As Jeff Winner posted briefly a little while ago, Raymond Scott’s widow Mitzi left us behind yesterday, May 3rd, six weeks after her diagnosis with lung cancer.
 
My father was lucky to have Mitzi as his wife, first as a wonderful companion and helpmate in many aspects of his personal and professional life, and then later as equally wonderful caregiver.  She was a compassionate and caring soul, and all of us in the extended family of Raymond Scott, the worldwid community of relatives, friends and those who curate his legacy in many different ways are feeling the loss. I do think for all of us the loss is tempered a bit by knowing she had led a rich and full life, and was active and independent till very near the end.

Also, as well as  being one of the most spirited and entertaining characters in the film, she was a generous supporter of my efforts from early on, and I’ll be grateful for that support forever.
–Stan Warnow

Mrs. Raymond “Mitzi” Scott
(18 July 1918 – 3 May 2012)

As some of you may know, Raymond Scott’s 93 year-old widow, Mitzi, who is one of the most lively, entertaining, and informative characters in the film, has been in declining health for the last year or so, and now seems to be in the final stages of her battle with cancer.  Receiving cards and letters means a lot to her — as Deb, Raymond’s daughter and Mitzi’s stepdaughter said, “Mitzi really does live for the mail!”  So if you can find the time, she and her family and friends would so appreciate you writing….

Please send cards and letters to:

Mitzi Scott
Summerhill Villa
24431 Lyons Avenue
Apt. 226
Santa Clarita, CA  91321
USA

With much appreciation….

—Stan Warnow

2010 started off with a great festival experience at in Calgary, Alberta at the Soundasaurus Festival at the EPCOR center.  Jodi Lucas was the programmer who brought the film there and was wonderful host during my stay.  Later in January, another great experience at the Club Transmediale festival in Berlin.  The man who made it all happen was Remco Schuurbiers.  The film was also in the REEL Music festival in Portland, Oregon, last January, Bill Foster is the  Director there.  I couldn’t make it to Portland, but I did go there last September for another terrific event — the Jackpot Music Film Festival, run by Issac Slusarenko the owner of the fabulous Jackpot Record shops there.

In February the film was shown at the Glasgow Film Festival in Scotland.  Stu Brown’s Sextet, who live in Glasgow, performed and filled-in for the Q&A.  Then in March I was at the wonderful Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival in the wine country north of San Francisco.  A big shout out to festival programmer Jason Perdue (and wife Gena) as well as Robert and Paula Brent who graciously let me stay at their lovely home in the nearby countryside.  This would have been a fabulous festival in any case but was made all the better bythe fact that the film won the Critics Award.  Thanks again to critic Gil Mansergh for picking the film.  In April the film was at the electronic music oriented Together Festival in Boston, run by David Day — I had a lovely evening there as Tom Rhea and Hoby Cook , who are both in the film, were able to attend, and thanks to Berklee for providing us with a screening room.  And then I had another lovely event, in Peekskill, NY, at the Center for The Digital Arts at Peekskill Community College organized by Lise Prown.

In early April there was the showing at the Unsound Festival in Manhattan, programmed by Andy Battaglia.  In early July the film and I went to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic.  This was a great trip and another truly memorable experience — the KVIFF is one of Europe’s biggest and there were two full-house screenings while I was there — Pavel Klusak, the festival programmer for music films is the man who made it all happen.  Back in the USA later in July the film shown in Sacramento at Movies On A Big Screen, an ongoing weekly festival programmed by Robert McKeown.

August was notable for an event at the municipal art gallery in the town of  Milton Keynes about 50 miles Northwest of London — the film was selected by local sound artist Caroline Devine.  At the end of the month I was fortunate to be invited to Museum Ludwig in historic Cologne (Köln) Germany during an event that’s part of the reiheM concert and film series.  This came about through the efforts and enthusiasm of Frank Dommert from A-Musik, and reiheM.

In October there were two New Jersey festivals, the first was the ATP festival on October 2nd in Asbury Park, NJ (ATP stands for All Tomorrow’s Parties) — a wonderful fest that started in the UK and now has worldwide events.  Deborah Higgins and Barry Hogan, are festival organizers and thanks too to Aidan Flax-Clark of Lapham’s Quarterly, who brought the film to ATP’s attention, and to Abbey Lustgarten and Jason Altman of the Criterion Collection for including the film in their curated film section at the festival.  A couple of weeks later I was in Atlantic City for the Downbeach Film Festival where Deconstructing Dad won the Best Documentary award.  

A real thrill and thanks to Bill Sokolic, Joelle Sokolic, Ned Eckhardt, and everyone on the festival staff for the award and a great time in Atlantic City.  And thanks as well to George Stewart who originally suggested that I submit my film to the festival. The film was also shown in Ghent, Belgium in October as part of the 38th annual Gent International Film Festival, programmer Jeroen Derycke was responsible for this showing. In November the film was screened in Israel at the Jewish Eye World Jewish Film Festival in Ashkelon it was very satisfying to have the film shown there though I couldn’t attend — Gady Castel of the festival was instrumental in making it possible.  And the final festival of the year was in November at Scheld’apen, programmed by David Van der Weken.  Scheld’apen is a youth culture center and a contrary art workshop in Antwerp, Belgium that has an annual program that features films about early electronic music and synthesizer pioneers.

