My Secret Collaborator

One—unexpected—aspect of my life has been the creation of videos. I always thought of myself as an artist (like, the kind that uses pencils and canvas) and a writer ... in that order. Sortof. Depends on the decade. But, because of my dearly departed friend John (his HIV+ became AIDS in the summer of 2007), the spring before he died I started making little YouTube videos. That was four years ago, and my technique has since burgeoned. On a microscopic scale, the videos made me  someone who has been (emphasis on past tense) privately but exuberantly admired. Back in the days when my Internet presence was still linked with my half-brother (it no longer is), I had a very small but dedicated group of fans. Since then my personality and bad bad bad bad habits have chased them all away. 


   Anyway ... I am a fierce loner in life and an even fiercer loner in art, but I have one secret collaborator. His name is Albert Aprigliano. I think he's a big-name cocktail lounge pianist in New York, but I know him from his YouTube channel. The first time I heard him play Cole Porter's "I Love You," I knew I had found a musician who could provide the perfect soundtrack to any of my videos.
     I once wrote him an enthusiastic note but never heard back, of course. And I am glad he doesn't know of me because he might object to my use of his music. (Always assume the worst in life—and you'll receive it!) I haven't had the stomach to listen to his newer music (I think he even does, like, Captain & Tenille stuff), but in Cole Porter and the mid-century classics he is breathtaking: sentimental, over-pedaled, hyper-emotional ... in a word, just perfect for me!
     Thank you, Albert, whoever you are!
     I have used his music in the following videos: It's Joan Crawford and Steepletop (second half of video). Click and watch them right now! I need a retrospective—pretty badly.