THE RAYMOND SCOTT ORCHESTRETTE
Pushbutton Parfait (Evolver)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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As they say in the cartoons: supoib. Yes it's true, Raymond Scott's music will be forever linked to Bugs Bunny, and though there is plenty of looney in his tunes, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Scott was a mover and a shaker, a music genius way, way ahead of his time, inexplicably relegated to anonymity until Carl Stalling started using his crazy jazzy rhythms for Saturday morning fare. Digging further you'll find a fascinating history with Scott as an innovative radio man and electronic music pioneer, but most importantly, his music survives and continues to evolve. This time with a crack septet embellishing and manipulating his vintage sounds into a clever dip of bouncy rag tag instrumental mayhem. It's easy to see why Stalling jumped all over this material; it has a rare quality of fun and substance. Start here, and for heaven's sake, keep on going.

© 2003 - John Sekerka