October 28, 2011

By Phil Gallo

via. http://www.billboard.biz

Band of Brothers: Composer Christopher Young, center, is flanked by his agent Vasi Vangelos, left, and Brian McNeils of Lakeshore Entertainment, which released the soundtrack to “The Rum Diary.”

The band assembled to perform Christopher Young’s score for the Johnny Depp film “The Rum Diary” was considered the largest ensemble to ever mount the stage at Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood.

Not that records are kept, but one might wonder how large could that be? Large enough that, when valets were greeting drivers in the club’s parking garage, they were asking “are you a musicians or here to see the show?”

The packed bandstand was so overflowing that the front row of the audience was used to accommodate half of the eight-person string section, a conga player, vibraphonist, three trumpeters, conductor Chris Walden and the composer. The two-dozen musicians  performed the score in full Oct. 27, the day of the digital release of the soundtrack and the day before “The Rum Diary” opened on nearly 2,300 screens.

In front of a crowd of more than 200 people that included composers Daniel Licht and Elia Cmiral (“Piranha 3DD”),  Young guided an ensemble of first-call studio and jazz musicians through a score that echoes jazz and Frank Sinatra recordings of the late 1950s, enhanced with Latin rhythms  and the sting of the blues. The music took a few unexpected twists — a Caribbean Bo Diddley-style rhythm, some organ-driven funk and a free-for-all that could have been “In a Silent Way”-era Miles Davis with strings — but mostly stuck to Young’s reference point: “Imagine it’s the late 1950s and you’re driving around Puerto Rico in  convertible.”

Andrew Spence led the trumpeters; Jeff Clayton anchored the saxophones with consistently sensual playing; and Jon Mayer, who recorded with Jackie McLean and John Coltrane in the 1960s, held down the operation at the piano. Young, who introduced nearly all 24 musicians around the vicinity of the stage, sang in a hipster Captain Beefheart style and played various percussion instruments.

Young greeted so many people with hugs and kisses that one could have thought he knew the entire audience. Key members of his team on hand were his agent, Vasi Vangelos of First Artists Management; manager Ray Costa; Brian McNelis of Lakeshore Entertainment, which released the soundtrack; and Beth Krakower of CineMedia Promotions, who is handling promotional activities for the score.

Czech-born Cmiral marveled at the quality of the musicianship onstage. “In Europe you would pay hundreds of dollars to see something like this,” he said. “It’s amazing that it exists, but it’s even more amazing how good it is.”

T”RUM”peter Andrew Spence plays Christopher Young’s score for “The Rum Diary,” starring Johnny Depp opening Friday, Oct. 28.

COMPOSER CHRISTOPHER YOUNG BRINGS HIS SCORE TO THE RUM DIARY TO LIFE

[click the image below to purchase your tickets!]

CHRISTOPHER YOUNG AND THE NEON POPSICLES HEADLINE
CATALINA BAR & GRILL JAZZ CLUB THURSDAY, October 27th
for The Rum Diary soundtrack release concert

FILM OPENS OCTOBER 28, 2011

(Los Angeles, CA) Award-winning composer Christopher Young has added new riffs to his musical lexicon with his jazz-infused score for “The Rum Diary,” based on the eponymous, early novel by Hunter S. Thompson. Johnny Depp stars and co-produced the film, which features Amber Heard, Aaron Eckhart, Richard Jenkins and Giovanni Ribisi. Bruce Robinson adapted the novel for the screen and directed the film. Christopher Young and The Neon Popsicles, a 20 piece band made up of leading L.A. musicians and conducted by Grammy nominee Chris Walden, will perform music from and inspired by “The Rum Diary” October 27th at Catalina Bar & Grill Jazz Club, 6725 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Concert is at 7:30pm and doors open at 6:00pm.

“The Rum Diary” incorporates a tone typical of Thompson’s work, with characters plagued by restlessness, violence, alcohol and fear of growing old. Originally penned in 1960, the “lost novel” was published in 1999.

Young explores an exciting variety of mood and rhythm, reminiscent of the first through-scored jazz music for films released in the 60s. The music moves effortlessly from blues, fusion, funk and scat to soft Brazilian samba, threaded throughout with saxophone, organ, guitar, trumpet and harmonica.
Christopher Young and The Neon Popsicles will bring to life the 1960’s immortalized in Thompson’s novel.

A former jazz drummer before he began his scoring career, Young possesses that rare instinct for phrasing that sounds improvisational, a rarity for a recorded score.

His collaboration with leading directors such as Norman Jewison, Lasse Hallstrom, Barry Levinson, and Curtis Hanson has afforded Young the opportunity to create acclaimed and commercially successful works. Two years ago, Young received BMI’s highest honor, The Richard Kirk Career Achievement Award. In addition to his busy film-composing schedule, Young is imparting his knowledge to a new generation of film composers. He has taught at USC since the early 90s. Young will be presented with a career achievement award for his contributions to the next generation of musicians and composers when he receives a career achievement award from Education Through Music – Los Angeles (ETM-LA) on October 25 at the House of Blues.

Check out this exclusive behind the scenes look at the Rum Diary studio session with Christopher Young.