The Bay Area Reporter spoke with actress Lucie Arnaz about her latina roots, her father’s career, and plans for her first studio album in 15 years. Discussing a show she did here at the 92nd Street Y last year, Arnaz recalled a conversation she had with the artistic director, “about what happens to the [musical] arrangements of people like Rosie Clooney and Dean Martin after they are gone. What happens to their charts?”

She wondered what I had done with all my father’s charts from my father’s band. ‘Funny you should ask,’ I said, because I had 20 boxes of them that sat in my garage for over a decade. I’d dip into them from time to time, but mostly they just sat there. Then Michael Feinstein recommended that I look into giving them to the Library of Congress, which has an extensive music division that catalogs and preserves these kinds of documents. So I told her that’s what I had finally done with them.”

Out of the conversation came the idea of a retrospective of Latin music in America, but only as seen through the Desi Arnaz Orchestra. “It seemed like a pretty fabulous idea, because what I remembered of the charts and what I had on CD was really terrific stuff. So Ron Abel, my musical director, and I spent three days at the Library of Congress going through all the charts again, and running into the piano room every five minutes to hear what this or that would sound like. We’re still hard at work on it.

This led to Lyrics & Lyricists™—Babalu: The American Songbook Goes Latin, on Jan 9.  With Lucie as artistic director and host, plus a number of other musicians including special guest Desi Arnaz, Jr., Babalu will celebrate the “Latin invasion” of the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s through her father’s original big band arrangements.

You can view all upcoming Lyrics & Lyricists™ concerts here.

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