The Nintendo-fication of Jazz

[@SonicArtist313]

This blows me away. I composed the music for Nintendo 64 games including PilotWings 64. Charlie arranged a couple of my tunes for the 8 Bit Big Band and has performed one of them, Birdman, live. I have to say what an honor and a thrill it was to hear them perform. It has only been the last 10 years or so that I was aware of the scene that has been formed around VGM and it is truly exciting, a revitalization of such iconic music which would have been only appreciated by a couple generations if this hadn't happened. Adam, thanks for covering this and for becoming a part of it.

[@freaquin]

thank you for your music!!!

[@cooldebt]

Thanks for your wonderful music! It was fantastic that you also dropped into the comments section of The Consouls lovely cover of Birdman. They are still playing live online every month (new material) and every second month also live in person (in Sydney, Australia). Their repertoire of VGM jazz covers is now up to 350 tunes!

[@SonicArtist313]

@@cooldebt They had an awesome posting with their son playing live. I later sent him backing tracks for Birdman so he could improvise over them. Love the interaction and anything that pushes this scene forward.

[@jacobstratton1140]

Thanks for your work! Pilot wings 64 was a beloved part of my childhood!

[@spawn302]

Helo fuck your music is actually levendary!!! I love you!!!!

[@AdamNeely]

I won a grammy, my mother is very proud.

[@Einherjer895]

You're like the Tommy Tallarico of video game music

[@Kjhnsn2]

Cool man!

[@disajdowjoij2oi1jijioej12oiej]

good job mr neels

[@paniccleo]

Ha! I came down here to make a joke like this. 😂

[@sbyrstall]

It was only a matter of time.

[@brEZ527]

This "nintendo-fication" of jazz is exactly what the genre needs right now. It will help jazz reach a new audience of millions, and will convince people to listen to the music these arrangements take inspiration from and play the games too. Hopefully it creates a lot more appreciation for jazz as a whole and what it's done for many other music genres. This is definitely going to be the thing that ends of reviving jazz into what it was during most of the 20th century.

[@timseguine2]

I can't believe they got Grammy award winning bassist, Adam Neely, to play with them

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Crazy how they got so many Grammy winners to participate in one song.

[@isweartofuckinggod]

He won a Grammy???

[@spliffern2662]

@@isweartofuckinggod yes, and his mother is very proud

[@AntithesisDCLXVI]

Who?

[@cellokid5104]

He won an EMMY

[@Diembee]

Getting handed a chart for Bob-omb Battlefield in high school unannounced and unrequested was a surreal experience. That was probably the peak of my high school jazz experience

[@The8BitBigBand]

Man thank you so much for playing and having us in this incredible video!! LONG LIVE VIDEO GAME MUSIC!!

[@scraps7624]

You guys are INCREDIBLE

[@DoobooDomo]

Loved y'all at The Town Hall!

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Long live the 8-Bit Big Band!

[@josbird]

You guys rule

[@bundr]

You guys are the best, really

[@EliBishopMusic]

I’m the violinist playing Delfino Plaza and now that I’m in an Adam Neely video I feel like I’ve finally made it! This was such a fun concert, and such a great video!!

[@DavePollack]

You killed it man - it was a pleasure playing with you! 💪 (even though you tried snaking my tune...😉)

[@EliBishopMusic]

@@DavePollack Haha! I still feel bad about that!!! YOU killed it, can't wait to play with you again sometime!!

[@richgilb]

The only way I can get in an Adam Neely video is by hanging out on the streets of Greenpoint and crossing my fingers.

[@RobFlaxMusic]

I’d clap but Eli has that covered 😉 (For those who don’t know he’s also literally the world record holder for fastest clapping)

[@rolandverde8771]

In a way, that kinda means you won a grammy too!

[@insaneintherainmusic]

Thanks for making this video and shining a much appreciated light on the VGM jazz community!!!

[@MochaBlendedFun]

Was that you at 0:24?

[@stephenhumphries9419]

@@MochaBlendedFun that most assuredly was Carlos

[@wenting2457]

You and your music are what I think about first with VGM jazz, Sinnohvation was amazing and I think your originals are really cool too. Can't wait for more

[@SlyHikari03]

Hi carlos

[@BrodySchoonMusic]

I literally was thinking "If VGM jazz is the future, then Insaneintherain is a prophet." And of course immediately I found this

[@TheNoviceVillage]

My dad retired from being a band teacher last year, and one of the last pieces he played with his high school jazz band was Bob-omb Battlefield. It absolutely is being taught at the most foundational levels.

[@geschnitztekiste4111]

That’s awesome

[@kris8606]

i just played it in my high school jazz band!

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

Your dad has a solid taste of music.

[@TBAnimations]

I'm playing it right now in middle school, probably one of the best songs we've done

[@Wheatman02496]

Currently playing it!

[@lechevalierrouge]

Adam Neely has gone from your average music theory youtuber to a priceless voice and communicator in contemporary jazz culture. Especially as a person living FAR away from NYC I’m so thankful to have the US jazz culture beeing made so available. Without the internet and good communicators these things probably wouldn’t have reached me in another 10 years. Thank you for making this content!

[@TheZulu91]

same, didnt catch it before.. Kenny Garrett gave an Elden Ring concert i mean COME ON YOU GUYS

[@UTubeJunky]

also, from my perspective... he is a jazz musician highlighting music and composers I grew up with in my younger years. Which means more to me than the jazz itself.

[@scipio7]

Couldn't agree more. Living in Roanoke, Virginia, which is a secondary market for country and bluegrass (i.e., we get some good acts) but tertiary for jazz (i.e., we get almost no acts at all, and certainly nothing progressive or current), Adam's channel and a few others are essential for me to keep up and learn myself.

[@yetanotherbassdude]

I honestly cannot express how much joy it brings me that the freaking Dolphin Shoals lick is becoming a new Alto Break for a new generation of jazz musicians

[@morkmon]

it's so cool

[@orionsong1624]

There's even Clarinet and Oboe versions of that lick

[@oldvlognewtricks]

It’s-a me! Da licc!

