Library Of Congress

The Library Of Congress in Washington D.C. will host a special screening of the new Raymond Scott documentary, DECONSTRUCTING DAD, directed by Scott's son, Stanley Warnow, on Monday, April 12th, at 7:00 pm. Warnow will introduce his film which threads Warner Brothers Looney Tunes cartoon excerpts, rare home movies, and interviews with noted Scott fans John Williams, Don Byron, Mark Mothersbaugh, Hal Wilner, DJ Spooky, and Herb Deutsch (co-inventor of the Moog Synthesizer).

Details from the LoC site: James Madison Building, 3rd Floor, Mary Pickford Theater. No tickets required; the program is free, but seating is limited. Reservations may be made by phone, beginning one week before the showing. Call 202-707-5677 during business hours (Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm). Reserved seats must be claimed at least 10 minutes before show time, after which standbys will be admitted to unclaimed seats. UPDATE: Contrary the info on the site, the LoC phone message indicates that reservations are NOT being accepted for this screening, & will instead be available strictly on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive early to claim your seat.

>>> More info at: loc.org

"A fascinating look at a musical genius and the way he lived his life. Stan Warnow allows us to share his journey of discovery as he pieces together the story of his father. I thoroughly enjoyed it."

—LEONARD MALTIN

Free Concert at NDSU

The Faculty Chamber Players of North Dakota State University presents "The Music of Raymond Scott," a free, live performance of Scott's "deliriously inventive freak jazz."

• WHEN: Tuesday, March 30th, at 7:30 PM
• WHERE: Plains Art Museum
• MORE INFO: here

Sage Jazz Festival

Stu Brown's Raymond Scott Project plays the Sage Jazz Fest in Gateshead, England, on March 28. Filmmaker Stan Warnow will appear as a special guest, presenting a preview of his documentary, Deconstructing Dad. The Brown band's set-list includes intriguing new arrangements of the following RS compositions:

• "Wheels That Go" — a Jazz version with wind synthesizer
• "When Will It End?" — Drum & Bass style
• "Celebration On The Planet Mars" — in Klezmer style
• "Portofino" — re-imagined in 1930s style
• "Lightworks" — as a Latin/Hip-Hop/Tango mish-mash
• "The Penguin" — in The Meters meets Miles Davis style

>>> Tickets & info: here

>>> And a review: here ("Stu Brown's Raymond Scott Project was a mini-festival in itself.")

Raymond Scott for the accordion

Last year we offered in pdf format free vintage accordion charts for Scott's "Powerhouse" and "The Toy Trumpet." The offer stands.

Squeezebox practitioner Dionne Hauke (who received our charts) sends along the above ad from the back cover of an unrelated piece of 1940s sheet music. If you're aware of other Scott titles arranged for instruments other than piano or bands, please drop us a note.

Dionne Hauke (right), proprietor of Ziggie's Music, Phoenix AZ

THE WIRE Magazine Feature

The April 2010 print edition of THE WIRE magazine features an article/review about the new Raymond Scott film, DECONSTRUCTING DAD, directed by Stan Warnow, Scott's son. (Also featured in this issue: Joanna Newsome, Edgard Varèse, DJ Stingray, & others. A free 20-track CD is also included.) Meanwhile, THE WIRE's site is hosting an exclusive, specially-edited clip from the documentary here.

"The insights afforded by Raymond Scott's own son add shades of intrigue and pathos not found in the average music documentary."

—Richard Henderson, THE WIRE

ducks deluxe

So much more well-behaved than Daffy, it earned a halo: Columbia Records brochure from 1940, intended to promote a new Raymond Scott post-Quintette release, "Huckleberry Duck," which became one of the composer's best known orchestral titles. The artifact was reproduced in Alex Steinweiss, Inventor of the Modern Album Cover, a retrospective published in 2009 by Taschen Books.

Thanks to our friend Takashi Okada for the image

Dorothy Collins website launched

Dorothy Collins (1926-1994) was a singer, an actress, a broadway star, and she was also the second Mrs. Raymond Scott. Together the couple owned and operated a record label, released countless songs, and during the 1950s they appeared on TV to millions every week on NBC's Your Hit Parade. Dorothy's daughters, Deborah, Elizabeth, and Melissa, have created an excellent new site dedicated to their mother's multifaceted career:

• RememberingDorothyCollins.com