Customer Reviews

Celebration on the Planet Mars

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Harry Warnow (1908-1994) (aka. Raymond Scott) was one of the most original figures in American pop music. His compositions have seldom been heard since he recorded them because not only are they murderously difficult; he never notated them. This is odd because Warnow was a Julliard trained musical prodigy. Whatever his reasons these impediments have kept his music from being heard (except as background music for Warner Bros. cartoons) for years. The Beau Hunks Sextette, a superior group of musicians from the Netherlands, have met the challenge of Warnow's works with panache to spare. This is a wonderful CD. You will not be sorry you purchased it.

A friend put me on to the Beau Hunks, and after hearing one of their wonderful CDs I purchased three more in rapid succession. The Beau Hunks are talented, they sound perfect and effortless, and the compositions are amazing. I did not know Raymond Scott's work before, and (despite exposure to Warner Brothers cartoons) the only piece I actually recognized was "The Toy Trumpet."

I believe it was this recording that stimulated interest in, and led to the rediscovery of, Raymond Scott. And, among other things, the digital remastering and reissue of a CD entitled "Reckless Nights and Turkish Twilights," 22 pieces recorded by the original Raymond Scott Quintette between 1937 and 1939.

Well, much as I admire the Beau Hunks, and as wonderful as their recording is, "Reckless Nights and Turkish Twilights" is better. The original Quintette sounds lighter, bouncier, merrier, and more playful. And the sound on the 1999 reissue is really amazingly good, which is important because part of what is so remarkable about this music is the unusual sound textures and qualities. So, gee, the Beau Hunks are great, but my recommendation on this one is to go with the Raymond Scott original.

By the way, I do have to say that whether it's being performed by the Beau Hunks or by the original Raymond Scott Quintette, 70 minutes of Raymond Scott does seem like rather a lot... don't try to listen to it straight through, it's like eating a whole 16 ounce chocolate bar. Yes, I've done both, but don't do as I do, do as I say. Break it up and freshen your palatte in between with... oh, I don't know... some Les Paul and Mary Ford maybe? Some Wendy Carlos?

Okay...the Beau Hunks are like art restoration experts. They find something old and try to polish it up, bringing out all the nuances of the music that may have been lost to either the constraints of the original antiquated recording equipment or when the only surviving elements are old, hissy film soundtracks. They are the Indiana Jones' of lost music. They ALMOST hit a home run with this CD. True the fidelity is leaps and bounds better than the Raymond Scott original recording CDs on the market, but you do occasionally hear the players struggle with the parts. I know, I know, the music is hard as hell (this is coming from a Saxophone/Bassoon player), but that was what made Raymond's original groups so special...they played the living hell out of each arrangement until it was perfect. And Raymond's music DEMANDS perfection...it is almost computer-like in it's exactness of form and perfect execution is absolutely necessary for his music to have the full effect. The Beau Hunks come really close however. So if you are a Beau Hunks fan, get this one. If you really want to experience the Raymond Scott that influenced Carl Stalling's cartoon compositions, get his Columbia/Sony CDs.

This is a very fine "update" of the classic Raymond Scott recordings from the 1930's. The sound and balance are very good, and the energy and accuracy of the performances (both quite essential in Scott's works) is excellent. The wide variety of pieces, some of them quite unfamiliar, makes this a good value, too.

My only criticism is that these performances lack a certain amount of "swing" or rhythmic subtlety that transforms them from "tricky" to astounding. The original Raymond Scott Quintette recordings were amazing for this reason, I think. They were simultaneously unstable and finely-wrought. The Beau Hunks recording is less so; it is, perhaps, more polished than would be desirable. However, I appreciate the effort, the liner notes (very detailed and helpful), and the focus on a talented individual's music. With only the smallest caveats (about matters many people would not notice, anyway) I would recommend this album for purchase.

The Beau Hunks Sextette has done a remarkable job of recreating the authentic sound of Raymond Scott. Overall it's a good selection of his music, but several tunes sound a bit similar. This is unfortunate because there are a quite few great songs that they missed. I can only hope that At an Arabian House Party, Huckleberry Duck, In an 18th Century Drawing Room and Manhattan Minuet make it onto a volume two. Musically, I have only one criticism, The saxophone player took some liberties with the solo on the well known tune Powerhouse. It sounds OK, but Scott did not write Jazz in the modern sense of improvised solos. His music had every part worked out, note for note. A version he performed on the 1950's TV series Your Hit Parade sounds nearly identical to the 1937 original. Otherwise, listening to this album feels as if someone took modern recording equipment back in time to the original sessions and brought back this wonderful time capsule.