Oranj Symphonette

• Genres: Jazz

Biography

There have been many tributes to the music of Henry Mancini since the composer's death, but none have been half as zany as the Oranj Symphonette's 1996 Gramavision CD Plays Mancini. Cellist/bassist Matt Brubeck (the band's leader and one of Dave Brubeck's sons) met guitarist Joe Gore and Ralph Carney (who plays alto, bass sax, trombone and slide clarinet) while recording a Tom Waits soundtrack in the early 1990's. In 1993 they became a group with the addition of drummer Scott Amendola and began playing in the San Francisco area on a part-time basis the following year with their main purpose being to reinvent Henry Mancini songs. With Pete Scaturro added on organ and Diarmid contributing zither playing and bird calls, the band tore apart a dozen Mancini tunes on their frequently hilarious Gramavision set; they also appeared at the 1997 Monterey Jazz Festival, and a year later issued The Oranj Album. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi