"Not A Moment Too Soon!" Barry Lloyd

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Not A Moment Too Soon! Barry Lloyd gives tribute to song-composer Murray Grand

In a purple shirt, an orange tie and a rhinestone broach on the lapel of his blazer-jacket, Barry Lloyd performed in a one-man show called Not A Moment Too Soon! - The Songs of Murray Grand at Octavia Lounge in San Francisco, on October 26, 2007.

Using a touch of the flamboyant to step further into the spotlight, Lloyd set out to feature the talent of the late songwriter and composer, who died in March of 2007, by expressing his admiration for Grand, who wrote countless songs but has been little known to contemporary audiences. Lloyd received acclaim earlier this year with his tribute show to the late Bobby Short, who died two years ago.

Cabaret Scenes Magazine, referred to Lloyd (as do many in the community) as "The Crown Prince of San Francisco Cabaret." It also noted that Lloyd worked as a piano accompanist for years, honing his skills and dreaming of the day when he could follow in Short's illustrious footsteps. Short, among many others, were Lloyd’s idols.

With the foundation of that tribute-show’s success, Lloyd is pleased to present audiences with the songs of Murray Grand, and wants to continue to do more shows like it. "Since 2000, I have been doing less accompanying for other singers, and work more on my own shows. I do about one or two a year," he said. "I focus on a composer or writing team, such as songwriter Hugh Martin of Meet Me in St. Louis  movie-fame, or Rodgers and Hart." As usual, Lloyd did a great deal of research about Grand for the show. "Murray was not a household name, but many, many artists have recorded his music over the years.”

"Peggy Lee was among them," said local SF Bay Area performer Kathy Holly. "Murray Grand wrote so many wonderful songs. He was also one of the best piano bar singers of that era." "Guess Who I Saw Today" and "Not A Moment Too Soon" were among his signature songs. "Murray was unique," said music collector and archivist Bob Johnson, who supplies sheet music and material to many performers in the SF Bay Area. He first learned of Grand in The New Faces of 1952,  the revue series, which opened on Broadway and was later made into a movie by 20^th Century Fox. Grand went on to continue writing for New Faces for 1953, ’54, ’56, and so on. New Faces was a vehicle that helped launch the careers of many stars, among them Eartha Kitt, Paul Lynde, Alice Ghostley, Robert Clary, Ronny Graham, Carol Lawrence and Mel (then Melvin) Brooks. Grand also wrote nightclub material for well-known performers of the day, such as Phyllis Diller, Paul Lynde, Kaye Ballard and Joanne Worley (of the 1960’s TV show “Laugh In”).

In the book Intimate Nights by author James Gavin, back in the 1950’s, "there were all these cozy little clubs that used to be everywhere in New York City." Cabaret was essential at these clubs, which featured singers, comedians and musicians. Grand was among them, and lived and breathed in this setting. Gavin quoted Grand as recounting the story of how a then-unknown Alice Ghostley, who was a regular at the Bon Soir, auditioned for Leonard Sillman with Grand’s "Guess Who I Saw Today." Leonard Sillman was the producer of New Faces of 1952, and Grand had been appointed as a rehearsal pianist. Originally, it was actress Charlotte Rae (then, also an unknown) who was supposed to be in New Faces, but was spirited away by Abe Burrows for the Broadway musical Three Wishes for Jamie. Despite Sillman’s initial reservations about Ghostley (he said “I saw her. She’s terrible’), she put the song over “so touchingly, that Sillman hired her at once.” "Alice arrived and just mopped up the town," said Grand, in his recollections to Gavin for the book. Ghostley would appear in films, but was most famous for her TV roles on comedies such as "Designing Women," and her most memorable role as Esmerelda on "Bewitched." Gavin wrote that the song, with lyrics by Elisse Boyd, was a tale of urban adultery, and was performed brilliantly by June Carroll.

Grand’s talent apparently was good at putting things together at short notice, such as finding Ghostley to audition his signature song for Sillman. The New York Sun reported that Grand created the show Four Below, which received praise from a New York columnist as "one of the gayest and most delightful bits of entertainment in New York." The New York Sun also said in Grand’s obituary that he was often compared to Cole Porter…but may have been closer in spirit to Noel Coward in the song, "April in Fairbanks."

Lloyd mentioned several times that Grand had a way with comedy. "His songs are hidden treasures, often not that easy to find." That’s where Bob Johnson usually comes in. He gave Lloyd many of the songs for his show. "Barry also has a special way of setting the arrangement of a song," Johnson said. "There were some songs which had no sheet music," added Johnson, "so Barry set the musical arrangement all by ear; just from listening to the cast album." Johnson did surmise that one reason for the obscurity of some of the songs in the show was that Grand was unknown to most people. "Murray’s songs are witty, just witty. I can’t say why in particular, they just are that way," said Johnson.

