SUPES EXCITED!

About a month ago, I issued a songwriting challenge for my weekly post over at Crazytownblog, and this is the result!  Basically, the plan was to write a shameless pop song that might gain something in the direction of the 100 million + views that Rebecca Black has somehow mustered-up, scathing reviews notwithstanding.  If so, fame and fortune?  If not, at least it was more fun than playing the lottery!  Plus it inspired a long-distance collaboration with one of my best friends from high school, the multi-talented LA-based singer/actress/badass, Lynnette Li. 

A pretty big change from my more esoteric atonal piano mashup projects--funny thing is, I probably spent more time on this one!  Below is the official video (in typical ZILWAUKEE style), guaranteed to get you (or your tween nieces) fired up for summer!  Enjoy, download from iTunes (it should be available there and other sim places for a mere $.99!), spread the word, fire up!

Brubeck: Impossible

For this week, I've mashed-up two of the greatest tunes ever written in 5/4 time: Dave Brubeck's "Take 5" (1959) and the "Mission: Impossible" TV theme song (1966).  I lifted the drums/piano from my vinyl copy of "Time Out," added the MI bassline myself, and recruited my friend Guy Sion to play the melody on alto, and to add a little of his own flair to the piece.  Of course, I had to keep Joe Morello's iconically weird drum solo (mostly) intact. 

I was excited to long-distance collaborate with Guy on this one: he is a badass Israeli sax player who now lives in Norway.  We met hustling flutes and clarinets to NYC middle schoolers at a local music store a few years back.  He sent me four takes that were all killing, so it was very hard to choose--thanks Guy!

I paired it all with an excellent clip of James Bond skiing in the Alps from the beginning of "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977).  Am I the only one who has occasionally confused the "Mission: Impossible" theme for a Bond theme?  Well it is in that spirit that I pair them together here!  Free mp3.