Last weekend I participated in a workshop event at the famous Bitter End nightclub in NYC.

In these workshops, a group of random musicians assemble, meet for only four rehearsals, and then take the stage. I had the honor of playing with Bob Elliot, Steven Beasley, and Charles D’Amato–all on guitar; plus bluesmaster Mike Berman on bass and Bill Scheft on drums. Bill also happens to be a well-known comedian who writes for the Letterman show. We also had Larry Beck sharing vocals with moi.

Here I am singing Beast of Burden–this was one of our shakiest songs in rehearsal, but we pulled it off mighty fine.

I was so worried about our shakiness that I didn’t even tell anyone we were playing, but now I will at least share the video. See link below.

Lee Harrington with the workshop band NoHowe at the Bitter End 5/4/12

Hi Luvs:

I am back in NYC after three months in the Deep South of New Smyrna Beach, Florida. It’s good to be back home with my musical friends.

Last night I met up with the beautiful and talented Melanie Closs–lead singer and founder of the indie band Mela.  She and I are collaborating on a song project. First up is the song “A World of Scattered Men.” This song is based on Chapter 1 of my upcoming novel (The Expatriate’s Guide to Heartbreak) and some of the lyric lines (and the song title) have their origins in the poems of Ovid.

For those of us who haven’t studied classical poetry (most of us haven’t), Ovid was a Roman poet who translated Greek myths into Latin. Enough said. One of my great uncles on the French side of my family was named Ovid. I like to think we’re ancestors of the Great One.

Anyway, Melanie wrote the melody to this song and gave it a tender and poignant tone. We met at The Studio to learn the melody, tweak the lines, and come up with some harmonies. I have never done this before, and I found the whole experience a marvel. I love the creative process in all its forms.

ANd I love collaboration! Writing can be such a lonely business. Especially novels that take four years and three editors to finish!

Tomorrow night–Monday 3/26, Melanie and I will perform the song, in its rough workshop form. I am honored to be making a guest appearance at Mela’s show at the LIC Bar in Queens. Mela is celebrating the release of their latest EP entitled Red Dust.

Life is such a blessing–especially when one gets to live a dream: music.

Hello Friends….for those of you who read my infrequent blog, I wanted to alert you to the latest blog on the subject of doggie birthday parties. This will only appeal to a select audience, I know  http://emharrington.blogspot.com/

I am probably going to have to accept the fact that I am not a compulsive blogger…or a regular blogger, or even an irregular one. We novelists have a hard time being succinct, I guess. And Huffington Post always wants me to cut my tomes down to 800 words. Imagine?

You can count on something bi-monthly: dog-related blogs which are basically reprints of my essays in Bark magazine. Better than complete silence I guess.

But the novel will be out soon. I promise!

xxx