There were also several excellent radio interviews in 2011.  On November 18th, Jeff Winner (who co-produced the film) and I were interviewed on NPR‘s “Radio Times” with Marty Moss-Coane, produced by Patty Leswing — WHYY in Philadelphia is the originating station.  You can still listen to that broadcast — here’s a link.  In October as part of spreading the word for the Atlantic City festival, George Stewart interviewed me on his show Crazy College which aired on radio station WVUD in Wilmington, Delaware.  There were three other notable radio interviews last spring and summer, one with the legendary Jordan Rich on WBZ in Boston, another with musical historian and preservationist  David Miller for his NPR show Swingin’ Down The Lane, and a third with Technically Classical, a radio show on the University of London radio station.  They put together a terrific piece about the film and Raymond Scott.  To have a listen to this half hour show click here.  Thanks to Laurel Murray and everyone else at the show for making it all happen.

And ongoing thanks to those musicians around the world who help keep the music of Raymond Scott alive: Stu Brown in Glasgow for all he’s done for Raymond Scott’s music and my film in the UK, to Adam O’Callaghan in Montreal, Miguel Malla and Raculmuto in Madrid, the revived Raymond Scott Orchestrette in New York, Quintette 7 and Kristen Mathis of the West Point Band, guitarist and music historian Skip Heller who has some wonderful moments in the film, Don Byron, one of the first contemporary musicians to revive Raymond Scott music, and the newest members of this ever expanding yet very exclusive group the MeaNensamble from Norway!  Plus the other groups from (including the DJ’s), who play Raymond Scott music one way or another. Finally, as always, perpetual thanks to Gert-Jan Blom, Irwin Chusid, and Jeff Winner (co-producer of the film) — the Raymond Scott brain trust — who are great colleagues, friends, and consultants.  Their work on the Raymond Scott legacy remains an ongoing inspiration to me…

Happy New Year to all!

—Stan Warnow

The New York based Raymond Scott Orchestrette, who appear in the film, are doing a FREE concert at Lincoln Center on Thursday night, December 1st at 8:30! This is the first performance by the 7-piece Orchestrette in quite awhile, and features the original line-up. The Orchestrette perform modernistic versions of my dad’s best-known works, many of which are well-known from Warner Bros. cartoons. The RSO repertoire also includes lesser-known, non-cartoon works like “Coming Down to Earth” and “Sleepwalker,” and acoustic renditions of his later electronica, such as Soothing Sounds for Baby‘s “Little Miss Echo.”   They will be playing their adventurous arrangements at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium on December 1 as part of Target Free Thursdays.  I’m attending-hope to see you there!
—Stan Warnow

And for any U.S. readers, interview today 11am-12pm orignating from WHYY Radio Times show in Philadelphia. http://www.whyy.org/91FM/whyy.asx

—Stan Warnow

Aharon Yadlin, Festival Chairman and winner of the Israel Prize 2010 said: ”The strength of Israel is not only its security and does not just summarize in its scientific and technological advancement. It is also expressed in the cultural life, in art creations.  Jewish Eye Film Festival is a cultural experience of vast erudition.”

Thanks to Gady Castel and everyone at the festival for inviting the film and me as well.  Wish I could be there but unfortunately it’s not possible at the moment.  But I hope that any of you in Israel who read this attend….

—Stan Warnow

VARIETY placed the festival in its ‘Top-50 must attend festivals of the world,” and THE WALL STREET JOURNAL has called the festival “one of the five European Film Festivals with character.”   Established in 1974, the festival has developed into one of Europe’s most prominent film festivals, attracting over 130,000 viewers each year. 

Ghent is a beautiful city, as I know from visiting about 10 years ago, and I had really hoped to attend the festival, especially as it has a particular emphasis on film music and music films, but it just isn’t possible this time around.
But hope you can!

—Stan Warnow

Back to New Jersey but not Asbury Park, a very different Jersey Shore town — Atlantic City and the Downbeach Film Festival.  It’s Friday October 14th at about 6pm (it’s part of a block of films that starts at 5pm, see this link to festival website for details) and the venue is The Screening Room located on the 13th floor of the Ocean Tower at the Resorts Hotel, and panel discussions will be held in The Director’s Room. The festival’s mission statement is: “We are rooted in the celebration of film, and the creation of a forum where filmmakers can exhibit their work. The festival promotes new films, as well as filmmakers and actors all in an effort to celebrate the art form of moviemaking.”  Sounds good to me, and I will be there, and as an added bonus, I’ll be joined by Jeff Winner of the Raymond Scott Archives, who is a major character in the film.  Jeff has encyclopedic knowledge of Raymond Scott lore and legend, so it’s always extra special when he can attend a screening.  We’ll both be available after the screening for a Q&A.  And another bonus, this is likely the only public screening where attendees will also be able to gamble at will after the screening, so it’s truly a unique event!

Additionally, there’s a festival related preview interview with me on radio station WVUD Sunday night October 9th, hosted by George Stewart, who hosts a weekly show on the station and is the person who first contacted me about the festival.  It’s available on the air and online.  Many thanks to George and William Sokolic of the festival for making this all happen.

And looking back for a moment I had a great time over the weekend of October 1-2 at the All Tomorrow’s Parties ”I’ll Be Your Mirror” festival in Asbury Park NJ, thanks again to Deborah Higgins and Barry Hogan, the festival organizers for a wonderful couple of days. And thanks too to Aidan Flax-Clark of Lapham’s Quarterly, who brought the film to ATP’s attention, and to Abbey Lustgarten and Jason Altman of the Criterion Collection for including the film in their curated film section at the festival.

—Stan Warnow