[@caldog619]

Was waiting the whole video for it, and it comes on last minute XD

[@emmetkowler]

Whatever keeps music alive and evolving, you know? As someone with little to no knowledge or attachment to video game music, this is really cool

[@multiblurn]

I agree

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Absolutely. Music that's evolving is music that's interesting.

[@CarlosKTCosta]

Honestly I think more styles of music should embrace this “quoting as a way to pay homage” We see millions being wasted in copyright lawsuits when the truth is any music being written in 2023 is a mashup of the songs and styles the composer has in their mind filtered by their… interpretation? Excellent example, in their last album, Haken started writing a song by trying to do a Gojira song and the final result is nothing like Gojira but you can perfectly hear where they come from, it’s an obvious tip of the hat to the original

[@cooldebt]

As a jazz afficionado, I cam to vgm via The Consouls 8 years ago - and I'm still listening! (Found 8BBB and J-Music Ensemble after The Consouls too - great listening also)

[@smergthedargon8974]

If you'd like to hear some video game soundtracks that're styles you like, I'd love to recommend you some.

[@big_red1121]

Hey! I'm the trombonist playing on the Yoshi's Island Athletic theme at 17:00. Honestly, thanks so much for making this video - the VGM jazz scene is growing and it'll only grow more thanks to you. Much appreciated :^)

[@nomannic1]

That's so cool man! The band was so killer 🔥

[@jdaster64]

And that's me on keys on that tune as well, ha. That whole band set and jam session was fantastic!

[@numberknower]

HELL YEAH BIG RED

[@stephenhumphries9419]

Straight fire 🔥 if/when the vgm real book becomes a thing I'll play Yoshi's athletic theme in there a lot

[@enknot]

How do I get this recording!?

[@Nessthegreat]

Man, I remember John Batiste talking about the idea of vgm becoming the new great american songbook back in like 2016-2018 and I remember being pissed that no one (seemingly) was really latching onto that idea. Words can't describe how happy I am to see vgm getting some spotlight. The compositions of the artform and the creativity of the composers is and always has been phenomenal. So cool.

[@snuffysam]

Funny enough, Batiste won his album of the year Grammy the same show that 8BBB won for Meta Knight’s Revenge. Good night for younger jazz musicians who want VGM to be in the public jazz consciousness more lol.

[@bgpiper]

Jon Batiste also included a cover of Green Hill Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog on his 2018 album Hollywood Africans.

[@dkpitt3912]

This is fascinating. I’m an old school guitarist from the 70’s and 80’s. I have teenage kids now and the whole journey of their video game play has introduced me to some amazing music. The music from these games can be heavy and emotional and brilliant. Spot on for the moods and scenes. It is wild that the music from these games is so strong to these young adults, but I totally get it. This is a big resource for their musical experience. I’m glad, because it is high quality. That jam night blows me away!

[@OPHANEMx]

I can't believe Adam Neely won a Grammy totally definitely

[@stonium69]

His mother is so proud.

[@exigency2231]

His mother is very proud

[@lonelyfloat2582]

I love that both of the above comments are making the same inside joke. Personally, I can't believe that Adam Neely has 27 Guinness World Records. (his mother is very proud)

[@literalantifaterrorist4673]

my mother is very proud of him

[@phillipsiebold8351]

@@zachywacky1 oof

[@DavePollack]

I said it before and I'll say it again - the Magfest show with the 8-Bit Big Band was my favorite performance I've ever done, and this video highlighted many of the reasons why. Adam - thank you so much for this video because it's going to show tons of "new" people what lots of others already know! As a music teacher I've been exposing my students to this music for some time now and hope that others are doing the same!

[@txsphere]

I was like, is that Dave? Good to see you there because the best teachers are active performers.

[@DavePollack]

@@txsphere Thanks so much! I think it's crucial for teachers to actually be out there playing/recording in some capacity...day-to-day academia can create a pretty rough feedback loop.

[@gefnuppland4810]

Koji Kondo inspired by jazz music, put it into a game, and it came back to the scene where it came from years and years later. It's the music, that infiltrates life.

[@gergster6899]

As an older jazz musician (age 62) who doesn't know this music well, I take my hat off to you younger (and amazing) musicians who are playing the music you love and continuing to move jazz forward (whatever that means). I respect the excitement, commitment and musicianship!

[@flashback7273]

VGM has been underrated for years. Melodies so perfect and precise that it didn't matter if they were rendered on electronic toys. They sounded good enough to still listen to and understand the heart of. Addictive sounds with moods and emotions. VGM might be a triumph of human inginuity that can't truly be seen until the filter of advanced musicianship is added. Letting other people see and hear what we already knew.

[@transsexual_computer_faery]

definitely not underrated..... people love VGM

[@SeymourDisapproves]

​@@transsexual_computer_faery I think it's been underrated in the way that cartoons have been underrated. Yes, a lot of people love them and have loved them for years, but a lot of other people see cartoons as a less serious or valuable form of storytelling than more traditional live action productions. The same can be said for music that shows up in "kid's games" (or whatever is perceived to be games for children)

[@transsexual_computer_faery]

@@SeymourDisapproves ah I see

[@aerchys4779]

Honestly, most of my skill in ear training and playing by ear came from playing dope VGM Melodies and harmonies I would hear.

[@badbeardbill9956]

Video game music is fascinating because of how limited the hardware was. I don’t think they’re really perfect melodies, strictly. Taking advantage of and operating within the limitations of the hardware was an art form in itself. The NES audio chip wasn’t 8 bits. 8 bit audio would sound hi fi in comparison. It was 4, with only a small number of channels triggering basic waveforms and maybe playing short samples. It had a nonlinear mixer. Getting that to sound good is its own art form, truly. Over time this hardware limitation was reduced, but the tradition of putting effort into the music, especially in Japan, continued and continues today.

[@vgmjamsessionsnyc]

Woooo! It was an absolute blast to have you at the session Adam. Definitely come thru again when we got the next one!

[@MicahEdmonds]

The edit of this video is next level. To juggle walk throughs of various angles on the topic delivered to-camera, differnet inverviews per topic from various folks underneath the umbrella of the track list of the larger big band concert itself is engaging and refined. To make a dense topic like this so digestible is really something. Awesome work Adam!

