Oui d'Accord: "Powerhouse" (in Super 8)

The Berlin-based trio Oui d'Accord present an original arrangement of Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse" for guitar, bass and accordion. Filmed in Super 8! Unless the guys wrote it down, no sheet music exists for this instrumental configuration. 

Jameson Dublin International Film Festival

"Established in 2003, The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival has fast become Ireland's premier feature film festival and takes place in Ireland's capital city over the course of eleven days and nights each February."

The award-winning Raymond Scott documentary film, "DECONSTRUCTING DAD," will be screened at The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival on February 16th. Directed by Raymond Scott's son, STAN WARNOW, and co-produced by JEFF WINNER (me), the documentary features: JOHN WILLIAMS, multi-Academy Award®-winning movie soundtrack composer (JAWS, STAR WARS, HARRY POTTER), MARK MOTHERSBAUGH, Emmy Award®-winning movie & TV score writer, & co-founder of DEVO, DJ SPOOKY, aka PAUL D. MILLER, turntablist, producer, & author, and others. Get tickets: here

Nine daffy Norwegians

If you live in the New York City metro area, chances are high you missed the MeanEnsemble's March 2013 performances of Don't Beat Your Wife (Every Night): A Tribute to Raymond Scott and the Perfect World of Commercials at the Baruch Performing Arts Center. We were there—and we didn't see you. In fact, the first night's attendance was about six (not including the band and staff), and the second night's "crowd" numbered about 15. Which is a shame for two reasons: 1) because it was a spectacular and highly entertaining show, and 2) the band hails from Norway and rarely visits the U.S. There was apparently some serious PR fail that resulted in very little public awareness of the event. Nonetheless, the musicians performed admirably and most entertainingly.

A high-quality, beautifully directed video of the entire program (as performed in a studio in their home country) will be screened on Saturday, November 23, 2:00pm, at the WFMU Record Fair, held at the Metropolitan Pavilion on West 18th Street. I will introduce the video and provide a little context for those unfamiliar with Scott's legacy.

The MeanEnsemble vid will be followed by our friends Sport Murphy, Steve Young and Laura Lindgren's absurdist extravaganza based on their new book, Everything's Coming Up Profits: The Golden Age of Industrial Musicals.

War Dance for Tap, Tabla, and Tuba

Hungarian-born composer/percussionist Gábor Tarján, who lives in the Netherlands, arranged Scott's "War Dance for Wooden Indians" for an unusual ensemble. He recently provided us with video of a June 2010 performance, and the following notes:

The group does not actually have a name (as yet). I brought these musicians together for a project entitled "Tap 'n Tabla." The video was recorded at the Vredenburg Concert Hall, Utrecht, Netherlands. I'm playing marimba.

Scott's music has been an inspiration ever since I heard a recording of "Siberian Sleighride" on the radio years ago. I couldn't believe what I was hearing and fell in love with the music right away. It's a very controlled sort of chaos, and I love that Scott is basically just playing with all these notes. The music also has an openness. I can imagine many of his pieces being arranged for a wide array of different formations. The possibilities are endless!

Next week, I'm trying out a new (perhaps a bit bizarre) arrangement of "Powerhouse" for female vocals, marimba, bass guitar and tabla.

The others players in the video are Sandip Bhattacharya (tabla), Peter Kuit (tap dance), Yamila Bavio (sax), Frans Cornelissen (tuba), and Rembrandt Frerichs (piano).

Unhuman Muzik Festival in Berlin

The award-winning Raymond Scott documentary film, "DECONSTRUCTING DAD," will be screened during the Unhuman Muzik Festival in Berlin on Friday, February 22nd. Details: HERE. Directed by Raymond Scott's son, STAN WARNOW, and co-produced by JEFF WINNER (me), the documentary features: JOHN WILLIAMS, multi-Academy Award®-winning movie soundtrack composer (JAWS, STAR WARS, HARRY POTTER), MARK MOTHERSBAUGH, Emmy Award®-winning movie & TV score writer, & co-founder of DEVO, DJ SPOOKY, aka PAUL D. MILLER, turntablist, producer, & author, and others.

75 Years of Wooden Indians

On this date 75 years ago, Raymond Scott returned to CBS studios with his 6-man 'Quintette' to record "War Dance For Wooden Indians." This hit tune was released in 1937, and is consecrated into several classic LOONEY TUNES shorts including "The Odor-able Kitty," "Tom Tom Tomcat," "A Peck o' Trouble," and "Bye, Bye Bluebeard." Download the vintage Columbia recording from the iTunes store, or Amazon, and watch one of our favorite covers here:

Muziekodroom in Belgium

Muziekodroom in Belgium will host a screening of the Raymond Scott documentary film, DECONSTRUCTING DAD, on January 19th at 8:00pm. A DJ set by Micha Volders of The Vermin Twins will follow, and sponsors include Coca-Cola, and Red Bull.

