Did you see us on Four Weddings?

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Hello from TV land! This month we made an appearance on the TLC show, Four Weddings. One of the competing brides held her wedding reception in New York's Downtown Association and hired us to kick up her cocktail party with hot jazz. The music got the bride big points for originality, class and fun. To quote one of the judges: "My number one highlight from the cocktail hour was the jazz band. It really got everyone moving, brought a great energy." Watch this clip and see for yourself! (As you'll notice, we lead the entire reception up the stairs to the dinner. Our mobility is a popular attraction to wedding couples, as we can lead ceremonies to receptions, receptions to dinners, etc.)

Time Out NY, and a Clarification

Big thanks, once again, to Time Out NY for promoting our silent film performances. In this week's issue, they feature us in an article about Live-Scored Film Screenings:

"The Red Hook Ramblers, local revivalists of foot-stomping, old-timey New Orleans jazz, occasionally hit this theater to jam out original scores during films by silent-era titans like Charlie Chaplin, Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton. Details for future performances are still being planned, but the group is penciled in for a Sunday night in February. Snatch up tix as soon as they go on sale, though—all past screenings with the Ramblers have sold out."

The article states that our performance will be at Jalopy Theatre. While we do have plans in the works for a series of silent film performances, the venue has not yet been determined. We are currently considering a few different venues and dates. Hang tight, film fans! Check back here for details to be announced in the next month.

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Halloween Live Music-Silent Film Spooktacular!

Following the immense success of our previous silent film shows, Brooklyn Heights Cinema is proud to present this fiendish and foolish incarnation of our silent film extravaganza, in which we play live hot jazz to spooky comedy classics from the 1920s. We're even planning to add a dash of theremin (invented in 1920) to give the shows an extra dose of Halloween eeriness!

We're pleased to announce that this event is endorsed by New York 1, New York Times, The Brooklyn Eagle, and many more.

Come get possessed with laughter as we lay down some haunting tunes and sound effects; Buster Keaton tries to escape "The Haunted House" (1921), Stan Laurel terrorizes the town in "Dr. Pyckle & Mr. Pride" (1925), and Harold Lloyd finds that marriage is something terrifying in "Haunted Spooks" (1920).

TWO SHOWS!
Oct. 30th: 5pm
Oct. 31st: 7pm

Brooklyn Heights Cinema
70 Henry St.
Brooklyn Heights
www.brooklynheightscinema.com

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Hey Mr. Jesse Podcast

We're honored and delighted to be featured on DJ Jesse Miner's podcast from San Francisco, co-hosted by Manu "Spuds" Smith (co-founder of Yehoodi.com). These guys are a couple of the wittiest and most discerning swing DJs out there, so we're tickled to hear their glowing review of some tracks from Something More Sinister and our Edison cylinder recordings. Nice work connecting 1890s with 2011 technology, guys! The show features commentary on swing-scene news, a sampling of new recordings from a variety of artists, and an expert comparison of recently remastered 78s. Check it out here.

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Wax Cylinder Recording Session!

Check out our new Edison Wax Cylinder Recordings EP, recorded at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park on a 1908 Edison Phonograph using brown wax cylinders, the preferred recording medium of the 1890s!


We wrote all new songs for the session, with special arrangements squeezing them into the roughly 2:15 maximum time allowed on each cylinder. We were thrilled to have a few guest musicians on the session with us: Jeff Hudgins on clarinet and alto sax, and Brian Adler on drums.

Here's video from our friend Mac, the ancient recording technology guru who hooked us up with this incredible opportunity, and who is also the man behind WFMU's Antique Phonograph Music Program. The video shows a take plagued by a technical malfunction in the recording machine, which caused the cylinder to slow down. When played back on a different machine that was working properly, the audio plays at an increased speed and pitch. Luckily Jerry Fabris, the Museum Curator, knew how to handle it and all the other takes were glitch-free!



We were told the only source of new wax cylinders is a single English guy working out of his garage, so they're kind of rare and expensive. Therefore, the park keeps the cylinders, shaving them down to reuse for future recording sessions. However, the aforementioned Mr. Fabris bridged the centuries and created digital files using a fancy electric motor-driven phonograph that could plug directly into an analog to digital converter and then the computer. Yes, the product of early 20th century recording technology is being distributed by early 21st century media technology. We're selling each individual track for 35 cents, the going price for a cylinder in 1908, as set by Thomas Edison. We'll cut you a deal though, and you can have all four tracks for 99 cents. Other than a quick little fade at the beginning and end of each tune, and one minor edit to one tune, no processing was done to the files – no EQ, no compression, nuthin'! Pure, waxy, crackly mono sound!

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Horns for Voltaire!!

We'll be heading back to the studio tonight to record more horns for our friend Voltaire. He's working on his next Goth masterpiece called "Riding a Black Unicorn Down the Side of an Erupting Volcano While Drinking from a Chalice Filled with the Laughter of Small Children," or "RABUDTSOAEVWDFACFWTLOSM" if you're into that whole incomprehensible acronym thing.

It's a true gothstravaganza with drums from Brian Viglione of the Dresden Dolls, cello from Melora Creager of Rasputina, and bass from David J of Bauhaus. It's also got a generous slathering of accordion from Franz Nicolay. Where'd I put that eyeliner?

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We're All A-Twitter...

We have succumbed to the pull of Twitter!
Follow us @RedHookRamblers!
Follow @RedHookRamblers