[@AdamNeely]

Thanks Micha! It was by far the trickiest edit I’ve done so far

[@TonyBullard]

@@AdamNeely This is truly top level, man. I watched your "how to document shows" class, and this video is like the pinnacle to aspire to.

[@JoshMackers]

@@AdamNeely I think you can take pride in this being one of your best videos then!

[@Dowlphin]

@@AdamNeely I particularly appreciate the lack of meaninglessly generic illustrative b-roll style stock footage and even more so that you agree that black bars matter. 👍 (And to think that before this persistent, insane blur filler fad the common thing was to simply stretch 4:3 video to 16:9! - So the madness of humankind seems to be a constant. It will always find a way when allowed.)

[@bazzfromthebackground3696]

Well now you can add "director of cinematography" to your resume.

[@nanoyourell6547]

This video got me way too close to crying. The idea of respect and excitement in jazz for these classic games makes me so happy. It's not even that I've played most of these games: but the culture they've created and the history I've actively learnt on them makes this for some reason mean alot to me

[@gavintantleff]

I was in tears with almost every song they played. So many memories, reimagined again.

[@elhehe8476]

Relax man 😂

[@lauracrimsonmusic]

I didn't expect the moment at 17:08 and I couldn't help breaking down in tears :'_)

[@JSSMVCJR2.1]

@@elhehe8476 You know. Nostalgia is felt in a random way. Some times is a gust of charm, sometimes is a full-blown North Korean Leader Funeral weeping.

[@JSSMVCJR2.1]

@@elhehe8476 Fortunately, I'm on the Charm Side. Not the NKLFw one. But just because you see a bunch of people acting in the NKLFw way, doesnt mean you have to abandon any chances of joining the Charm side and go Party Pooper all the way.

[@superfishy1487]

As someone who instantly fell in love with The 8-Bit Big Band two years ago, this video is incredible and I will be recommending it to everyone I know. It is so amazing seeing all of this love for the songs of these silly little games we all grew up playing. I love video games and music and video game music and this is just incredible. So amazing we get to live in and see the rise of this kind of music.

[@Houlgravely]

T-Square, Asturias, Chick Corea Elektric Band, DIMENSION, Casiopea, Toshifumi Hinata....so many amazing bands and artists shaped what we think of as the "VGM jazz" sound. Maybe actually get one of those guys to show up at these events in the future?

[@JSSMVCJR2.1]

These groups defined Video Game Music *as a Whole* . It's beyond the modern renditions (jazz or otherwise)

[@faithstea]

Casiopea is one of my FAVS 🥺💗💗 Absolutely

[@RocknJazzer]

So funny that certain strains of jazz fusion are finally getting some respect after decades of being derided, ignored and sneered at. I knew it would happen eventually, but not via video games. It has come back from other angles as well, probably because regular music got so generic and boring that people finally wanted something more complex, interesting, different.

[@Doomwarden13]

Yeah, I made a similar comment. Piper and Imada Masaru particularly show their influence.

[@azur1o]

If you look at japanese fusion jazz bands like Cassiopea who were already very successful in the 80s, it's not surprising how much similarities there are between Nintendo OSTs and jazz. Iirc kondo said in a interview that he and his colleagues listened to a lot of fusion jazz back in the 80s and 90s

[@maximilianocarrion1599]

Kondo even admitted that some of his compositions from the late 80's and early 90's have a resemblance to some Casiopea and T-Square songs, and the very much do.

[@Kumquat_Lord]

@@maximilianocarrion1599 see: the tsquare song Sister Marian at a bit over a minute in. Sounds nearly identical to the first Mario theme.

[@acrophis]

Sega and Konami had their own in-house fusion bands in the 90s who arranged songs from their games.

[@acrophis]

@Kumquat Lord You will also find the origins of Guile's Theme in the song Travelers from that same album.

[@jarrodtriggs708]

Hi Adam! I'm a musicologist here, just graduated at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (Aus) and I completed my Honours thesis/dissertation in Japanese Jazz Fusion called "A Guide to the Habitus and Sound of J-Fusion" where I went through and researched T-Square and Casiopea! I gotta say, this was an absolutely beautiful video! I find that a lot of this stuff come from J-Fusion as Koji Kondo has stated in his compositions he often listened to T-Square! Great to see another perspective of this increasing phenomona. Keep up the good work!

[@Thirdeariespace]

I was hoping he'd mention how important Japanese jazz fusion was on the development of video game music, and he just barely touches on how important Japanese jazz musicians still are in the genre, with the Dolphin Shoals sax solo shown but not really explained. I feel like this video erases or leaves out all the Japanese jazz greats that have had a major impact on current video game jazz, and is quite a bit poorer for it. This is not something invented by New York hipsters and sprung out there fully formed.

[@BriggsMullen]

@@Thirdeariespace He has a limited amount of time to cover the topic on KZbin, and can't do a comprehensive analysis. I know he is aware of the Japanese musicians that the VGM scene draws influence from, because he's spoken about them before. He did a video a few years back with Patrick Bartley all about Japanese music, and I think that may have been why it got overlooked/omitted from this video. watch?v=gFXcwv9XISc&t=23s

[@aliensporebomb]

Jarrod - your document on j-fusion is of interest- huge fan of j-fusion here!

[@rennvos1225]

Hi Jarrod! I'm a music and media studies student and I'm doing a term paper on the transnational movements of Jazz to and within Japan and the subsequent influences on videogame music, from both an ethnomusicology and ludomusicology perspective. Your dissertation sounds exactly like what I've been missing in my research so far! I haven't been able to find it myself, so I wanted to ask if it is available somewhere? The analysis of Casiopea especially would be a godsend! It is 'just' for a term paper so please don't feel obliged, but I would be eternally grateful!

[@brodielawrence3381]

I would also love to read your analysis of Japanese jazz fusion just as a fan of music and casiopea in general. If there's somewhere I could go to see that I'd greatly appreciate it. Cheers!

