Powerhouse by Charles Nunzio (1941)

We offered free sheet music for a vintage accordion arrangement of Scott's "Powerhouse" by Charles Nunzio in January 2009, and in October we noted the death of the famed accordionist at the age of 97. Following the latter post, accordionist Zevy Zions of oliveblossoms.com contacted us about an unreleased recording of Mr. Nunzio (who taught Zions) performing "Powerhouse" in concert in 1941. With the permission of Mr. Zions, we've posted an mp3 for free download. It's quite an astonishing virtuoso rendition. Wilder than a polka! We asked about the derivation of the recording. Tape was not widely known or available in 1941, yet the recording does not reflect the surface noise and crackle characteristic of 78s. Zions explained:

It was captured on some sort of disc recorder. Yes, the quality is relatively good. The performance is off-the-cuff; he's not following the written music. He didn’t remember it when I played it for him a few years ago.

Mr. Nunzio was conferred a Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Accordionists Association in November 2004.

"Christmas Night" with Louis Armstrong

Christmas figured prominently in the early career of Raymond Scott (the son of immigrant Jews). He wrote his first hit, "Christmas Night In Harlem," in 1934 at age 25. During Xmas 1936, he debuted his soon-to-be world-famous band live on the Saturday Night Swing Club radio show. Two Christmases later, Paul Whiteman featured the Quintette, accompanied by PW's huge orchestra, performing Scott compositions at Carnegie Hall as part of the long-running Experiments In Modern American Music series where Whiteman had debuted Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue in 1924.

"Christmas Night In Harlem" was recorded as an instrumental in 1939 by Scott's Quintette. With lyrics by legendary Tin Pan Alley wordsmith Mitchell Parish, who co-wrote "Stardust," "Deep Purple," and another Yuletide standard, "Sleigh Ride," the tune was covered by Perry Como, Benny Carter, Johnny Mercer, Banu Gibson, The Beau Hunks, Clarence Williams, Paul Whiteman, Maria Muldaur, and Jack Teagarden. A new CD, 100 CHRISTMAS, presents Lester Lanin's version alongside classics by Bing Crosby, Willie Nelson, and Roy Orbison.

The most celebrated of all "Harlem" covers, however, is by Louis Armstrong, framed above alongside Scott during a 1938 CBS radio broadcast. Satchmo's recording is perennially reissued on holiday collections, including WHAT A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS.

Download The Metropole Orchestra's version of "Christmas Night In Harlem" from the CHESTERFIELD ARRANGEMENTS album here, as our holiday gift to you. And explore more of the many incarnations of Raymond Scott's earliest hit at Amazon.com or the iTunes Store.

Documentary Film DVD: Holiday Special

The new Raymond Scott documentary film, DECONSTRUCTING DAD, is temporarily available on DVD for a special price. In the spirit of the Holidays, director Stan Warnow is lowering the price to only $19.95, from now through January 2nd, 2011, to encourage gift-giving for the music geeks on your shopping list. Also, PayPal® orders are now available. Details: here

"America's Coolest Movie Theater"

"America's coolest movie theater" is the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, according to AOL.com. Find out why on December 13th during a screening of the new Raymond Scott documentary film, DECONSTRUCTING DAD, with director Stanley Warnow in person, as part of the "Music Monday Signature Series."

• Date/Time: Dec. 13th at 10:00pm
• Location:     
   The Ritz Theater; Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
   320 East 6th Street, Austin, Texas
• Details & Ticket info: here

Le Théâtre Rialto Presents Film & Live Music Event

This weekend there will be two screenings of the new Raymond Scott documentary film, DECONSTRUCTING DAD, at Montreal's historic Rialto Theatre, preceded by a mini-concert of Scott tunes performed by the Nouveau Raymond Scott Quintette. Director Stan Warnow will conduct a Q&A following the screening, and DJ Otis Fodder of The Bran Flakes will spin a Raymond Scott-themed set that will extend far past your bedtime. 2 nights only:

Friday, December 10 · 8:00pm

Saturday, December 11 · 8:00pm

The Rialto Theater

5723, Avenue du Parc

Montreal, QC, Canada

Hudson Valley Holiday

This weekend, on December 5th, at 2:00 pm, the West Point Band presents the "Hudson Valley Holiday" concert, with the New York Philharmonic Principal Brass Quintet. Raymond Scott compositions will be featured. This performance will take place at the Eisenhower Hall Theatre, on the West Point campus, New York, and is free and open to the public. Details: here — and watch new "Introducing QUINTETE 7" video: here

UPDATE — Band member Brian Broelmann adds: "The Quintette 7 will be starting at 2:00 in the lobby. The show with the NY Phil Brass Quintet will start at 3:00. Quintette 7 is kind of like the opening act, presenting some all new arrangements of holiday tunes as well as some Raymond Scott favorites. Don't miss it!"

D'oh!

Last night's new episode of THE SIMPSONS, "The Fool Monty," was the fourth to feature Raymond Scott's 1937 hit, "Powerhouse" (in this case, twice: once during the show, and again under the closing credits). Not surprising — in a list of series creator Matt Groening's "100 Favorite Things," Scott's classic tune is #14, outranking Stanley Kubrick movies and David Letterman. For those keeping score at home, or Hulu-hunting, the previous episodes were, "And Maggie Makes Three" (1995), "Bart Has Two Mommies" (2006), and "Little Big Girl" (2007).