A couple who stopped into the Octavia Lounge on Oct. 26^th was pleased with Lloyd’s performance. They, like most of today’s 20 to 40-something audiences, know little about cabaret. "We never heard of Murray Grand or Barry Lloyd before," they both said, "but the show was fantastic." Interestingly, they got word of Lloyd’s show via an email sent to them from a friend. "I thought it was spam mail, so I was just about to delete it, and then I thought, why not go to the show?" Another audience member commuted all the way from Santa Cruz to see the show, and was not surprised that Lloyd had won over new fans. "Barry has talent as a fine pianist and as a performer," he said, “and I am humbly inspired by his talent." Impressed with Lloyd’s other shows, like the tribute to Bobby Short, and Judy, Judy, Judy, he admitted he never knew of Grand until Lloyd’s show. "Murray Grand’s compositions are fantastic. Much of the subject matter in some of his songs is still pertinent to today; thoughts about people and issues are always universal."

Talkin’Broadway.com’s Richard Connema praised Lloyd’s tribute to Grand as an "80-minute song feast." Unfortunately, he too mentioned that, despite the large number of famous artists who recorded his songs, Grand remained little-known." Grand moved to Florida in the 1980’s and continued to perform in cabaret style part-time, while owning a pet food shop. He was 87 when he died. In Grand’s obit, The New York Sun referred to Grand as a "relic of the cabaret scene," yet those who knew him, like Bob Ullman, the press agent for New Faces, Barbara Jericiau and Lou Stuart understood Grand was much more. In their posted comments in response to the Sun’s obit, they all said Grand had a "devilish" sense of humor and was "wonderfully" talented. Stuart in his posted message to the Sun said, "Musicals are gone, theater is dead! It’s a world of computers, cell phones and something out there, that they call music. So, Murray! You checked out in time," said Stuart.

The New York Sun also reported that Grand left no "survivors." Yet, perhaps Lloyd and others know something The New York Sun does not…the world of cabaret was his family and that the music of Murray Grand lives on. 

Lloyd received acclaim earlier this year with his tribute show to the late Bobby Short, who died two years ago.

Cabaret Scenes Magazine, in New York City, referred to Lloyd (as do many in the community) as "The Crown Prince of San Francisco Cabaret." It also noted that Lloyd worked as a piano accompanist for years, honing his skills and dreaming of the day when he could follow in Short's illustrious footsteps. Short, among many others, were Lloyd’s idols.

With the foundation of that tribute-show’s success, Lloyd is pleased to present audiences with the songs of Murray Grand, and wants to continue to do more shows like it. "Since 2000, I have been doing less accompanying for other singers, and work more on my own shows. I do about one or two a year," said Lloyd. "I focus on a composer or writing team, such as songwriter Hugh Martin of "Meet Me in St. Louis" movie-fame, or Rogers and Hart (before Rogers teamed up with Oscar Hammerstein II)," said Lloyd.

As usual, Lloyd did a great deal of research about Grand for the show. "Murray was not a household name," admitted Lloyd. "But many, many artists have recorded his music over the years," he said.

"Peggy Lee was among them," said local SF Bay Area performer Kathy Holly. "Murray Grand wrote so many wonderful songs," she said. Adding, "He was also one of the best piano bar singers of that era." "Guess Who I Saw Today" and "Not A Moment Too Soon" were among his signature songs. "Murray was unique," said music collector and archivist Bob Johnson. Johnson, who supplies sheet music and material to many performers in the SF Bay Area, first learned of Grand in "The New Faces of 1952." This was a review series, which, according to Wikipedia, the on-line encyclopedia, opened on Broadway and was later made into a movie by 20th Century Fox.

Grand went on to continue writing for the "New Faces" review series consecutively for 1953, ’54, ’56 and so on. "The New Faces" review was a vehicle that helped launch the careers of many stars. Among them were now legendary and talented luminaries like Eartha Kitt and Mel Brooks.

Grand also wrote lots of nightclub material for well-known performers of the time, such as comedians Phyllis Diller, Paul Lynde, Kaye Ballard and Joanne Worley (of the 1960’s TV show ‘Laugh In’).

In the book "Intimate Nights" by author James Gavin, back in the 1950’s, "there were all these "cozy little clubs that used to be everywhere in New York City." Cabaret was essential at these nightclubs, which featured singers, comedians and musicians.

Grand was among them and lived and breathed in this setting. Gavin quoted Grand as recounting the story of how a then-unknown Alice Ghostley, who was a regular at the Bon Soir club, got to perform the song "Guess Who I Saw Today."