[@theotherjared9824]

Video game music has to do 2 specific things no other medium has to deal with: loop or replay indefinitely and cut off at any point. This leads to some really inventive and genius concepts like the ending flowing directly into the beginning, special outro licks that only appear when a song is supposed to end, sound effects essentially being a part of the music by masking transitions, the song progressing and building throughout a level, certain actions being tied to specific parts of a song, the player being rewarded by making actions to the beat, and rhythm games in general.

[@blacknwhitesalright]

It’s also built to be exceptionally empty and partial, because it’s one part of a large ensemble of sensations. Its big empty spots are there to be filled by the rest of the game’s sensory input, and allow the player to concentrate. The soundtrack of Jet Set Radio Future, for example, is energetic bordering on chaotic when experienced in-game; listened to by itself it feels like the composer just left half of the song’s elements out. That’s common in anime music too, and again for good reason. It *really* sets video game music apart from what takes place in good jazz.

[@bligabliga]

i love that jazz is still around, live performances and in media. With all the passing music these days im glad i can always count on jazz.

[@anthonymetcalf660]

Woah. There is a strong jazz influence running through one side of my family. We are literally all musicians, and my grandparents were somewhat influential in the local jazz scene of their time. I obsessively played games like Ocarina of Time and Banjo Kazooie with my dad. This feels like a calling to arms to me. I'm definitely getting in on this.

[@billcipher_w]

Banjo kazooie jazz interpretations are something i never knew i craved. Grant kirkhope's music is unlike anyone else's.

[@Levaaant]

Hows it going?

[@anthonymetcalf660]

@@Levaaant Not good but maybe good. A lot has happened since then, like moving to a new place. I decided I want to do music as a VTuber and I have a studio now. I’m using video game sounds as source material for audio synthesis. The main problem I’m having is that I don’t quite know what I want to do while streaming. I want to perform music, and I don’t want to play only covers, but I also don’t want to be self-indulgent. I would really like to do improvisation but I don’t really know how to make that interesting for a whole stream. Thanks for the reminder. VGM would be a great part of it. I wanted to start a music group to play VGM but my friends don’t seem too interested and I don’t have the resume to interest strangers. I don’t want to try and start a project with strangers who have a similar resume because 50/50 gonna fail if I’m being generous. Vtubing would be great because I could perform remixes and maybe DJ them. I want the main content to be improv performances but I know I shouldn’t bank on just that. It would be a great way to build a portfolio and maybe score some collabs. Also I like EDM but I’m not really an “EDM guy” so it’s cool to have another option (jazz/jazz theory) that has a long history and methods that make it more likely to sound good consistently while improvising, and that would go well with the covers/arrangements/remixes. I have more than enough money rn to buy a model but I might want to draw one myself. I’m not an artist though so it could be a while. In the meantime I’m going to work on my performance skills. As a side note, I just finished playing OOT again and then downloaded all the sounds from it. I’m currently making wavetables and clipping single cycles from them. I want those and my own field samples to be the main source for waveforms when I use synthesizers. I want to capture some of the feelings I got from the OSTs I grew up listening to while making sounds that are more “organic” and modern.

[@Levaaant]

@@anthonymetcalf660 sounds really cool!

[@DomPalombiMusic]

What a tribute to the VGM Jazz Community! Thanks for making something truly special for everyone that's apart of it, and thanks for joining Game Night at the OS Session a couple weeks ago, it was great jamming on this music with you bro!

[@LordMarlle]

This will be a big step towards getting video games recognized as a high art medium

[@JoshLeRose]

What a LEGEND!

[@cooldebt]

Game Night over there sounds like a blast - looking forward to Consouls Cafe over here!

[@DomPalombiMusic]

@@cooldebt My band's set was a blast before the jam! I'll be reposting more performances from my end soon!

[@zackmash851]

put a big smile on my face to see your face in this vid Dom :D you and robbie benson are kings of vgm in my book

[@VGMCollective]

Thanks for the shout out Adam!! It was a pleasure playing with you at Magfest with 8 bit big band AND recently for the VGM Jam session ❤️❤️❤️ long live VGM!

[@Threeducksisperfect]

Do you know where I could get q copy of the video game song book

[@ThePenelope04]

I’m also looking for a copy of Video Game Jazz songbook

[@Suicidal_Muffin]

@@Threeducksisperfect it's been uploaded! check the pinned comment

[@Suicidal_Muffin]

@@ThePenelope04 it's been uploaded! check the pinned comment

[@kilroyyyyy90]

The whole video I was wondering why I kept tearing up when the commentary cut out and the music was given center stage. Then I got to the “bass solo” section and the tears flowed as I understood and remembered how much all this music means to me and how much I love how it’s been canonized. I love video games so much and the longtime friendships and memories they’ve given me. VGM Jazz forever!

[@smarmar400]

I'm a gen-z who almost entirely stopped playing 'kids' video games around the time in which most of these songs were being produced (I moved on to more mature PC games during the late '90s) but I stilled teared up during the music in this video. Although I didn't recognize the tunes, my love of jazz and video games melding together created new synaptic channels within my brain. I'm pretty sure my IQ went up about 6 points.

[@LionmightOfficial]

Great video and very well explained. The evolution of video game music has come far and wide into the zeitgeist of modern society. Even my daughter who has never played the early Mario games can sing the popular themes by heart simply because it filled my household as she was growing up. It's an amazing time to be a VGM fan today! P.S. You killed it by the way, congratulations! I was one of the 3,200 people vibin' in the audience!

[@TheologyVGM]

I am so proud to be a part of the VGM scene. It's the best community that I've ever encountered and I love how VAST the genres are. Like... you have everything from Metal to EDM to Chiptunes to Jazz, and the amount of talented musicians is uncanny! I would love to perhaps see more videos like this highlighting some of the other names in the scene who have shaped things to what they are, or perhaps even going beyond and doing an expose of the shapers of the other genres within our beautiful community. Not necessarily by you, but just in general. Oh and also, I walked into the 8bit big band set RIGHT when that lady was singing snake eater and holy crap it was so breathtaking in person! The VGM Scene is thriving and will only get bigger. So stoked to be part of it at this incredible time!

