representatives of the people do not in fact sufficiently protect the interests of the underprivileged sections of the population. Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights." - Albert Einstein

I'm in fracking MACAU

2011-10-23T01:08:00.001-04:00

So, I'm working in Macau for the time being. It's... well... To keep things a little separate, I've started a tumblr where I'll be blogging mostly photos about my experiences here in what I call Las Vasias.

An American Baritone in Macau

If I were not upon the sea...

2011-09-26T13:21:00.001-04:00

So I'm in an airport in Quebec, sipping some Tim Horton's and thinking how great it will be to be in my own bed tonight and how little time I'll actually have at home this time. It's sad but I'm torn between my home being where my condo is and wherever a certain Australian is in the world, so there's a little bit of homesick in either direction.

The news of the day? Well, I'm working on a completely redone version of my first CD, The Hardest Part of Love. It will become my third CD - or second, as we will then ignore the fact that the first ever existed, much like they do with so many superhero movie franchises. The track list will be much the same with a few tweaks, based on what people have asked for. Details to come, but I think it's worth destroying your old copy in favor of a new one. In fact, if you bought the old one back in 2007, I'll do my best to give you the new one at (my) cost. That's how much more confident I am in it. Again, details to come.

In other news, I'm about to embark on a whole new adventure working and living in Macau... It's a swiftly emerging entertainment market and there is ample opportunity there to get in on the ground floor of a very good thing. I haven't mentioned much about this as I hate to jinx things, and while I will say more in time that's all you get for now. I leave for Macau in mid-October, and will be there for at least six months to begin with. Could be more, we shall see.

And now, to the point: for years, this blog was called "Truthpumping," which is an obscure reference to a satirical acting text/memoir called "I, An Actor" by the fictitious Nicholas Craig. Since I began making my living primarily from ships, at some point I changed it to the current title as a reference to... Well, I don't need to explain that reference, it isn't obscure. What I'd like now are suggestions for a new title for this blog, as things turn in another direction...

And now, vacation.

Location:Rue Principale,Quebec,Canada

Donald Conrad

2011-09-16T13:40:00.001-04:00

On Wednesday evening, September 14, my grandfather Donald Conrad left this life to be with his greatest love, Doris. Whatever happens after this life, I know he's there with Mimi and they're both happier for it. Poppa gave so much to all of us and never really desired nor accepted credit for it. This meant that, I think, we all took his generosity a bit for granted at times. We probably took him for granted at times, generally, but I hope he knew we all loved him very much and that the love he and Mimi shared is an example of how I want to live.

If you want to honor him, raise a terrible beer (Budweiser, Coors, or Olympia if you can find it) and remember a man who worked hard all his life and loved another person so completely that you could still feel the hurt of his loss whenever you were in his presence, years later.

Mimi passed away in 2003 and he desperately missed her. He was sure he'd go soon, to follow on her heels, and kept up the talk about how he was just waiting around. I remember in 2007 when I was in Kansas for a bit and spending a good bit of time with him, he would send me out shopping for him to buy things he didn't need. We were reading the Sunday paper once and he saw a laptop special in the Best Buy ad and decided he needed a new computer. He asked me what he should get and then picked a better one. I said, "That's good, but you don't really need all that. This cheaper one would be more than enough for you."

He shook his head and matter of factly said, "Well, I won't use it much and I want whoever winds up getting it after I'm gone to have a good one."

Poppa, I love you, but that was bloody depressing.

Goodbye, Poppa. I know Mom read you my letter, I hope you understood I wish I could've been there. I meant every word, and I don't think I want that laptop. It's out of date, by now, anyway. :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Please help the Wayside Theatre.

2011-09-02T12:15:00.000-04:00

The Wayside Theatre Emergency Campaign
Too many great theatres have closed in the past several years. Whether you're an actor or an audience member, it's apparent that it's no longer sufficient to support the arts through just your performance or attendance. Please help these great people if you can.

THE STATELY CLOCK is now available

2011-03-19T14:17:00.004-04:00

All pre-orders have now been fulfilled, and I am proud to announce that THE STATELY CLOCK is now available for purchase here and via many online and retail outlets. Digital distribution is complete and you'll find the album on iTunes, Napster, MySpace Music, last.fm, and pretty much every other online music seller as they add it to their catalogues in the next few days/weeks.

