Have you ever windsurfed in a tsunami? Then you know how I feel. Writing the songs on my new album, Friends and Family, has saved me from drowning in the turmoil of the last few years. QUICK BACK-STORY I started out as a singer/songwriter and enjoyed some success. Columbia Records signed me; Bette Midler rocked Madison Square Garden with “I Regret Everything,” a comedy song I co-wrote, and Patti LuPone recorded it twice. But, being a practical soul, I relinquished music with a sigh, promising myself I’d return…someday. I raised a family and wrote scripts for many delightful children’s television shows (Cyberchase, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and Olivia, among others), occasionally managing to sneak a song into a script. Life was interesting and packed with pleasure, and then on November 16, 2012, my husband had a stroke. THE WALK THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING One evening, in the summer of 2014, I set out on a walk. I remember feeling so exhausted from my caregiving duties that I was scared I’d faint. To rouse myself, I began to sing – and to my astonishment, a new song came out, almost completely formed. You’ll find that song, “When Love Walked By My Side,” on this album, along with nine others that came bursting forth in the days and months that followed. Suddenly, after years of silence, my musical muse was working overtime. As of this writing, I’ve composed 54 songs, with no sign of slowing down. Writing songs is a joyful addiction, magically allowing me to stand inside and outside my experiences at the same time. Much of what I write is blues-infused, because…well, I’m blues-infused, too. My love of the Great American Songbook permeates these songs; so does my enthusiasm for soul, pop, rock, and the whole shebang of American music. JEFF, YURI, AND A WILLIAMSBURG STUDIO Jeff Franzel produced this album, and, boy, am I lucky. Jeff is a hit songwriter of distinction, a pianist equally at ease with Fats Waller and Chopin, and a producer who never runs out of great ideas. We recorded this album in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at the studio of Yuri Zwadiuk, an ace engineer and versatile instrumentalist. Working with such adroit musicians made our little patch of Brooklyn feel like heaven to me. FRIENDS AND FAMILY I hope these songs resonate with you, too. The emotional intensity of the last few years has sparked a blaze of fellow feeling in me for anyone who gets walloped by life and tries to respond with a little kindness, humor, and panache. Maybe that’s you. The title track, “Friends and Family,” reflects my gratitude to the many people who continue to ease our difficulties. Are you blessed with friends and family, too? If so, you might want to share this song with them. Who doesn’t like a little appreciation now and then?