[@JSSMVCJR2.1]

¿Is this how the Sound of the Future looks like? Good grief, ¡The future seems weird!

[@PurpleCometOrchestra]

4:56 Cool to see a clip of our Bob-Omb arrangement included in this montage! What an interesting and insightful analysis of the emerging video game music scene and its intersection with jazz. Thank you Adam!

[@josko50]

I was there in the audience, and I did NOT expect to see you on that stage! As soon as I saw you, I knew there would be a video like this. I was far in the back dancing some Lindy hop with a friend. Swinging out to Still Alive. What a wild convergence of so many of my interests!

[@ShangoJr98]

Man it was an absolute honor jamming with you and talking to you at the session. Thanks for putting a spotlight on this growing community and the sessions!

[@TomWagner-yw7qg]

Hey there ya'll, I'm a cultural historian in grad school that is trying to move music into the limelight in the field of history. The work all of these people are doing, just know I am going to be paying very close attention to the amazing stuff you guys are doing :)

[@samflynnmadsally]

I'll never forget the music in the menus of Gran Turismo 2's main Campaign. Some absolutely burning jazz going on in there, and I didn't even notice it going on for ages. I used to just sit and listen to it sometimes without even playing.

[@BrodySchoonMusic]

I love what Charlie Rosen says at 2:36 because literally my first exposure to jazz was Insaneintherain's cover of Coconut Mall, and it hooked me. I am so wholly in support of video game jazz because that discovery changed my life so much. He's absolutely correct.

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

Nintendo's music feels like a magical moment inside your ears and each of the game franchise has its own sets of styles that fits the atmosphere and aesthetic. - Mario is cheerful and upbeat to get along with the gameplay, but it has also the adventurous and whimsical side. - Kirby is sweet and cutesy with the fast-paced, energetic touch. - Legend of Zelda is a mystical fantasy. - Earthbound is full of quirks and weirdness, but it has a heart to it. - The list goes on and on.

[@internetguy7319]

Splatoon is the peak of Nintendo OST

[@soupsmaryo]

@@internetguy7319 As much as I love Splatoon, nope. Not even close

[@gdupim_]

earthbound can go to a weird wtf music to the hardest metal music in the snes

[@christonadams9046]

The list can keep going: - Splatoon with it's fun and frantic battles - F-Zero with it's fast paced racing - Star Fox with it's somewhat adventurous space dogfight feel (whether it be something more orchestral like 64 and Assault or more electronic and rock like SNES) - Xenoblade Chronicles with it's beautiful, adventurous story moments and epic, hype battles - Kirby, also with a whimsical, adventurous feeling - Pokémon with it's adventurous and exciting feeling of catching, training and fighting with Pokémon. And the list can go even further

[@IsaacMyers1]

Metroid- from horror to sci-fi to even a few adventure songs.

[@dr34mf0x]

This is exactly the case with Touhou music. The most famous touhou song, Bad Apple, was made famous by a cover song and fan made music video. Because the creator of that game, ZUN, has such a relaxed copyright, there are hundreds of bands that mostly do covers of songs from the touhou games. It has its own self contained musical cannon.

[@cycy8699]

loved the TI-84+ SE cover of bad apple you should look it up

[@dr34mf0x]

@@cycy8699 oh yeah that’s a good one. I’m fucking obsessed with touhou covers in general. Tokyo Active NEETs have some excellent covers, my favorite is the cover that they did of Catastrophe in Bhava Agra ~ Wonderful Heaven, which they actually made for an official touhou game.

[@LuisLupina]

@@dr34mf0x Love Tokyo Active NEETs! I also recommend Unlucky Morpheus, especially their albums "Hypothetical Box Act 3" and 並行時空の音楽会 (Heikou Jikuu no Ongakukai in Roman letters). Their early discography is almost all Touhou.

[@vasxus]

can't get enough of soundholic and chocofan!

[@dr34mf0x]

@@LuisLupina oooooooh these guys kick ass. Thanks for the rec!

[@lumahau]

It's interesting how things come full circle. Chick Corea played with Miles Davis, helped create jazz fusion, which inspired Casiopea and T-Square, that Koji Kondo and others took as the basis for their video game music, which is now being rearranged as jazz.

[@kik0le]

That story about a father being proud of his son for beating the game really touched me. Sometimes we don't realize we're creating lasting memories until years later. Video games and their music really brings you back to those good times.

[@mustard_96]

One thing I’m surprised you didn’t mention is that Nintendo themselves have actually done this before, with the Nintendo Special Big Band. Once in 2014 at I think a Japanese Jazz band competition, and again at the Switch Preview Event in January 2017. And something that’s great is how supportive the community is of each other. I started uploading gaming jazz arrangements of my own on my other channel to KZbin because of groups like 8 Bit Big Band

[@panpolypuff]

Thank you for this wonderful little mini-documentary. Video game music is deeply important to me as both a musician and a gamer myself, and it's lovely to see this musical canon recognized by someone so prominent in musical discourse. I'm a musician for the US Army, and a couple of years ago we had a band commander who refused to sign off on any video game music our chamber ensembles tried to program. "We're serious musicians here, we aren't gonna play any of that cartoon music stuff." I wish I had the authority to sit him down and show him this video to help him understand what a massive piece of modern musical culture he's ignoring. But oh well, modern audiences still have deep emotional ties to George Gershwin and George M. Cohan, right? Right?

[@potentialPizza8]

To me, this is one of the most relevant and important analyses of our present culture I've seen. I love the idea of how even if much of (but not all of!) the Jazz establishment lost touch with its roots in reinventing popular music, that was simply something that was still going to happen anyway. That the reason we make music this way is something fundamental to how we appreciate our lives and express our creativity, not just a fluke.

[@itsrealnotafake]

no matter how fictious our videogame adventures may seem, those feelings we had along the way are as real as reality can be real - it’s all so humbling and mesmerizing…

[@Bthelick]

I grew up on 16bit soundtracks. From the UK, It took many years later before I came to appreciate how the Japanese composer's releasing on those Sega and Nintendo platforms were influenced by so many varied genres like Latin, rock , pop, and hip hop, and then always managed to put a very unique prog, jazz, east Asian flavour on it, further mashed up of course by limitations of the sound hardware too. What a wonderful era.

