Video game music is full of standards: tunes that have become a part of our culture.
For many years, jazz artists have been reinterpreting and reinventing these beloved melodies in an explosion of creativity.
Join us as we explore the Great Video Game Songbook!
Generous support for the music heard on this program comes from the Robert T. and Ruth Haidt Hughes Memorial Acquisitions Fund.
Special thanks to Michael Culler for engineering assistance. Production assistance provided by Delia Zaleski.
Amanda Sewell is IPR's Music Director.
Emily Duncan Wilson is IPR's Digital Content Manager.
Keith Brown is GAMEPLAY’s host and executive producer.
PLAYLIST:
Koji Kondo, arr. Charlie Rosen - Rosalina in the Observatory (Super Mario Galaxy) - The 8-Bit Big Band, feat. Mark Dover, clarinet
Hiroshige Tonomura, arr. Charlie Rosen - The Moon Theme (Duck Tales) - The 8-Bit Big Band
Jonathan Coulton, arr. Charlie Rosen - Still Alive (Portal) - The 8-Bit Big Band
Koji Kondo, arr. Charlie Rosen - Saria’s Song (Zelda: Ocarina of Time) - The 8-Bit Big Band, feat. Adam Neely, bass
Naoto Ishida, arr. PeeWee and Michiko Hill - Big Blue (F-Zero) - feat. Marc Russo, alto saxophone
Yumiko Kandki, arr. PeeWee and Michiko Hill - White Land (F-Zero) - feat. Michiko Hill, piano and PeeWee Hill, bass
Masato Nakamura, arr. Charlie Rosen - Spring Yard Zone (Sonic the Hedgehog) - The 8-Bit Big Band
Nobuo Uematsu, arr. Ryu Kawamura - Aerith’s Theme Jazz Arrangement (Final Fantasy 7) - feat. Eijiro Nakagawa, trombone and Ryoji Ihara, tenor saxophone
Hirokazu Tanakam, arr. Charlie Rosen - Super Mario Land Underground (Super Mario Land) - The 8-Bit Big Band, feat. Leo P, baritone saxophone
Yasunori Mitsuda, arr. Carlos Eiene (insaneintherainmusic) - Millennial Fair (Chrono Trigger) - Ocabanda
Norihiko Hibino, arr. Charlie Rosen - Snake Eater (Metal Gear Solid 3) - The 8-Bit Big Band, feat. Tiffany Mann, vocals
Check out this YouTube video of the amazing 8-Bit Big Band in action, performing "Snake Eater" from Metal Gear Solid 3!
