Fun Times, by Russell Scarbrough Big Band

Fun Times

by Russell Scarbrough Big Band

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QuestionBlock22 A funky modern big band release I'm surprised went this low below the radar. Great performances with memorable compositions! Can't wait to hear what you do next! Favorite track: Startups.

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Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
6-panel digipak

Includes unlimited streaming of Fun Times via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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$15 USD or more
Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Booklet pdf included with album.

Purchasable with gift card

$10 USD or more

1.	Max-Q 05:42	info	buy track
2.	Spiral Song 05:45	info	buy track
3.	The Culprit 05:54	info	buy track
4.	Abandoned In Place 04:36	info	buy track
5.	Something's Burning 09:02	info	buy track
6.	Song Of The Northern Road 08:26	info	buy track
7.	Needledrop 05:43	info	buy track
8.	Startups 05:02	lyrics	buy track
Why do so many startups fail? Why are all the hosts on CouchSurfing male? Are we going to be tweeting for the rest of our lives? Why do Silicon Valley billionaires choose average-looking wives? What makes a startup ecosystem thrive? What do people plan to do once they’re over 35? Is an income of $160K enough to survive? What kind of car does Mark Zuckerberg drive? Are the real estate prices in Palo Alto crazy? Do welfare programs make poor people lazy? What are some of the biggest lies ever told? How do I explain Bitcoin to a 6-year-old? Why is Powdered Alcohol not successful so far? How does UberX handle vomiting in the car? Is being worth $10 million considered 'rich'? What can be causing my upper lip to twitch? Why has crowdfunding not worked for me? Is it worth pre-ordering a Tesla Model 3? How is Clinkle different from Venmo and Square? Can karma, sometimes, be unfair? Why are successful entrepreneurs stereotypically jerks? Which Silicon Valley company has the best intern perks? What looks easy until you actually try it? How did your excretions change under a full Soylent diet? What are alternatives to online dating? Is living in small apartments debilitating? Why don't more entrepreneurs focus on solving world hunger? What do you regret not doing when you were younger?
9.	Something In The Moon 09:49	info
10.	Splode 09:04	info

about

The years 2020-2021: FUN TIMES (?)
Global pandemic, riots, electoral madness. Thousands out of work, economy on the edge of collapse. Insurrection. Climate disaster on the horizon. “Fun times…” said only with the bitterest of irony.  

Yet in the midst of all this, making music was the catalyst for hope. I contacted all my friends, classmates, colleagues, and teachers (and even complete strangers!), and to my surprise and delight, 44 musicians were eager to record themselves at home and email me their parts. What started as an informal project to document a few works for future publication ended up as ten charts, composed over the past ten years, recorded over a span of twenty months, totaling seventy minutes of astonishing performances. After hundreds of hours of editing, it's a project I’m immensely proud of.  

I chose these pieces because they’re fun to listen to and fun to play. There’s the sci-fi rock of MAX-Q, the earthy groove of SOMETHING'S BURNING; the optimistic exuberance of SONG OF THE NORTHERN ROAD and the twitter-inspired snark of STARTUPS; the fading memory of ABANDONED IN PLACE and the enigmatic riddle of NEEDLEDROP; the swagger of THE CULPRIT and the grace of SPIRAL SONG; the wide-eyed wonder of SOMETHING IN THE MOON, the heart pounding energy of SPLODE.  

FUN TIMES follows a narrative that is best experienced in order from beginning to end. The sequence of the pieces suggest a story arc that reflects both the relentless nuttiness of these times, as well as a way to respond to it; to survive, to cope, even to thrive, and perhaps finally, to heal.

credits

released June 1, 2023

All songs composed by Russell Scarbrough (ASCAP). Copyright 2023 Flexible Music USA
Produced and edited by Russell Scarbrough • Mixed by Dean Albak • Mastered by John McCaig at panicStudios
Cover image by Annette Shaff

Text for STARTUPS by Jason O. Gilbert, used by permission. Originally published as “A poem about Silicon Valley, assembled from Quora questions about Silicon Valley”.

FUN TIMES was recorded at various times and places around the world during 2020-2022.

MAX-Q and NEEDLEDROP commissioned by the Hilton High School Jazz Ensemble (Jared Streiff, director).
SONG OF THE NORTHERN ROAD commissioned by the Gates-Chili High School Jazz Ensemble (Chris Oldfield, director).
SOMETHING IN THE MOON commissioned by the Bucknell University Jazz Ensemble (Barry Long, director).

In Memoriam Hank Levy, Fred Sturm, Sam Pilafian, and Doug Bull.

Many heartfelt thanks to my teachers John Gifford, Harry Watters, Mark Kellogg, John Marcellus, Bill Dobbins, Harold Danko, and Jeff Campbell.

And my profound and everlasting gratitude to the 44 musicians who took time out of their crazy lives to put on headphones and record this music. Your efforts are nothing short of miraculous. I love you all, and I owe you big time.

FUN TIMES was supported by New Music USA’s Creator Development Fund with support in part from the Howard Gilman Foundation, The Amphion Foundation, The Cheswatyr Foundation, The ASCAP Foundation, the BMI Foundation, The Sorel Organization, and the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University. Support for New York-based artists is provided by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and/or the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Support for the Creator Development Fund is also provided by contributions from the New Music USA endowment.

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about

Russell Scarbrough Rochester, New York

A ten-time ASCAP Plus Award recipient, Russell Scarbrough’s compelling, visceral works reflect a diverse array of musical resources, drawing inspiration from both the jazz tradition and from contemporary classical music. His music is filled with engaging themes, with rich contrasts and unpredictable rhythmic energy. ... more