[@AdamNeely]

Shango and Jasper of VGM Jam Sessions were very kind to upload the VGM Real Books! drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MGbtmKZ_FiGz51GPtvS7HajQBTIUeEez

[@x----Celebrom----x]

Was scrolling the comments exactly for that! Thanks!

[@n0ghri]

Most Excellent

[@cameronseitzman4016]

What an INCREDIBLE resource, thanks for sharing! Folks should also check out VGLeadSheets!

[@DeborahGlenister]

Amazing thank you for doing that and thank you Adam for your video about this form of jazz

[@kylepetersen6520]

I was literally looking in the comments for this, thank you, Adam, Shango, and Jasper for this maybe I'll try to make a jazz combo at school to play these tunes. if I do it ill let you know.

[@magnificentdanger]

Hey, we're a vgm band up in Boston - awesome to see you promoting the scene :) that's actually a couple of our musicians playing at OS and in the crowd of the 8BBB show!

[@big_red1121]

hey i'm in this band! what the heck

[@praetorfenix69]

Is there a scene for VGM jams in Boston? This is totally something I want to get into

[@MichaelaEsquire]

@@big_red1121 wow me too! that’s crazy!!

[@riklloyd1303]

🤙🤙🤙

[@Joe_Landry]

If it wasn't for this community, many of us younger people would have never discovered an interest in jazz to begin with. Thank you so much for making this documentary, the video game jazz scene is so special to me and many others. Long live VGM

[@KARZJR]

it is so crazy to see the guys i grew up playing music with finally being able to play the music they've always been nerding out about. so proud of patrick and max and so happy their work has been paying off

[@evan]

Growing up I always felt so alone in my love for video game music. It was the main thing I’d listen to on my iPod. I still listen to many tracks from David wise, yasunori mitsuda, and many others on my commutes and heck one of the main reasons I even started a KZbin channel was to talk about video game music and have it in the background of videos… that was until I got terrified of copyright issues. I even dreamed of arranging a remix for overclocked remix one day. I still teach myself piano to play things like dire dire docks which brings me great joy. :) I hope one day your VGM fest comes to London; I’d be the first in line

[@arfoe]

I don't know how you balance being a fantastic musician, educator, vlogger and documentarian, but it's super impressive and greatly appreciated. This is so awesome! Thanks Adam!

[@clova1311]

That can you feel the sunshine rendition is impeccable

[@TheBassoonist7513]

The VGM cover scene in general is such a great community. I'm glad to see some familiar names in this, and I love that you've taken an appreciation for the art!

[@TimeforGamesGuy]

New goal unlocked: Play VGM Big Band Jazz This may be the sickest thing I have ever seen

[@Nathan_Composes]

I think you really hit several nails each on the head here, Adam. You can absolutely feel the respect these musicians are giving the music - the amount of emotion hearing these tunes reimagined is almost overwhelming. Its like this stuff injects colour into what can feel like greying world and I cannot wait to see how this space develops! Thanks again for a great video :)

[@handongpark2019]

When I was a young child, I was absolutely enthralled by the game Katamari Damacy - and its music in particular. One particular song stood out most to me - Lonely Rolling Star, a melancholy song that felt both absolutely bright and yet solemn all at once. (I might have been too small to realize just how melancholy it was, but I loved it all the same...and I could go on and on for hours about why it's so good, the backstory, etc...) Imagine my surprise when it popped back up in my KZbin suggestions decades later covered in rich, full symphonic depth by a group calling themselves the 8-Bit Big Band. Their version lives rent-free in my head - and it led me to rediscover a song I already cherished in a completely new way. [Plus, it made me an 8-Bit Big Band fan.] A huge thank you to Adam for capturing that feeling of rediscovery and dissecting it so well. It's amazing just how much jazz has added and continues to keep adding to these tunes that brought our favorite games to life.

[@JonathanMann]

When I was working on The Mario Opera circa 2005, I had found this person who had made beautiful, organic sounding acoustic arrangements of Mario songs. It was, like, just some zip file I downloaded from some random site. I have no memory of who it was or anything. I've always wished I could find it again because it was just the best arrangements I had ever heard.

[@streifig]

Could it be Jonas Tunander aka Bitpop? He did couple albums of acoustic vgm around that time, you can find both on SoundCloud now.

[@JonathanMann]

@@streifig Oh thanks for this! This is rad, though it isn't what I was looking for.

[@streifig]

Hmm, now I’m really curious who that could be. Any details of what was it like? Acoustic guitars only or other instruments, jazzy/folksy, etc.?

[@JonathanMann]

@@streifig Yeah! Ok! So it was very folksy, and sounded as though it was recorded very much live, like in a room with a lot of resonance (maybe even a bathroom?). Acoustic guitars, quirky percussion, banjos, mandolins. This is literally 18 years ago (holy shit, 2005 was 18 years ago) so my memory of it is probably very, very warped. But I KNOW it existed!

[@bb010g]

@@JonathanMann Could you reupload them somewhere?

[@CyriltheWolfmusic]

It is funny how the jazz part has been growing. Used to just be metal dudes, Chiptune Creators and EDM, with a few orchestral arrangers. Been amazing to see the VGM community grow :D

[@CyriltheWolfmusic]

Also MAGFest Chanting "holy shit" after the end of a big band concert is top tier amazing

[@CadenSheahan]

This weird niche sub-genre of music has just started screaming at me louder and louder as I've grown older, both as a young guy knocking on the door of 20 year old that grew up with Mario Kart Wii and Super Mario Galaxy, and as a trumpet player that's played since 5th grade. Now that I'm really starting to break out into jazz in college, groups like the ones covered here just give me everything I want musically, both the musical complexities of jazz and the nostalgia and memorabilia that the Video Game music adds. I LOVE the direction video game music is heading in, both for games the music is to be incorporated in and for the genre of music its able to start growing into. Big ups to everyone covered in this video for how excited everything they do makes me, and thanks Adam for explaining why I love it so much with all your smart words so I can just point at this video and tell my friends "See!?! This is why I like it!"

