It's Time To Play The Music

[filkertom]

Sadness. British jazz musician Jack Parnell, the bandleader on The Muppet Show, has passed away at the age of 87.

(h/t Danny Chamberlin)

Comments

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

He was also the musical director for The Benny Hill Show, which tempts me to wonder why he wasn't nicknamed Yackety Jack. (Either he didn't choose that music originally, was against it despite its success, or hated the idea of the name, for three possibilities I can come up with quickly.)

Either way, he did a heckofa job, and this is a notable loss.

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

Another one gone.

One hopes that if there is an afterlife that there are fabulous new episodes of the Muppet Show being produced there.

[sveethot.livejournal.com]

Ring down the curtains for a great one.

[amgem.livejournal.com]

And him teaming up with Mr. Henson once more...now that's a heaven I'd like to see. <3

[bluesmancd.livejournal.com]

An absolute genius of a musical director for that show. There was so many styles of music on The Muppet Show, and yet each featured musician character would be consistent. The Electric Mayhem could go from acid rock freak-out to disco to modern jazz and still consistently sound like "the band". When they'd play in the pit orchestra, the drums would be consistently aggressive or the sax would blow out of tune notes. There always seemed to be a simmering musical war between the hep-cats and the squares in the pit on the showtunes.

The music was always a supporting character that might steal a scene. Some of my favorite gags were Bobby Benson's Baby Band and the Muppaphones. No matter what Jim Henson threw at him, the usic would be perfect for the setting.