The Raymond Scott Quintette - War Dance For Wooden Indians

[@juliashehata2835]

I watch this over and over for years and it syill boggles the mind how intricate and precise the Raymond Scott quartet is. And the Condos Brothers ! It's just absolute perfection

[@ToyStoryNBarneyFan]

Peter Pumiglio, the clarinetist, was my maternal grandfather. I have the clarinet that appears in this video. He was with the group since the 1930s. They were an amazing group of musicians!

[@bellygunnermusic]

this is truly amazing music. stellar musicians. dancers too.

[@TiqueO6]

And my father, Milton Holland, was the drummer with R.S. For a period probably around the early '40s. (Possibly with the R.S. Orchestra if that's accurate.)

[@richsackett3423]

Hilarious how like four people are all telling the same story. You’re all full of shit.

[@CziffraTheThird]

I am coming from a Classical orientation in my speech here.....but these men truly, in the fullest sense of the word, were virtuoso! Totally mind blowing. My goodness and I have not even yet spoken of the tap dancers....!!

[@BellaPigeon1]

0:22 my great grandfather! I still have the clarinet and the bass clarinet :)

[@ValentinoDante]

put that in a musiem

[@Schmahonni01]

how much $ ? xD

[@racdad]

A-MA-zing! You must be so proud :)

[@andrewbarrett1537]

That is so awesome. Jazz history! If your family ever parts with them, they should go to one of the Jazz Archives like Rutgers or Tulane :) But I hope you don't! Pete Pumiglio is one of my top favorite clarinet players. I really like his work in the "Hot-Air Men", one of my favorite jazz bands. Even though they were a studio band and only made 6 recordings, they're great! Did he pass any great jazz stories down thru the family?

[@robertpradella6550]

How often do you take them out just look at them? You're a lucky girl! Have a nice day!!

[@FlyingSquidStudios]

Hi. I came across this by searching for Raymond Scott on KZbin on a whim. He is one of my all-time favorite composers and this is the first time I've ever actually seen footage of him play. This is absolutely golden, the sort of thing that KZbin was meant for. Thanks so much for posting this. It's something that should be preserved for all time!

[@JohnPietaro]

Not sure where the tap dancing Native Americans sit in the spectrum of political correctness but Scott's band and arrangements were amazing here as always. JOHNNY WILLIAMS is the amazing drummer, never short on chops or swing, kicking it out here for all he's worth.

[@andrewbarrett1537]

Raymond Scott's "Quintette" music draws upon many influences, but I can single out three in particular that are obvious to me: #1. small-group swing jazz of the types then made popular by the John Kirby Sextet, the Benny Goodman Trio, Quartet, Sextet, etc.; #2. Klezmer and other traditional Jewish music (and there might be other Middle-Eastern music in there too... at least, I think I'm hearing all those scales all over the place in his music); and #3. Descriptive pieces, such as intermezzos, marches, reveries, serenades, 'character-pieces' or 'characteristic' pieces, etc that were popular from at least the mid-19th-century thru the ragtime era. The latter were multi-part instrumental pieces for listening (concert, salon, and occasionally dance purposes), for piano, orchestra, band, etc. intended to 'paint a scene' in music. A very famous and good example is "In a Persian Market" by Albert Ketelbey. Another good example is the "Burning of Rome" march by E. T. Paull. There are tens of thousands of others... some of them really good (IMO). Of course, even serious classical composers like Schumann, Debussy, etc would write 'descriptive' (or evocative) pieces like this from time to time. Raymond Scott applied this very old musical concept of creating an image in a short piece of what was once called 'light music' (i. e. semi-classical, semi-popular music) to the most cutting-edge futurist Swing of his time, with his own twists, sense of humor and musical sensibility, to create music no one had ever heard before, that pointed the way toward the future. For example, I doubt bebop (which came about in the mid-40s) would have sounded the same if Raymond Scott and his music had not been around beforehand.

[@MattMusicianX]

College of Charleston's radio station (in SC) had a great weekly program years ago with this guy who played rare 78 rpm swing records. One that I heard was Benny Goodman playing Powerhouse on the tenor sax!!! He practiced up on the tenor sax just so he could play that one song. Other great jazz musicians really admired Raymond Scott.