[@exart8409]

I remember in 2015 when mariokart 8 came out, i took band as my elective in high school and showed my fellow alto sax friend dolphin shoals. We were so obsessed with that song and various other videogame music and always tried to imitate it even though we didn’t know a thing about composition. Knowing it’s one of the most iconic songs in the videogame jazz scene makes me so happy!

[@VinnyFonseca]

I feel like we should've had an honorable mention to the music for Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, which is composed entirely in big band jazz style, and where the Bob-omb Battlefield is the most similar to the arrangement shown here. Amazing video, thanks for bringing VGM Jazz a bit more to the surface.

[@christonadams9046]

The music of the Mario Galaxy games replicate more of a classic, orchestral, John Williams like sound. Yes, Mario Galaxy 2 has some more jazzy tracks like Spin Dig Galaxy, Puzzle Plank Galaxy and the Bob-Bomb Battlefield remix but generally they're much more orchestral. A proper modern example to use would be the music of Super Mario 3D World or some of the music of Super Mario Odyssey

[@macalby]

Love it whenever Grammy Award Winner Adam Neely uploads

[@tofystedeth]

I really enjoyed this video, with one glaring exception. All that talk about the building ecosystem of independent musicians, jam sessions, and a VGM songbook, but no mention of VG LeadSheets, which is a huge resource helping to develop that ecosystem.

[@alexanderdenison2950]

Didn't he say something about a VG real book? That would be lead sheets no?

[@covertcharisma]

He mentioned 2 VG real books, both of which stemmed from the NYC jam scene, but not VGLeadSheets itself which has been around for rather a while as a free online repository of VGM lead sheets produced by numerous members of the community

[@alexanderdenison2950]

@@covertcharisma oh cool, thanks for mentioning it! I'm gonna check it out

[@t3tratube]

Hey thanks for mentioning this. Is VG Lead Sheets the same sheets from the VGM Real Book? If not, any idea where to get a copy of the books?

[@covertcharisma]

@@t3tratube There is some crossover between the two, but VGLeadSheets and the VGM Real Books mentioned in the video are two different entities! Definitely recommend looking at both, as they both are intended to serve slightly different purposes. The links to the real books are in Adam's pinned comment I believe.

[@lvchapin]

I didnt expect to get misty eyed watching this. You made amazing points. Im happy that music that influenced my life is actively changing the scene around us.

[@devlinlynden]

Im in my 20s and Id never heard "Can you feel the sunshine?" and wow, what a bop

[@LePeppino]

You'd be surprised at how damn good Sonic soundtracks are in general, even today... Give it a go, if you haven't already

[@devlinlynden]

@@LePeppino yea I played a fair bit when I was younger and always found it pretty groovy. Best have another listen through

[@EthanGeye]

This was the highlight of my magfest. As someone who plays video game music in an orchestra it is always a joy to watch and talk to people and groups who do the same. Also I got to use that gong in the Magfest comunity orchestra and can confirm is verry good gong.

[@shubbatube]

It's so great to see so many faces I've met and talked to and heard. Some of my friends are having their hard work showcased and I'm so happy for the community. It was also great meeting you, Adam! I was the person with the Ubass lol

[@waveshineaudio]

As a competitive melee player and avid Neely fan, both for the better part of 10 years. This was the crossover episode I didn't realize I was waiting for!

[@Jake-mq2ix]

There's something about video game OSTs that is just so effective at hitting me right in the nostalgia. Not only have video games been such a prevalent part of my life since I was very young, but I think more importantly the video game CULTURE has surrounded me for so long. I think that's why even something like Bob Omb Battlefield can make me feel nostalgic even though I have never played SM64 in my life. I've heard it throughout my childhood just by loving videogames. Hearing those tracks reimagined in jazz form is so exciting and never fails to give me chills of excitement, and I'm so excited to be alive in the formative years of the great videogame songbook, where I can watch it grow from now on. This shit is just really cool man.

[@Ist00pid1000]

alright, as someone from '96, you're not allowed to make me feel this old, goddamnit! how can this be!!

[@albuscore7955]

I like how its the nintendofication of jazz and not the other way around. Just goes to show Jazz is an artform that changes with the kind of popular music of the time. Really cool video!

[@realbirder]

Struck by how much of an underated skill you have in giving great overviews not centreing yourself in the videos you make. So many other creators in this position wouldn't have the humility avoid making all the stories about their personal experiences. Your content is much better for it's generosity of spirit and a welcome change from the self-indulgence of much of the stuff on KZbin / social media.

[@Shrrby]

That Snake Eater performance was incredible just to feel through my headphones. I can't imagine what it would've been like in person. Thanks for the video Adam, this was fantastic. Edit: Almost overwhelmed by the emotion in the music from 24:00 onward. What a beautiful interpretation of music and games and what it can do for people.

[@lenaboyer6981]

It was glorious! The energy was unreal.

[@FarewellApollo]

I felt pretty alone when studying Jazz music in college and really wanting to interpret video game music in the style of jazz standards cuz nobody else around me was really thinking about that. A few old-head traditionalists were actually very vocally against the idea (which only makes me wanna do it more lol). This video brings up all the points I've been saying plus many more in such a wonderfully articulate way and shows that there's definitely an audience for it too! I feel so validated!

[@annoynymouse1146]

VGM is the reason why I play instruments and video games. As a growing kid, I felt lonely because no one I knew thought the same. Now, thanks to the internet and all VGM musicians that feeling totally disappeared. I still remember the very first time I saw Kurikinton fox playing final fantasy songs...

[@DavideMenezes42]

Halfway through the video and I'm already blown away by how magical this all feels. I am a music student/jazz enthusiast/retrogame fan and to see those worlds collide in such a beautiful way is astonishing, and the way you approach and dissect this phenomenon is both insightful and exciting. Thanks for the great content as usual, Adam.

[@DavideMenezes42]

Also contragulations on winning a grammy!

