Genres Merge in Postmodern Jukebox

Everything new can be old again! This is the motto and foundation of jazz musician Scott Bradlee's brainchild -- "Postmodern Jukebox". The anachronistic name illustrates a musical concept, a scene where genres clash and generations merge. Hip-hop flirts with the swing music of the roaring '20s, or 1980s pop sways in harmony to an early 1900s waltz. R&B meets 1940s torch; alternative tock intermingles with 1950s sock-hop. Modernity offers a dance proposal; antiquity politely obliges.

As a teen in Long Island, NY Bradlee grew up with a taste for the vintage tunes and classic standards of the early 20th century, borrowing cassettes of ragtime and New Orleans jazz from his local library and spending hours learning to mimic them on the piano. His love for the sound and essence of this bygone era soon morphed into a passion for not only performing, but transforming and interpolating the two-dimensional creations of manufactured pop stars into all out masterpieces. Bradlee is to modern pop music, what Jazz musicians were to Broadway showtunes -- reharmonizing and revitalizing, entertaining old fans while simultaneously creating new ones.[[{"fid":"8047","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default"},"type":"media","attributes":{}}]]

"A lot of times I hear a performer sing a song and I think, ‘What era would it be fun to hear this song in?’ It’s all about showing audiences the flexibility of songs.” Bradlee explains.

"I have long had a love/hate relationship with pop music. The mostly electronic production of pop music today certainly lacks the urgency and earthiness of music recorded in earlier eras; I then found that by simply altering the context of such songs, I could find quite a bit of artistic merit inside of them. Calling art "good" or "bad" doesn't really mean much, since it has more to do with the tastes of the critic than anything else."

From his 2009 debut "Hello My Ragtime '80s", the piano instumentals in his "Mashups by Candlelight" collection, or the '60s motown interpretation of Nickleback -- Bradleee set the stage for what would soon become a cult following in this reimagined nod to the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Fast forward to 2013, Bradleee expands his vision adding a rotating group of classically trained musicians and vocalists, who along with their period style clothing and aesthetic, transport the listener through a musical time machine, transcending the barriers of genres and most importantly, generations. A doo-wop loving grandmother suddenly finds herself enjoying Miley Cyrus; a country music lover takes notice of Ke$ha and fans of the rock group The Neighborhood discover what "Sweater Weather" would sound like if Parisian chanteuse Edith Piaf belted it out 65 years ago. Yeah -- the concepts get that deep.[[{"fid":"8044","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default"},"type":"media","attributes":{}}]]

"My goal with Postmodern Jukebox is to get my audience to think of songs not as rigid, ephemeral objects, but like malleable globs of Silly Putty. Songs can be twisted, shaped, and altered without losing their identities -- just as we grow, age, and expire without losing ours. Through the use of contemporary material, we can revitalize styles that aren't as popular now."

As with any up-and-coming band of today, the realization of the state of the music industry has to be adressed. Album sales are all but irrelevant, with the advent of digitally available MP3s. Artists are increasingly hard pressed to rely on generating income by other means, touring and most importantly by becoming accessible to their fanbase. In the age of YouTube, it can be hard to stand out in the sea of characters all fighting for their moment in the spotlight, but with almost 700,000 subscribers and over 100 million views, Postmodern Jukebox has cemented their place in the entertainment world.

With a new performance scheduled to drop every Tuesday on YouTube, Bradlee and company have their work cut out for them, interacting with fans in addition to taking requests. The personal relationship between fan and artist is imperative, today more than ever. Being a spectator is great, but becoming an active participant among friends is that much better.

The videos are textbook jam sessions, with most performances being captured in Scott's livingroom. Packing the traditional 1920s jazz band (trumpet, clarinet, trombone and rhythm section of piano, bass and drums) into a studio apartment is no easy task; add a doo-wop quartet, the overtly enthusiastic "Tamborine Guy", a flame-throwing saxophone or the seven-foot-tall baritone "Puddles" (AKA The Clown With the Golden Voice) and it's nothing short of miraculous![[{"fid":"8045","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default"},"type":"media","attributes":{}}]]

As with every form of entertainment (audio or visual), there are those gems from the past which should not be forgotten. Whether it's the sound of an elaborate, musical orchestration or the social conventions and attire of "silent era" cinema; the 14th century poetry of Petrarch or classic Eastern European folklore -- their creators have since passed but their beauty and value perseveres and only appreciates with time.

Postmodern Jukebox create the "total environment" where fans can get lost in the spectacle and pomp of any given era; you hear new music through old ears which is packaged and hand-delivered to you as gifts, rather than consumer goods.

"I want to contribute to the pop music lexicon in the best way that I can. I want to encourage others to push the boundaries of genres, and give them the tools to do so. Together, I want to create an alternate universe of popular song." Scott asserts.

Everything new can indeed become old again, and lovingly executed with a bit of insight and ingenuity, can become a hell of a lot of fun too!

Sources of quotes:

http://www.citizenbrooklyn.com/topics/music/postmodern-jukebox-party-like-its-1929/ 

http://www.pottsmerc.com/arts-and-entertainment/20140724/postmodern-jukebox-puts-and-old-spin-on-new-tunes

http://www.postmodernjukebox.com/about-postmodern-jukebox/

http://live.thehamiltondc.com/event/554371-scott-bradlee-postmodern-washington/

http://www.mormoniconoclast.com/introducing-post-modern-jukebox/