Watch The Year's BestNew Performance Video

Witness the amazing MeaNensamble live at Studio Bodø, performing Raymond Scott's 1938 classic, "War Dance For Wooden Indians," recorded October 2011: HERE <<<

We look forward to their live shows and concert DVD during the 75th Anniversary of Raymond Scott's music in 2012.

London Jazz Festival

The London Jazz Festival will feature a live set of Raymond Scott's tunes performed by the Stu Brown Sextet on November 20th:

Drummer Stu Brown and his sextet bring the music of the “mad professor of cartoon music” Raymond Scott to life — through the slapstick musical mayhem of all your favourite 1940s Looney Tunes cartoons, The Simpsons and Ren & Stimpy — with crowd-pleasing energy and wit.

38th annual Gent International Film Festival in Belgium

The new award-winning Raymond Scott documentary film, DECONSTRUCTING DAD, will be screened three times during the 38th annual Gent International Film Festival in Belgium, at the Arts Centre Vooruit: Thursday, October 20th at 2:30pm, Friday night, October 21st at 10:30pm, and Saturday night, October 22nd at 8pm.

VARIETY placed the festival in its 'Top-50 must attend festivals of the world,' and THE WALL STREET JOURNAL called the festival 'one of the five European Film Festivals with character.'

"Established in 1974, the festival has developed into one of Europe's most prominent film events, attracting over 130,000 viewers each year." Sponsors include: ING®, Philips®, Stella Artois®, Peugot®, and Marriot®

"A-Muzik Film Series" at Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Germany

DECONSTRUCTING DAD, the new award-winning Raymond Scott documentary film, will be screened on August 25th at 9pm, at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Germany, as part of the A-Muzik Film Series. Director Stan Warnow will attend.

Museum Ludwig houses PopArt, Abstract and Surrealism, and has one of the largest Picasso collections in Europe. It also features many works by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.

MK Gallery's "Friday Night Films" in Milton Keynes, England

On Friday, August 5th, at 6:30 pm, the new award-winning Raymond Scott documentary film, DECONSTRUCTING DAD, will be screened at MK Gallery in Milton Keynes, England, as part of their "Friday Night Films" series. £5 (concessions £3) • Pre-book on 01908 676 900

"Our Mission Statement: MK Gallery provides free access to high quality, innovative and thought-provoking contemporary art from around the world. In its programme MK Gallery stimulates participation and debate, building relationships between artists and audiences."

75th Anniversary of Raymond Scott's Music: 1937—2012

2012 marks the 75th Anniversary of Raymond Scott's music, which is forever associated with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck — though bandleader-composer Scott had no interest in cartoons. Ever!

Composer, electronic music pioneer, inventor, and bandstand drill sergeant Raymond Scott was born Harry Warnow, in Brooklyn, in 1908. After graduating from Juilliard, he wrote the 1934 hit song “Christmas Night In Harlem,” recorded by Louis Armstrong. In December 1936, Scott debuted his six-man “Quintette,” which featured jazz giant Bunny Berigan on trumpet and drummer Johnny Williams, father of famous movie score composer John Williams. By early 1937, Scott's Quintette were stars on radio, on records, and — after landing a contract with 20th Century Fox — in Hollywood films. The RSQ reeled off a string of quirky hit records, including “Powerhouse” (recorded February 20, 1937 in New York at their first studio session). Thanks to its being quoted by Carl Stalling in dozens of LOONEY TUNES, the "Powerhouse" melodies have become genetically encoded in the DNA of every earthling.

The Raymond Scott Archives celebrates the 75th with a series of live events and special projects (listed below). If you plan to coordinate an event, record Scott's tunes, or write about Scott, contact: info@RaymondScott.com. We can provide sheet music, photos, and historical resources. We are available for interviews and to host local programs.

• On December 1st, 2011, the New York-based Raymond Scott Orchestrette reunited to perform at Lincoln Center, as part of the Target® Free Thursday series — watch the new video slideshow with music: here

• Basta Audio-Visuals, the European label is planning several releases, including two vinyl LP replicas (which are available now — details here): Scott's 1957 orchestral THIS TIME WITH STRINGS, and a rare stereo mix of 1959’s THE UNEXPECTED, performed by Scott’s all-star jazz ensemble The Secret Seven. And a new 2-track single has also been released on the iTunes store — info: here.