Professor Elemental

The first single, "Fighting Trousers," from Professor Elemental's new album, THE INDIFFERENCE ENGINE is a hip-hop track based on sample-loops from Raymond Scott's 1937 classic, "Twilight In Turkey." See the video: here

"Brace yourself, as Professor Elemental fires off the first shot in a chap-hop/steampunk battle. A dis tune of the nefarious Mr B: The gentleman rhymer. Steampunk vs. chap-hop! Monkey Butlers vs. Moustaches! My erotic dance vs. a ukeleyle! It's on."

The music of Raymond Scott, John Williams, & Danny Elfman in Nottingham

Join the Nottingham University Wind Orchestra and Brass Ensemble in an evening celebrating all aspects of the silver screen: "Epic Melodies and Looney Tunes." The epic melodies of JOHN WILLIAMS's moving "Hymn to the Fallen" (from SAVING PRIVATE RYAN) and Hans Zimmer’s stirring portrait of noble sacrifice in GLADIATOR are counterbalanced by the sublime lunacy of RAYMOND SCOTT's "The Toy Trumpet," and "Powerhouse" — the music which launched a thousand cartoons — and Paul Hart’s blistering soundtrack to an imaginary cartoon, dished up with enormous wit and panache. Also featured will be DANNY ELFMAN's theme from THE SIMPSONS. Details: here

New LOONEY TUNES Songbook

The new LOONEY TUNES SONGBOOK features 5 Raymond Scott classics:

• "Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals"
• "In an 18th Century Drawing Room"
• "Powerhouse"
• "Reckless Night on Board an Ocean Liner"
• "The Toy Trumpet"

Order from: Amazon.com

New DVD: Raymond Scott Documentary Film

Stan Warnow, Director of the new Raymond Scott documentary film, DECONSTRUCTING DAD, is proud to announce a new DVD is now available to order. There are a substantial number of extra sequences on the disc, totaling approx. 20 minutes of bonus footage, including:

 • 2 bonus scenes featuring Mark Mothersbaugh, movie soundtrack composer and DEVO co-founder

 • Turntablist/producer/author DJ Spooky, aka Paul D. Miller

 • An exploration of the mysterious 1959 album THE UNEXPECTED by Raymond Scott & The Secret Seven, the all-star jazz legends supergroup whose identities remained confidential for decades

 • Tom Rhea, Ph.D (Berklee College of Music) explaining in great detail about Scott’s early keyboard synthesizer, the Clavivox

 • Moog synthesizer co-inventor, Herb Deutsch, who extends his recollections of Raymond Scott first telling him about the Electronium

Even if you’ve seen the documentary at public screenings, there’s a lot more to see and hear on the DVD (and you’ll be helping support the film). Order from Kunaki DVD: here — it is a Region-Free NTSC Video.

DE NUEVO EN EL INFIERNO

Madrid-based sextet Racalmuto have released a fantastic new CD titled DE NUEVO EN EL INFIERNO, featuring faithful renditions of seven classic Raymond Scott compositions from the 1930s-'40s:

• "Oil Gusher"

• "The Girl With The Light Blue Hair"

• "Birdlife In The Bronx"

• "Reckless Night on Board an Ocean Liner"

• "A Little Bit of Rigoletto"

• "Suicide Cliff"

• "Tobacco Auctioneer"

An eighth tune associated with (but not composed by) Scott, "Brass Buttons and Epaulets" (from the 1938 film Just Around the Corner), is also included, played in the RSQ arrangement. Other CD tracks include modern takes on vintage tunes by Ellington, Tchaikovsky, and Slim Gaillard, along with one original penned by group leader Miguel Malla.

CD artwork

CD cover artwork

Snip-Snap and Red Bull® Presents:Film & Music Tribute in Manchester

Snip-Snap Music & Red Bull® presents, "DECONSTRUCTING DAD: A NIGHT OF FILM & MUSIC CELEBRATING THE GENIUS OF RAYMOND SCOTT." 

This Sunday, director Stan Warnow will introduce the new Raymond Scott documentary, DECONSTRUCTING DAD, and conduct a Q&A. Following the screening, there will be live performances by GRAHAM MASSEY*, DENIS JONES, HENRIETA SMITH ROLLA, and others, and visual artists will provide moving image tributes.

*Aside from his electronic group 808 STATE, Graham Massey’s composing, remixing, and production list is a “who’s who” of contemporary music, including DAVID BOWIE, QUINCY JONES, BJÖRK, and GOLDFRAPP.

• Date/Time:
   November 7th
   5:00pm until 12-Midnight 
• Location:
   The Soup Kitchen; 31-33 Spear Street

   (Stevenson Square); Manchester, United Kingdom

Click image below for details:

Cartoon Jazz Septet Concert

The Cartoon Jazz project was launched in 2003 at the Stanford Jazz Festival with the revival of charts from the great American composer, Raymond Scott. Jeff Sanford tracked down many charts of the famous composer, written for 13-piece bands in public archives and private collector libraries. Members of his band have since been contributing new arrangements of Scott's music as well as other jazz pieces which have been used in cartoons.

Debut House concert of Jeff Sanford's Cartoon Jazz Septet will take place this Saturday, November 13th, from 3:00 to 5:00 (Two sets with intermission). Location: The House of John & Francie Raeside, 662 Kenwyn Rd. Oakland, California (cross street is Hillgirt).  Suggested Donation: $15, at the door.