“The Stately Clock” celebrates and breaks down the lyrics and melodies of popular songs from every era in a way that used to be common. I’ve chosen a number of songs that are already standards and had the help of a very talented musical director in giving some more modern songs that baritone “standards” treatment. To me, the lyric has always been the most important part of a beautiful song, and each of these songs has been chosen for that reason.

The lineup:
Night and Day
Heaven Can Wait
Faithfully
The Luckiest
My Way
One For My Baby
I Won’t Send Roses
Some Enchanted Evening
Grapefruit Moon
If Ever I Would Leave You

Hear samples and buy digitally online via iTunes and CD Baby

If you prefer having to actual CD, THE STATELY CLOCK CD is available here for $15.

"The Stately Clock" is on its way

2011-03-08T23:01:00.002-05:00

UPDATED 3/12: Just received confirmation that the album has been uploaded for digital distribution (via iTunes, Amazon, and pretty much anywhere else you can get music online) and that the physical copies will be delivered Friday. This means that sometime next week it will begin to appear online, and the official "release date" is now this Friday, March 18, 2011. Even so, I will still honor the pre-order offer below until the 20th!
___________________________________________________________________________________

The tracks and artwork for THE STATELY CLOCK have been released to the manufacturer, and that means release is coming soon. You can still pre-order the CD directly from me until March 20.

“The Stately Clock” celebrates and breaks down the lyrics and melodies of popular songs from every era in a way that used to be common. I’ve chosen a number of songs that are already standards and had the help of a very talented musical director in giving some more modern songs that baritone “standards” treatment. To me, the lyric has always been the most important part of a beautiful song, and each of these songs has been chosen for that reason.

The lineup:
Night and Day
Heaven Can Wait
Faithfully
The Luckiest
My Way
One For My Baby
I Won’t Send Roses
Some Enchanted Evening
Grapefruit Moon
If Ever I Would Leave You

If you pre-order, directly from me, you'll get it for $12. That's $4 less than what it will sell for on Amazon, CD Baby, or anywhere else.

The pre-ordered CDs will be shipped between March 18th and March 24th. The album will not be officially "released" for about a month after that, so you'll not only get it cheaper but also before you can buy it in any online retail outlets. (Payments are secured through paypal, and you can pay with any credit card without a paypal ID.) Thank you very much!

Updated: Pre-orders are now closed.

Pre-order my new album!

2011-02-21T14:46:00.006-05:00

On Sunday, February 27 I will be going into the studio with a group of very talented musicians to record my new album “The Stately Clock.” This means release will follow within a month, and I am pleased to announce that I am opening up pre-orders right now. With your early support, you can help me cover the initial costs of recording this project, which I'm very excited about. “The Stately Clock” celebrates and breaks down the lyrics and melodies of popular songs from every era in a way that used to be common. I’ve chosen a number of songs that are already standards and had the help of a very talented musical director in giving some more modern songs that baritone “standards” treatment. To me, the lyric has always been the most important part of a beautiful song, and each of these songs has been chosen for that reason. We are currently planning for twelve tracks, and the preliminary track list includes: Night and Day (made famous by Frank Sinatra and others) Heaven Can Wait (made famous by Meat Loaf) Faithfully (originally recorded by Journey) The Luckiest (by Ben Folds) My Way (made famous by Francis Albert Sinatra) One For My Baby (another Sinatra tune) I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face (from My Fair Lady) I Won’t Send Roses (from Mack and Mabel) Some Enchanted Evening (from South Pacific) Grapefruit Moon (by Tom Waits) The following options are available for pre-order of the new CD: Option one: $12 for the CD alone, which is as much as $4 less than you’ll find it anywhere after release. Option two: $20 for a signed copy of the CD plus digital downloads of all the tracks as soon as they’re available – BEFORE you receive your CD and BEFORE they are available on iTunes. Option three: $50 for two signed copies of the CD, the digital downloads, plus two exclusive digital tracks which will not be on the CD or released elsewhere and a copy of my first CD, "The Hardest Part of Love - Live" Option four: $100 for all of the above (two signed CDs, digital downloads, exclusive tracks, Live CD) PLUS your name listed under “special thanks” in the liner notes of my CD and three more exclusive tracks. Also, you’ll get the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting an independent artist. Your early support will go a long way toward helping me take good care of the other artists involved, and to be able to create the best product we're capable of. I expect the CD will be released before March 24^th. (Payments are secured through paypal, and you can pay with any credit card without a paypal ID.) Thank you very much! Updated: Pre-orders are now closed.

