Disney has created a fantastic project with its EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE A CAT: Disney Jazz Volume 1 album. In essence, what the Disney music producers have done was gathered a handful of today’s prominent jazz musicians and asked them to re-envision several of Disney’s classic movie songs into a classy jazz format. While some work better than others, it is an elegant and fun listen for people of all ages and has great potential to introduce younger generations to the multi-hued flavors of jazz.
While the whole notion of re-inventing a string of time-honored classics may seem blasphemous to Disney purists, this release is actually a creative breath of fresh air. It boldly throws caution to the wind and plunges headlong into the essence of the music itself. While not as singular of focus as previous encounters between Disney film music and the world of jazz (i.e. Louis Armstrong’s DISNEY SONGS THE SATCHMO WAY – which you can often hear in Walt Disney World resort hotels, Duke Ellington’s PLAYS MARY POPPINS – where he re-records the entire movie soundtrack as if he’d written it, or Dave Brubeck’s DAVE DIGS DISNEY – an sprawling exposition of the tone colors of familiar tunes), this collection actually sounds like something Walt himself might listen to during a stroll through New Orleans Square in Disneyland.
The event kicks off with the title track, which appeared in its original form in the sorely underrated 1970 film THE ARISTOCATS. Driven by bold brass, a walking bass line and traipsing drums, it does not stray too far from the original, which makes sense anyway, since the music in the film was rooted in jazz in the first place.
“Chim Chim Cher-ee” (from MARY POPPINS) is reformatted as a minimalist piece with piano, accordion, and recent Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding scat-singing the chorus. It offers the sensation of sitting in a dark, hole-in-the-wall Parisian jazz club, drowning the toils of the day in a martini bath.
“Some Day My Prince Will Come” (from SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS) is a Dave Brubeck piano-led track bearing a tragic romance flavor. But when the band accompaniment kicks in, the tempo leaps and the music moves into a smooth groove. The arrangement ultimately manifests as a freewheeling collective improvisation that just jams!
“Find Yourself” (from CARS), the most current song re-imagined, has been morphed from a bluegrass-country ode into an atmospheric, David Arkenstone-ian instrumental soundscape – blurring the line between New Age and jazz.
“You’ve Got a Friend In Me” (from TOY STORY) is almost a cop-out inclusion, as it was originally conceived by jazz/pop maestro Randy Newman, and had already existed in a jazzy mode. The song is pretty much performed verbatim as a jazz trio, with drums, bass, and Joshua Redman’s tenor sax taking the lead. However, this rendition bears a surprising highlight in the popping bass solo near the song’s conclusion.
“He’s a Tramp” (from LADY AND THE TRAMP) is slowed down and super-sultry in a latter-day Sting meets Sade configuration, with mega-sexy vocals by Dianne Reeves. Perhaps the kids should leave the room when this one is on. ;o)
“Feed the Birds” (from MARY POPPINS) almost sounds like it was recorded by The Vince Guaraldi Trio and probably would not feel out of place on one of their PEANUTS collections. The song’s vocals are replaced, not by Charlie Brown’s “wonk wonk” teacher, but a slick, crystalline guitar, courtesy of Kurt Rosenwinkel. The extended piano solo therein also makes the song a real treat to enjoy.
“Gaston” (from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST) begins ballad-like with a gentle piano performing the familiar vocal melody. However, you can tell that something mischievous is around the bend, because in the background, a drummer sounds like he’s revving up and getting ready to erupt. Sure enough, when the song reaches the chorus, the song explodes with a Billy Kilson-styled barrage of percussion (mimicking the brashness of the song’s eponymous character). The piano, meanwhile, keeps the song rooted, preventing it from veering off into total mayhem. It is easily the most playful track on this collection.
“Alice in Wonderland” (from the 1951 animated version), as recorded by Roberta Gambarini with the Dave Brubeck Trio, is total Ella Fitzgerald worship, worthy of the Lady herself. The tonality and vocal affectation are uncanny, and I might actually like to experience this arrangement in the film itself. It is powerful, elegant, and extremely sincere – traits that made Fitzgerald such a legendary performer. Kudos to Gambarini for keeping that torch lit!
“The Bare Necessities” (from THE JUNGLE BOOK) sounds like it came from the school of Thelonious Monk, with its skewed, angular progression and highly-improvised chord arrangement. This cut is my favorite of the set, because its left-of-center-ness keeps the listener slightly off-balance through its closing.
“It’s a Small World” (from everybody’s favorite Disney park attraction) also bears some Fitzgerald-ishness, however, this version emulates her big band, scat-happy era. Rob Fahie’s arrangement really transformed this familiar little tune into a major production.
“Belle” (from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST) is presented with a very gentle, muted guitar and light percussion arrangement. The atmosphere is so soft and warm that it effortlessly marries the tender nature of the character with a foreshadowing of the film’s romance.
“Circle of Life” (from THE LION KING), the album’s closer is presented in a Brecker Brothers proto-funk style – it is very groovy and very brass-oriented. Extra props go to Mark Rapp for making a song written in the 1990s sound like it was written in the mid-1970s!
And there you have it; EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE A CAT: Disney Jazz Volume 1 in a nutshell. It truly is a fun ride…like Splash Mountain. I implore you, the reader; be adventurous, give it a shot, and awaken your senses. You might just like what you find! Let’s hope that Walt Disney Records makes this an ongoing series!
Check out EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE A CAT: Disney Jazz Volume 1 at Amazon and Amazon Digital.
Comments