[@ronniewall1481]

RAYMOND SCOTT PIONEER IN ELECTRONIC MUSIC. INVENTED THE BASS LINE GENERATOR.

[@thegirlnextdork]

The juxtaposition of the "indians" and all that tap-dancing... it's just-- MY BRAIN CAN'T HANDLE IT.

[@JimPicc]

The clarinetist is, Peter Pumiglio, my maternal grandfather!

[@dogecomics3172]

Your the second person to say that.

[@JimPicc]

Doge Comics how could that be? My mother is one of his two only daughters, Virginia and Patricia. My mother is Patricia Ann Pumiglio.

[@dogerecords5312]

@@JimPicc User Bella Maria.

[@JimPicc]

Doge Comics actually the other person is my daughter (Bella) and she must have meant “great” grandfather.

[@dogecomics3172]

@@JimPicc ok.

[@StormsongK]

Don't ya just love an old-fashioned '40s Art Deco style nightclub, with the tables all laid out so neatly and a huge penthouse window overlooking the city, and everyone so suave and sophisticated and cool in their tuxes and gowns? The band silhoutted against the night sky? That shot of the drummer in the half-light just kills me. Ah!

[@pap4456]

John Williams, Sr. on drums!

[@planetqwerty]

apparently it's from a Sonja Henie figure skating movie, "Happy Landings," with Don Ameche, Cesar Romero and Ethel Merman. The tap dancing Indians are Steve and Frank Condos, who are legendary in tap dance circles.

[@andrewbarrett1537]

THANK YOU for crediting the dancers!!! Will look them up immediately.

[@rolffz]

How can anyone not like this. My 20 something son sent this to me a few years ago and I revisit it often. Consider that it was probably recorded and shot live with a limited amount of takes and editing. Camera angles to compliment ever aspect of the bands delivery...AND NO AUTOTUNE. Just a brilliant perfomance!

[@philmfan]

Amazing musicianship! I don't care if you like the dancing Indians or not, because they're amazing, too! Yet more proof of Raymond Scott's genius.

[@TiqueO6]

and my late father, Milt Holland, also played drums with Raymond Scott both recording and on the road. He also played with John Williams (John on piano) so small world is right!

[@ronniewall1481]

THE DRUMS ARE PHENOMENAL. I LOOK AT THIS AS METAL MUSIC.

[@johnnybartee3539]

I love it. At about 1:13 in you see the Bass player start to smile , because he knows what's coming. Then Pumiglio blazes through a perfect stacatto solo.These were more than just trained musicians. They were the BEST in their field. Not one bad note. Pure perfection.

[@tojiroh]

+JOHNNY BARTEE And those tap dancers... The guests noticed quite the overcast forming in the ceiling. ;-)

[@johnnybartee3539]

+tojiroh check out my relative John Lewis Bartee playing sax on Twilight in Turkey by Raymond Scott 1961

[@AtmaStrife]

The music is incredible and I just can't get over the skill of the tap dancers! Such technicality on so tiny a platform. Amazing!

[@MrUnidyne]

Surrealism in overdrive.

[@fortieschic]

Iv only just discovered raymond scott quintette and im in awe...amazing music.....loving twightlight in turkey the one that set it all off...now im hooked on this guys music

[@robokill387]

Raymond Scott was also an electronic music pioneer.

[@Ogaitnas900]

My feet and my hand started pounding the floor without me even realising, its incredible

[@sirop1960]

Wow. Unlikely as it could be, I mean Indians tap dancing on klezmerized music, but to a beautiful music like that of Raymond Scott it is pure magic. Thanks for sharing!!

[@emtube9298]

Absolutely stunning! Movie data: Happy Landing (1938) "War Dance for Wooden Indians" (RS Quintette) - Group performs on camera, then does slow version to accompany Condos Brothers tap dance routine. RSQ also accompanies Ethel Merman singing "You Appeal To Me" (comp. Walter Bullock and Harold Spina). Starring Sonja Henie, Don Ameche, Cesar Romero. Re-released by FoxVideo 1995

[@bayonnetenor]

The two dancers are The Condos Brothers. Look them up ... nice story.