A Portrait of the Artist as an OS

2011-02-17T13:26:00.001-05:00

Androidified by Androidify

Mobile Bloggery

2011-02-11T02:48:00.001-05:00

Just trying out Blogger's new Android app. Good night, planet earth.

Updated: New Tracks on iTunes

2011-01-20T12:37:00.000-05:00

In anticipation of the new CD THE STATELY CLOCK (which I'm getting more and more excited about) we have put two tracks from my previous "live" CD THE HARDEST PART OF LOVE on iTunes, amazon.com, Rhapsody, and tons of other online music distributors to get things rolling and lay some groundwork.

PILATE'S DREAM and I'D GIVE IT ALL FOR YOU are the tracks, and you can reach them on iTunes here:
Pilate's Dream
I'd Give It All For You

New tracks on iTunes

2011-01-18T22:10:00.001-05:00

In anticipation of the new CD THE STATELY CLOCK (which I'm getting more and more excited about) we have put two tracks from my previous "live" CD THE HARDEST PART OF LOVE on iTunes to get things rolling and lay some groundwork.

PILATE'S DREAM and I'D GIVE IT ALL FOR YOU are the tracks, though I believe only PILATE'S DREAM is live at the moment. Here's the link: Pilate's Dream

I will update soon with the new track. C'mon, help me sell enough that I have to make another royalty payment...

Two Free Songs From Wednesday

2011-01-16T23:53:00.002-05:00

I've uploaded several of the songs from this week's little concert with the fantastic Steve Rue... I've uploaded several, but I'll give you the links for two of them.

Some Enchanted Evening

Heaven Can Wait

These are free while they last, just a couple of low-res recordings from that great night. If you DL them, it's as if you're saying to the universe "Why yes, I think I'd like to purchase Don Winsor's new CD THE STATELY CLOCK when it comes out next month!" We are planning to go into the studio soon, hoping to have the CD ready before March. The track list is still being finalized, so let me know if you have suggestions. "Heaven Can Wait" is on the short list, though it is a bit out of character with some of the rest of the stuff I'm looking at.

Concert Tomorrow

2011-01-12T03:01:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that the concert in El Dorado will be tomorrow at 6:30pm as scheduled.

Saturday's appearance at The Gaslamp will be from 9 to midnight, details forthcoming.

There will be at least one more concert date, at a larger venue and with a band, in February. Details forthcoming.

Good night.

Tinkering

2011-01-08T13:53:00.000-05:00

Doing a little maintenance on the website, updating a few things, including integrating my blog into my website domain. That's right, while your old bookmarks will still work, the new address is http://blog.donwinsor.com.

I've changed one or two things and am in the process of changing others, for no particular reason. If you notice and you have an opinion, let me know.

...and did I mention you should buy my camera? ebay link

In Concert, January 12

2011-01-08T00:27:00.005-05:00

I'm a bit late in posting this here, but I have a few random appearances coming up that might be of interest:

First, I was asked to do a concert at a church near Wichita. On December 12 at 6:30pm at Trinity Methodist Chuch in El Dorado. The most exciting thing to me is that I'll be joined by my favorite accompanist ever, the very talented Mr. Steve Rue, composer/producer/musicalisitc person extraordinaire. I'll be singing some (of MY) favorites from the musical theatre, some standards, and a few lesser known pieces I hope you'll like.

Admission is free.

The second thing will be in Wichita on Saturday, January 15 from 9pm to midnight... but I am actually prohibited from mentioning exactly what this is yet. Suffice to say it will be nothing whatsoever like the above-mentioned concert appearance.

So... any questions, just drop me a line.

Man On The Street

2011-01-05T21:36:00.001-05:00

Street Encounter - watch more funny videos

2010

2010-12-31T16:40:00.002-05:00

"Oh, dear God," you're thinking. "More year-in-review, 'what a great/terrible year we had,' social media narcissism? Is that what we come to your blog for? Are we not even safe from that here, in the secluded, warm, fortress-like confines of your blog?"

