v/a: Raymond Scott Reimagined (Violinjazz Recordings, 2023)
July 1, 2023 at 3:55 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment
v/a: Raymond Scott Reimagined
Bandleader, pianist, saxophonist, and former Warner Brothers Animation composer Gordon Goodwin presents new arrangements of some of Raymond Scott’s most well-known compositions — the ones you’ve heard in cartoons your entire life. Most of the songs are performed by Gordon’s Big Phat Band and Quartet San Francisco, with vocal sextet Take 6 joining in on a few numbers. I’ve listened to
Reckless Nights & Turkish Twilights more times than I can count, and these are faithful but still exquisitely performed, embellished arrangements of the songs. Of course “Powerhouse” kicks off the show, and the main melody is quoted a few other times throughout the program, including on the next track, one of several selections of Raymond Scott interviews backed with newly recorded music. “Toy Trumpet” has a nice bit at the end that switches through a few brief, distinct parts, with a very low-attention-span cartoon feel. “Cutey and the Dragon” is actually an unfinished Scott tune written for his granddaughter, finished by Goodwin (but also borrowing bits from “Powerhouse”) and given a big band reading that has all the whimsy of Scott’s classics. “The Quintette Goes to a Dance”, which has a bit of a Western swing feel to it, is preceded by an interview clip in which Scott doesn’t remember making a song with that title. “Twilight in Turkey” goes all out with a stage-ready arrangement, while “Serenade” is a gentle, harp-driven lullaby.
The Answer Is In The Beat 
Leave a comment