[@snarzola891]

110 years old and still ahead of his time.

[@dogecomics3172]

No...

[@chunkyricesushi]

these guys (and of course Raymond Scott the composer/leader) are so phenomenal, this is as good as it gets, and it's sooooo goooooood!!!

[@MrEcliptor]

I play the violin...I saw the sheet music to this song...no way! Its so fast and complex as sheet music...paticularly the Sax solo. when you saw the man playing the Sax...that was sheer skill and practice. The timing of the quintette is flawless. Only a handfull of songs have been made since that could come close to the raymond scott quintett. Reckless nights and Turkish twilights FTW!!

[@dbf2678]

I'm a horn player. This is hard, hard, hard. These guys just nailed it. Lots of rehearsal time.

[@brockshields9336]

I love my small collection of 78rpm shellac records of Scott's work. It was fun to hear as background music on the Ren & Stempy cartoons.

[@BassPlayerTrucking]

Back when the talented had to have real talent.

[@blakeada999]

Rhythmically & harmonically, it's just so weird/fun/addictive. I love this!

[@MrUnidyne]

I've read that drummer is Johnny Williams, father of film score ("Star Wars") composer John Williams. "Happy Landing" (1938), which stars Sonja Henie, Don Ameche, Ethel Merman, Cesar Romero and Billy Gilbert, was released on VHS, but to the best of my knowledge, not on DVD.

[@andrewbarrett1537]

Oh thanks! I'd never seen or heard of "Happy Landing" before... With Don Ameche, Ethel Merman etc this movie must have done at least PRETTY well in its day (???)

[@guyswiggins]

Scott's music - and his incredible quintette - really are remarkable. Incredible precision, drive and swing. If you want to hear Scott's music played by a modern jazz master, run to get Don Byron's Bug Music CD. I discovered Scott through Byron. It's now one of my favorite jazz albums (also has Ellington)

[@Scurtulos]

"haha! The sun ra of the 30s" I totally agree and this performance is absolutely stunning! Not only is it a great musical performance but also shot with cinematic skill ( at least the first half ) more musicvideos should look like this ( and sound like this(!)) But always have in mind that tap dancing is satans gift to humanity!

[@cpearson7372]

WOWOWOW!!! When their feet get going..... I wish there were entertainment clubs like this, with entertainment like this(minus the costumes), still available.

[@w4r7]

This is phenomenal!!! This was my soundtrack for me whipping up a batch of tasty spaghetti. That's one a spicy meatball!!!

[@williamveres2737]

Doesn't get much better than this..................

[@tromblor]

on the album Suspended Animation Mike Patton has used samples from songs by WarnerBros Cartoon Soundtrack guy Carl Stalling, and that guy used and 'remixed' lots of Raymond Scott tunes in his work. So indirectly Patton kinda latched on to it a bit.... i guess

[@CraigN74]

Very innovative. Raymond Scott was a musical genius.

[@shaneshaky1]

with his electorium raymond scott was als the grandaddy of electronic music! he predated kraftwerk by decades! what a genius! love his jazz too!

[@caponsacchi]

Ironic that Don Byron, who has been first in the clarinet category of all the jazz polls over the past decade or more, submitted his most impressive work as things he transcribed and recordings from Raymond Scott recordings. What was considered novelty and "cartoon" music in the 1930s now gets you acknowledged as an avant gardist of the new millennium. For intricate, difficult, interesting stuff.

[@JimPicc]

I have the clarinet you see him playing in this video! I also have his bass clarinet. He was also a great saxophonist!

[@ronniewall1481]

RAYMOND SCOTT WAS A VERY GOOD COMIC.

[@lotusbandicoot]

"Taker a CLOSER look, ya moron! Don'tcha know a Cornish rex hound when ya see one!!!" "Maybe I DON'T." "UUUUUGHHH! Well, take ANOTHER look!" "Ow! Ow ow ow! Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!" "Are ya lookin' closer now!!!? Huh? Huh? BIG SHOT? Whaddaya think NOW!!? HUH!!?" "...I think he looks good!"