[@JackVGM]

So cool seeing a channel like yours supporting the VGM music scene, it blows my mind seeing how talented all the people involved are and hope the scene continues to grow!!

[@noahpauley]

Omg I’m so glad to see a Sonic R song in here. That specific song is one of my all time favorites and even have an 8 bit remix as my ringtone

[@DasMichelLp]

This is the best video I´ve seen in a while. The whole energy and solemnity that you and the featured jazz bands brought to this topic made me tear up

[@brianbethea3069]

Wow, look at all these incredible, talented, and famous musicians up on stage! And Adam Neely is there too!

[@mikemakesmusic7]

I love the decision to have all the musicians in their own personalized wardrobe as if just getting together to play video games, vs an all matching suit jacket traditional big band look. Also love Adam’s faces at the gong and the insane sax run

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

I think that represents a shift in the music industry as a whole. People care about this idea of being genuine.

[@hazardousjazzgasm129]

Some modern big bands have been doing this for a few years now, don't think it's just a vgm thing

[@ataruDev]

I didn't think I'd be tearing up at a video about jazz covers of video game songs, but here we are

[@dbest7]

For anyone curious about a slight tilt to this topic, I’d go look into the Digital Fusion musical genre/scene! DigiFu combines Chiptune & Natural Instrumentation (whether that be sampled or live) and has huge Jazz & Classical influences. The Steven Universe & Celeste OSTs are considered under this genre. Some artists in the genre include aivi & surasshu, Lena Raine, Miles Morkri, Zantilla, quarkimo, father p, Dorkus64, and even at times includes music from Louie Zong & Nelward.

[@derekbestmusic]

I love this genre so much!! Also check out the record labels Ubiktune & Infloresce Records! They have a ton of DigiFu artists in their rosters!

[@dbest7]

@@NickOleksiakMusic YES IT IS

[@WillitDoesMusic]

I absolutely love this video. Sometime in the 2nd half of my 8th grade year (last year), I suggested this video to my band director (who also ran the 7th/8th jazz band and high school jazz band). He ended up watching it and looked into the 8-bit big band. Now, for my freshman year as a pianist in jazz band, we're going to play the 8-bit big band's arrangement of Bob-Omb Battlefield. Thank you so much for bringing music to so many people

[@canoodlepoodle7892]

That "This was the best adventure we ever had" comment broke me down. I remember my first team beating a game I ran and got my dad so he could come watch the ending with me. Poor man had no idea what was happening lol, but he was next to me cheering and hugging me anyways.

[@aliensporebomb]

It's so weird to hear melodies that came straight out of my childhood re-contextualized into these uptempo awesome live jazz jams - it's like I'm dragged back decades to my kid self yet hearing it in a new way and the whole Magfest scene was something I was utterly unaware of. What a great video Adam - this is amazing. I wonder if we'll see other jazz legends start looking at the videogame music canon as fair game for new musical discovery. Bravo.

[@badbasic]

What a video, thank you Adam, as a former avid gamer and an aspiring "late bloomer" musician, I was always stunned by some incredible tunes featured in video games. It was also followed by a stroke of sadness, feeling it was very underappreciated and underrated. Living in a country far away from both Japan and US, I was not aware that a scene such as this exists, and seeing this video has really brought me such unexplainable joy. Thank you again, good luck!

[@wanderingrandomer]

24:22 Just to add to this, I'm tearing up watching this video. Hearing the music I grew up with and care for so much for being taken seriously is so great. All the people involved are so passionate and this all just looks like the best thing ever!

[@LeoxandarMagnus]

It’s honestly incredible how this trend has been evolving both on KZbin and in local scenes (although this was the first I’d heard of it being played in NYC jam joints, glad to know it’s happening). This is a very moving video. The passion showcased is infectious.

[@auxchar]

I think another really great example is Touhou music. How many people would recognize Necrofantasia, U.N. Owne was Her, Beloved Tomboyish Girl, or Bad Apple, compared to people who have actually played the original danmaku games? And then to round it out, you've got Tokyo Active NEETs killing it making jazz from Touhou music. Good stuff.

[@evilded2]

Yeah but, if it didn’t originate on a Nintendo console then no one cares apparently.

[@gizmosandgadgets5751]

Thank you for mentioning that group, I enjoy a lot of touhou music (especially ULiL mamizou’s theme). So I instantly subscribed to that channel and am checking out some of their songs.

[@Blutzen]

@@evilded2 I think you're being a bit pessimistic here. This video opened with a _Sonic_ song, Snake Eater was a big feature in this video and it's from the PS2, Persona 5 is huge and it took six years for it to hit the Switch after originally releasing only on the PS3 and PS4 in 2016. Yes, the Mario and Zelda songs are hugely influential, but to say those are the only songs people care about requires ignoring everything else just so you can be angry.

[@Kugaraya]

I heard Bad Apple first (While jumping around the Artcore genre) that has vocals by nomico and then I'm in that rabbit hole. Actually made me happier in life in general

[@h4724-q6j]

I have never played Undertale yet there are lots of tracks from it that I was familiar with without even realising that was where it's from.

[@johannesk2852]

Something you made me think about is the way we engage with music. For several decades people preferred the recorded version, eg THE version of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. While when I play video games it isn’t about the specific arrangement, more about the moment I’m experiencing. Engaging with the video game and the music simultaneously. That’s why playing the original video game music without the video game itself can feel empty. What jazz musicians do is engaging with the music in a different way, namely with their musical ability. I think this lifts the music and the experience and that is something to which we can relate.

[@AeonsOfFrost]

Shout out to The Consouls, another great jazzy VGM group who have been churning out quality tunes for almost a decade.

[@heavytanhat]

I am absolutely tearing up listening to a heartfelt description the canonization of the music of my childhood, teens, and early adulthood. Hearing the respect on Koji Kondo's name is absolutely making my day.

[@rosecompaine6407]

This is SO cool! I’m not even a video gamer but I love jazz and now I’m hooked on the new additions to the jazz canon. Also thoroughly enjoyed the collection of monsters that make up the band.

[@zonagris97]

dude this is a great mini documentary. there is such a warm feeling to the narrative you've put together Adam