News & Updates — soundtrack

You know those people who's music everyone knows but they've never heard of it's creator? Meet Raymond Scott, one of the wackiest composers out there. He was a dada-inspired jazz bandleader, an instrument-builder, a pioneer in electronics and the composer of the Looney Tunes (arranged by Carl Stalling) and Ren & Stimpy music. Born Harry Warnow in Brooklyn to a family of Russian Jews, he started working for his brother in the CBS Radio house band as a pianist, changing his name to "Raymond Scott" (how to avoid claims of nepotism) before forming his spin-off Quintette in 1936. (It was...

Here's a birthday shout-out to the Japan's Yamanaka Joe, actor, singer, activist & humanitarian. Born Akira Yamanaka to a Japanese prostitute mother and a Caribbean-American soldier father he never met, whom he believed to be either Cuban or Jamaican. He grew up in an orphanage and got TB as a kid. He started boxing at 16 and became a well-known "tough guy" actor in several Japanese flicks. After singing in blues band Mystic Morning he joined Flower Travellin' Band in 1970. FTB were one of the earliest (and best!) of the bands who were greatly influenced by Black Sabbath. They...

Born today in 1942: a true soul man, Isaac Hayes! Before his multi-platinum singing career as a psychedelic gospel-soul-jazz artist who would bring Burt Bacharach songs into the extended length stetched-out mind-trip format, he was a crucial foundational member of the Stax operation. He wrote or co-wrote, produced and/or played on many '60s hits for Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, The Soul Children, Judy Clay, Rufus Thomas, Otis Redding, The Mar-Keys, William Bell and others, often times in collaboration with David Porter and Booker T & the MGs. Of particular note are "Soul Man", "Hold On I'm Coming",...

Drawing: Steve Kraków aka Plastic Crimewave. If anyone is going to give the late, great Ralph MacDonald a run for his money as "most recorded percussionist of all time" it could very well be "Master" Henry Gibson (or so he claims, anyway). A Chicago native, he honed his chops in the streets and studios of the Windy City. He cut hundreds of sessions, including some early jazz dates with the likes of Sonny Stitt and Ahmad Jamal. He joined Odell Brown & the Organ-izers, recording for the Chess subsidiary Cadet. He was the featured percussionist on Donny Hathaway's hit "The Ghetto"...

Happy birthday to the great swing-jazz alto saxophonist John Cornelius Hodges!! A crucial member of Duke Ellington's band from 1928 until his death in 1970 (save for a few off-and-on years), Johnny Hodges was a Boston native. He also played with Sidney Bechet, Chick Webb, Billy Taylor and others, as well as a few records under his own leadership. Nicknamed "the Rabbit" and "Jeep", he played both soprano and alto and served as a mentor for many younger players coming through the orchestra. He supplied some seriously sultry sax that was just a perfect fit in the Ellington band. His...