[@emilianovm9756]

Stimpy: Thank you. George Liquor: LOUDER! I CAN'T HEAR YOU! Mr. Horse: [sweat] It looks good! MIGHTY GOOD! Stimpy: Thanks again.

[@boozerverif]

He and Cab were some seriously amazing dudes.

[@RRaquello]

I'm not a musician. Only a listener, so I'm no expert, but if the drumming on this isn't the best ever, it's the best I've ever heard.

[@ajbianchi85]

Im a drummer and you're right, this guy is crushing it on so many levels. Flair and excellent chops, certainly a Keith Moon of the 30s

[@Max16032]

^ Raymond Scott only hired the best of the best. He was also VERY strict, which means you had to be the absolute best to actually be there.

[@darling_danke_schoen]

I know! Frickin fabulous

[@bretlittlehales2954]

The drummer is Johnny Williams, the father of movie music composer John Williams (Star Wars, Superman I, etc)

[@snarzola891]

And grandfather of Toto vocalist, Johnny.

[@ilovetortillas]

i love love love this. this song makes me wish i still had my clarinet.

[@ronniewall1481]

INVENTED THE BASS LINE GENERATOR.

[@Scurtulos]

ilovetortillas, you should go out and buy one, my friend had not been playing the clarinet since he was a kid but when we started out our band playing analouge synthesizers together he decided to pick up the clarinet again and despite we play kind of electronic music we use the clarinet in almost all of our songs nowadays, ITS THE BEST! and so is this truly inspiring song, i wish they did more musicvideo-footage to their "Dinner for a pack of hungry cannibals"!

[@paulnaylor1614]

This is so mesmerizing.

[@crowbain]

Man, you must be very proud, greetings from México, great music!

[@johcafra]

A war tap dance no less. No sand involved.

[@cesarvidelac]

Do you remember "Drip along Daffy"? Great recollection of "The Toy Trumpet" when Porky sets up the little toy soldier :)

[@KeithOtisEdwards]

Of course since those are _not_ Native Americans wearing war bonnets, the entire scene will be condemned as “racist” and taken down in our Brave New World. This is from the 1938 movie *Happy Landing* (no *s* ) starring Sonja Henie and Don Ameche. Ethel Merman also appears.

[@ilovetortillas]

ooooh youtube definately needs some more raymond scott!

[@fennitch]

This is just outstanding.

[@tromblor]

i want more original footage of Raymond Scott performing!

[@MilouTintin]

OMG! How could they stand for such cultural appropriation?! :-) JUST KIDDING! I love it! Such talented musicians!

[@qeshi]

Dude I want to go to India to learn to dance like that!

[@GUGUG]

Excellent stuff... more please!

[@dorengarcia7925]

Astonishingly great composer. Mark Mothersbaugh from Devo bought his electronic equipment to restore for history. He's a far greater musician than given credit.

[@narbizar]

love this music so much

[@HassoBenSoba]

Would love to learn more about the great clarinettist, Pete Pumiglio. In June of '98, I called Dave Harris, Scott's phenomenal tenor saxophonist. He had JUST sold his original sax to a music dealer in L.A.; I seriously considered flying out there to buy it, but couldn't. My late father, Mike Rapchak, a well-known Chicago DJ, did a great live interview with Raymond Scott in August of '85; very rare! Check out my You Tube videos, especially "Raymond Scott Interview - Larry Rapchak". Thanks

[@williambaxter4628]

REAL music!

[@andrewbarrett1537]

The two guys in Native American (well, stereotypical?) outfits didn't just come from nowhere; they come out of a long tradition of tap-dancing and clog-dancing that goes back before the 20th century (how far, I don't know; I'm a ragtime and mechanical music historian, not a dance historian). Their kind of dancing was popular in vaudeville for decades before this film was made, although whoever these particular guys are (I'd like to know!!!), they're the best I've EVER seen. Wooden indians were a popular decoration in front of smoke shops in the old days, apparently because tobacco has a Native American connection or history (sorry I'm such an ignoramus about this... I don't smoke).

[@2484marshall]

That's gotta somewhere around the top of my 'what?!' list. I can't imagine many Native Americans having an interest in tap dancing.