You may determine that for yourself when you finish reading this.

2010 was, by all accounts, a year on the Roman calendar by which most peoples on Earth in the 21st century (again, by the Roman calendar) observe the movement of their planet around the sun. It was a bit different than 2009, and even more different from 1999. Still more different was 1739, but I digress. Professionally.

In 2010 there were a lot of wonderful moments which will overshadow, in time, any momentary frustrations or small sadnesses. I hope that's true for everyone.

In 2025, children born from 2005 until 2010 will begin to look back with faux nostaglia at terrible music and popular culture that exists now, things they were too young to actually remember and did not take any part in at the time.

In 2030, you will see "period" entertainments set in 2010, or in the "naughts." I say entertainments instead of films because that word may be archaic by then.

In 2010, I had a good year. I look to do my very best with whatever 2011 throws me.

Happy New Year.

A kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time

2010-12-24T21:45:00.002-05:00

Tonight, as I enjoy delicious Australian coffee from the new stovetop percolator Marina's parents sent me for Christmas, I find myself reliving a personal tradition. Every year, at Christmas, I find myself stepping backward in time with year-sized boots, stepping backward from Christmastime to Christmastime, finding what it is that I remember specifically about each year.

Only now, it isn't just that; I find myself thinking of my favorite story and how many different versions of it I've been part of in my professional life. Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL has been adapted in so many ways, but the only versions that I can really lend credence to are those that don't diminish the absolutely pitch-perfect, nuanced language of the original novella. That all sounds very lofty, and I don't mean it to. What I mean to do here is to pay tribute to some of the best (or at least my favorite) people I ever did some version of this show with.

In one production or another of A CHRISTMAS CAROL I have played Joe the junk dealer, Young Scrooge, The Ghost of Christmas Present, Bob Cratchit, and had a couple of runs at Scrooge himself. Add in a few smaller roles without much import and a version done by two actors and I know that text almost by heart, even today. I have loved every single production of this story I've done, if not every adaptation. I've been working for some years on my own adaptation, and one day I hope I'll get the chance to put it up... maybe with some of the following people helping me out.

John Clemo comes to mind first; an excellent Scrooge, excellent actor and a fine gentleman whom I still consider a close friend despite years and distance.

Matt Jones, who did the NTC tour of the show for many years and probably knows their version better than anyone else in the world... I never saw you do it, Matt, but I would love to see your Bob Cratchit or your Fred.

Travis Ploeger, from my very first Christmas Carol, who played Fred but I primarily remember as playing a completely dimwitted and deficient version of Dick Wilkins as I tried to maintain as Young Scrooge. His Dick Wilkins was the kind of lumbering oaf who might pet a bunny rabbit to death, and I completely stole his idea in a later production when I played a party guest I invented called "Special Tim."

And finally I'd like to pay tribute to a man who really did, in my experience with him, exemplify all the best qualities of a Scrooge transformed. Matt Kamprath, who passed away in 2009 at only 49, was (both on- and offstage) the life of the NTC tour I did in 2002. He was such a beloved Scrooge on the East Coast leg of that tour that many venues would simply not book the show unless Matty was playing the role.

I have been so lucky and so blessed in my life to have met and worked with so many very talented actors and professionals. It's a time to think about blessings, and a time for people to "open their shut up hearts open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys."

I have an immense feeling of gratitude tonight, for no specific reason but for all those blessings I've had that I haven't deserved and all those people whom I have been able to learn from over the years. If I've ever spent a Christmas with you, please know that tonight I am thinking of you and raising a glass in your honor.

"It is required of every man," the Ghost returned, "that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellowmen, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world -- oh, woe is me! -- and witness what it cannot share, but might have shared on earth, and turned to happiness!"

A Christmas Card For You

2010-12-24T18:44:00.001-05:00

My Blackberry Is Not Working

2010-12-21T16:09:00.003-05:00

Just silliness.. they do not make this style of comedy enough anymore.

Cookie Monster and Jeff Bridges

2010-12-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/20/c-is-for-christmas-wish-cookie-monster-gets-on-saturday-night-live/