Leonard Sillman was the producer of "New Faces," and Grand had been appointed as a rehearsal pianist. Grand was also asked by the show’s director to compose new songs. Originally, it was actress Charlotte Rae (then, also an unknown) who was supposed to sing "Guess Who I Saw Today." But despite Sillman’s initial reservations, he hired Ghostley on the spot. Gavin writes that Grand’s song "Guess Who I Saw Today" with lyrics by collaboration of Elisse Boyd, was a tale of urban adultery. Ghostley’s portrayal of the spurned housewife, who discretely exposes her husband’s affair while they sip a martini, was touching.

Such a touching performance made Sillman hire her on the spot. "Alice arrived and just mopped up the town," said Grand in his recollections to Gavin for the book.

Lloyd pointed out that on the cast album June Carroll sings the song. Not certain in Gavin’s book, at which venue for sure Ghostley sang "Guess Who I Saw Today." But Wikepedia lists Ghostley as being part of the cast for both the Broadway production and the movie.

Rae would continue, and later found fame in the hit TV comedy "The Facts of Life." Like Rae, as well as many others of that time, Ghostley would appear in films, but was most famous on TV. Today’s audiences would recall Ghostley in comedies like "Designing Women," but perhaps, Ghostly is best remembered for her role as the cousin Esmerelda on the television series "Bewitched."

Grand’s talent apparently was good at putting things together at short notice, such as finding Ghostley to audition his signature song for Sillman. The New York Sun reported that Grand created the show "Four Below" which received praise from a NY columnist as, "one of the gayest and most delightful bits of entertainment in New York." The New York Sun also said in Grand’s obituary that he was often compared to Cole Porter…but may have been closer in spirit to Noel Coward in the song, "April in Fairbanks."

Lloyd mentioned several times that Grand had a way with comedy. "His songs are hidden treasures, often not that easy to find." That’s where Bob Johnson usually comes in. He gave Lloyd many of the songs for his show. "Barry also has a special way of setting the arrangement of a song," Johnson said. "There were some songs which had no sheet music," added Johnson. "So Barry set the musical arrangement all by ear; just from listening to the cast album," Johnson said.

Johnson did surmise that one reason for the obscurity of some of the songs in the show was that Grand was unknown to most people. "Murray’s songs are witty, just witty. I can’t say why in particular, they just are that way," said Johnson.

A couple who stopped into the Octavia Lounge on Oct. 26th was pleased with Lloyd’s performance. Dave Schweisgutch and Penny Chua, like most of today’s 20 to 40-something audiences, know little about cabaret. "We never heard of this Murray Grand or of Barry Lloyd before," they both said. "The show was fantastic." Interestingly, they got word of Lloyd’s show by an email sent to them from a friend. "I thought it was spam mail, so I was just about to delete it," said Schweisgutch. "And then I thought, "why not take Penny and go to the show?’" He said.

Eric Hall commuted all the way from Santa Cruz to see the show. Hall was not surprised that Lloyd had won over new fans. "Barry has talent as a fine pianist and as a performer," said Hall. "And, I am humbly inspired by his talent," he added.

Impressed with Lloyd’s other shows, like the tribute to Bobby Short, and "Judy, Judy, Judy," Hall said, "Barry presents the songs of Murray Grand very well." Yet, as mentioned before, Hall had to admit he never knew of Grand until Lloyd’s show. "Murray Grand’s compositions are fantastic. Much of the subject matter in some of his songs is still pertinent to today," said Hall. "Thoughts about people and issues are always universal," he added.

Talkin’ Brodway.com’s Richard Connema praised Lloyd’s tribute to Grand as an "80-minute song feast." Unfortunately, he too mentioned that despite the large number of famous artists who recorded his songs, Grand remained "little-known." Grand moved to Florida in the 1980’s and continued to perform in cabaret style part-time while owning a pet food shop. He was 87 when he died. In Grand’s obit, The New York Sun referred to Grand as a "relic of the cabaret scene." Yet those who knew him, like the press agent for "New Faces," Bob Ullman, Barbara Jericiau and Lou Stuart understood Grand was much more. In their posted comments in response to the Sun’s obit, they all said Grand had a "devilish" sense of humor and was "wonderfully" talented. Stuart in his posted message to the Sun said, "Musicals are gone, theater is dead! It’s a world of computers, cell phones and something out there, that they call music. So, Murray! You checked out in time," said Stuart.

The Sun also reported that Grand left no family "survivors." Yet, perhaps Lloyd and others know something The New York Sun does not…the world of cabaret was his family and that the music of Murray Grand lives on.