[@squidmotion]

incredible... thanks for posting this...

[@haemmer]

This is really really deep into KZbin, what are you doing here mate?!

[@timtaps77]

same with the Condos Brothers. The most amazing tap dancers!

[@CarpettinginMotel.townson]

Oh boy, this song

[@Dregann2190]

Wow! And to think this happened way back when! Musical genius' I tell ya! I think this band is cool. Hey, hey! Listen to the one about the brain with Jim Henson narrating. 1966. Great work there!

[@toastedmonkee]

this stuff is just madness. Can't find any video, but the Karl Stalling Project is the precursor to this i believe

[@UriBorodin]

Yoy yoy da classic one!!!

[@Mischeaux61]

hey thanks for the info. I have never heard of them before, but will be sure to seek out more info. They really were incredible in this clip.

[@gabavila]

Divertida y compleja, la musica del genio loco Raymond Scott es una buena manera de llenar de energia los lunes.

[@Mischeaux61]

Man, is that the Nicholas Brothers as the dancing Indians? Their tell-tale trademark of the splits are missing, but I can't imagine what other dynamo team it could have been in those days? Whoever they are, they are incredible. My money would be on the Nicholas'.

[@JonErikKellso]

It was the Condos brothers, also right up there amongst the best

[@frankd8598]

Quelle performance!

[@HerrKielbasa]

simontempleman - thanks, that was perfect!

[@baxterfilms]

This was used in a few Warners cartoons (the cat flaunting his skunk disguise in 'Odorable Kitty' for example).

[@soyvuestrohamster]

Absolutely!

[@54spiritedwill54]

So damn good. Blows me away.

[@hebneh]

Peculiar and mesmerizing.

[@danielsumi6283]

this is awesome

[@eddieburrelli]

Magnificent!

[@KawhackitaRag]

It has been done at least once. Search Myspace music for "Mundelein Starship" and you will find that Dave Rhodes has recorded "Powerhouse" on the Mundelein Wurlitzer in 2007. Of course, someone should do a whole album of Scott's music on theatre organ... that would certainly be interesting. I know the music is available because I have copies of some of it (piano editions from the 1930s and 40s). I'm not sure if band charts were published for more than two or three of his tunes.

[@johnmitchelljr]

Thank you.

[@professortiki]

It's sp good I see six musicians instead of five!

[@andrewbarrett1537]

Scott claimed he called his band a "Quintette" because he did not count himself (the piano / leader), and because in his opinion, calling it a "Sextette" 'put your mind off music' ;)

[@jedirhythm]

@rolffz that depends on what you mean by "shot live". all on-screen musical performances from that era were - how do you say it(?) - "lip synced". the musicians had to try to memorize their own studio recordings which usually shows when a drummer plays a solo out of sync, though Johnny Williams was such a genius that it doesn't show on this film. tap dancers couldn't perform with their taps because the shiny floors that they always danced on would get scuffed up before the end of the first take.

[@andrewbarrett1537]

That makes this even MORE amazing!!! :O

[@barakvesh]

Yep!

[@cosimakazak2309]

Mindblowing ❣👍🏻

[@Ogaitnas900]

It makes me think of Reefer Madness, those tensed faces

[@jejesus]

Woe!! Amazing!!

[@manlypedro75]

cool bassing!

[@oldrocker1938]

Great composition. Thanks for sharing. The film is Happy Landing, not Happy Landings, according to IMDB.

[@LaRoll]

Et 1 Raymond 1 !

[@julianvdv]

cool! thanks man.

[@connerbradford6330]

Now that I Love

[@wingobingo]

Raymond Scott called his group "quintette" as it sounded better than sextet "i wanted listeners to concentrate on the music" sheer genius!

[@yerikyerik]

fucking BRILLIANT. Thank you Thank you. I'll have that looping in my head for several hours

[@choiii8]

hahaha simontempleman that's amazing!!

[@KawhackitaRag]

WHOA! That explains why his "Cantina Band" music in Star Wars is reminiscent of Scott! He probably grew up listening to that stuff courtesy of his dad!

[@julianvdv]

So is john williams father the drummer here? thanks for info. great stuff.