Last Day At Emerson’s Bar And Grill. 

My first number one album. Well, it was the first and only jazz album I’ve ever played on. I’ve recorded a few instrumental rock records, but nothing like this. 

Lady Day topped four of the Billboard charts in its first week of release: #1 in Cast Albums, #1 in Jazz, #1 in Traditional Jazz and #1 in Heatseekers. According to Billboard Magazine, this album is Audra McDonald’s highest-charting solo release ever.

It was my fourth cast recording and was an interesting one. It was recorded live in the theater during a few performances. It was cool except for the fact that I felt there could have been more attention paid to capturing the band’s sound. There were only three of us musicians (bass, piano and drums) and it sounded like we were off in a distant room at times. When you listen back to recordings of jazz albums in the late 50’s, it sounds light years ahead of what this album eventually became when it was released. 

It’s all good in the end. I can only control my part in the process. I’m happy that the movie of the show we filmed for HBO sounded closer to the real thing. That is something you should see if you haven’t. Breathtaking. It almost made me cry at the end when I first saw it on TV…and I know how it ends – LOL! 

To see Audra McDonald do her thing in front of me every night was a joy, but it was also terrifying because she never, ever made mistakes! She was on a whole other level every night she hit that stage. 

I am thankful to be part of a legendary show with one of the greatest performers ever.