Hi Janice and Bud,

Thank you so much. Sparing you the details, I can say that it was a monumental effort on both our parts. The song is deceptively difficult to sing because the original version, in F, exploited the extraordinary top end that Dionne has. I didn't realize it until it was too late.

But, transposed to Eb, Josie carried the day, nailing the pitches, getting all the long tones and ornamentation right. I'll state flatly that in my (not so humble) opinion, Josie Beck is the only singer in the Forum who could bang this tune across with the kind of steady authority and self-assurance that you hear in her performance. She carries a superior vocal instrument, and equally impressive is her versatility. This is not her genre of choice. It's less familiar territory, made even more so by my relentless harmonic substitutions and rhythmic change-ups. This arrangement could easily intimidate a lesser talent. You're right when you say that it has a certain sophistication. Oh, and did I forget to say that she is just the greatest collaborator?

Thank you for such a generous compliment.

Dean