• The award-winning Raymond Scott documentary, DECONSTRUCTING DAD will be screened at movie theaters and international film festivals: ScottDoc.com

Live performances of Scott's animated compositions (jazz, pop, and electronica) will take place around the globe, including:

• UK: Stu Brown Sextet and Mr. McFall's Chamber present ongoing concerts of Scott repertoire

• USA: The West Point Band’s Quintette 7 perform RSQ repertoire

• Norway: The MeaNensemble presents “White (Brain) Wash in concert: A Tribute To Raymond Scott & the Perfect World of Commercials”

• New York: Brian Carpenter’s Ghost Train Orchestra performs “Powerhouse Stomp: A Tribute To Classic Cartoons” 

• Spain: Racalmuto recreate the RSQ's six-man lineup and repertoire

• San Francisco: Jeff Stanford’s Cartoon Jazz Orchestra and Septet perform Scott classics accompanying cartoons

• Colorado: The Expedition Quartet present “An Acoustic Dinner with a Pack of Hungry Cannibals”

• Los Angeles: A multimedia show at the Redcat theater in the Walt Disney Concert Hall, curated by composer Ego Plum, and movie score orchestrator/composer Steve Bartek of Oingo Boingo on Friday, November 9th, 2012

________________________________________________

CONTACT:

Jeff E. Winner • The Raymond Scott Archives

RaymondScott.com • info@RaymondScott.com

Phone: 267-970-4396
View or Download Press Release: here

________________________________________________

P.S. Check-out this new collection of 75 YouTube clips of the Raymond Scott classic, "Powerhouse," celebrating the 75th anniversary of the RS Quintette's debut studio recording, on February 20, 1937, in New York: HERE <<<

Portrait of RSQ © by Drew Friedman

White (Brain)Wash Concerts in Norway

MeaNensemble presents:

"Don't Beat your wife (every night)"

White (Brain) Wash in concert
A Tribute To Raymond Scott &
the Perfect World of Commercials

Bubbly and crazy cartoon music in the best Bugs Bunny-style, mixed with absurd advertising fantasies from 60 Years in the United States ... This is the MeaNensemble, a 9-man's All Star Band in this concert version of the critically acclaimed show "White (Brain) Wash" as was played on stages all over Norway and was set-up in three weeks at the Kaleidoscope Theatre in Copenhagen: "A sparkling witty, visually and musically superb virtuoso performance at the European level!"

Friday June 10th and Saturday 11th will be the exclusive prepremiere for Liland and Narvik before tour starting this fall. Then there will be visits to both festivals and live recording in Studio Store in Bodø. More info: here

There is no open ticket sales, but to reserve a place to experience the spectacular ensemble mean, you can contact by phone 95 92 77 91 or email: vibeke.forshaug.min@nfk.no

Friday at 8:00pm — Liland brygge

Saturday at 7:00pm — Mørkholla, Narvik kulturhus

Cinématte Film Series in Switzerland

The Cinématte music cinema in Berne, Switzerland, will host a screening of the new Raymond Scott documentary, DECONSTRUCTING DAD, this Thursday, March 24th at 9:00 PM. The film series is programmed by the "Song & Dance Men." Details: here

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

XII Festival Cinema Jueu Barcelona

The new Raymond Scott documentary, DECONSTRUCTING DAD, will premiere in Spain on July 8th at the Barcelona Jewish Film Festival. Director Stan Warnow will attend and conduct a Q&A following the screening.

On Saturday night, July 10th, the band Racalmuto, who have developed an extensive Raymond Scott repertoire, will perform at the festival.

Racalmuto: new RS performance

Racalmuto, our favorite Raymond Scott Quintette tribute band from Spain (OK, the only Spanish RS tribute band) performed at the Universidad Pública de Navarra, April 19-20. The sextet offers a spirited take on Scott's "The Quintette Plays Carmen," and here they provide an original composition, "Le Flamboyant M. Igor," as a makeshift soundtrack for scenes from the climax of Buster Keaton's 1928 silent Steamboat Bill, Jr.

Miguel Malla, the band's tenor saxophonist, informs us that on Friday Racalmuto begins recording their second CD. Their self-titled first contained a half-dozen RS compositions performed with the élan of the original RSQ. Album two will feature Scott's "Snake Woman," "Bird Life in the Bronx," "Sleepwalker," "Suicide Cliff," "A Little Bit of Rigoletto," "Oil Gusher," "The Quintette Plays Carmen," "The Girl with the Light Blue Hair," and "Tobacco Auctioneer." They'll also record "Brass Buttons and Epaulettes," which Scott didn't compose, though it was performed by the RSQ in the 1938 Shirley Temple film Just Around the Corner.

Cheltenham Festivals

Stu Brown is bringing his Raymond Scott Project to the Cheltenham Festivals on April 29th:

Since the launch of the Music Festival in 1945, Cheltenham has been at the forefront of contemporary British culture. With combined ticket sales of over 150,000 the festivals have justly earned their place at the centre of the UK’s cultural scene.

Box office number is 0844-576-7979, & more details: here

Sensoria Film Festival: UK Premiere

The new Raymond Scott documentary film, DECONSTRUCTING DAD, will have it's official UK premiere at the Sensoria Film Festival on April027:

Sensoria is the UK’s festival of film and music. Sensoria’s natural home is Sheffield, England. The festival has risk-taking and innovation at its core. It is informal and informative.

Director Stan Warnow (Scott's son) will be interviewed by Martyn Ware (The Human League/Heaven 17) and give a Q&A following the screening.

>>> Info & tickets: here