![]() ![]() Finally, it all works because of Hal Willner, who not only brought all those performers together, but knew how to turn their contributions into something as musically diverse as it is entertaining. Their covers either tap into why they’re so beloved or inject them with their own admirable idiosyncrasies – sometimes both at once. It doesn’t hurt that the performers clearly adore these songs. It works because of the medleys, as well as Bill Frisell and Wayne Horvitz’ jazzy interludes, which help create a sense of cohesion and movement. ![]() And yet, Stay Awake not only works, it plays like a soundtrack to an anthology film, à la Fantasia or Melody Time. On paper, this kind of musical potpourri shouldn’t work: Post-punkrenegades shouldn’t cover songs written for children – by The Walt Disney Company, no less – just as vocal trios, college rock icons and jazz producers shouldn’t be able to find common ground in the studio. And ‘Blue Shadows on the Trail’, originally performed by country legend Roy Rogers in Melody Time, receives a gorgeous cover courtesy of music industry journeywoman Syd Straw. The Jungle Book’s King Louie and Baloo would approve of Los Lobos’ swinging version of ‘I Wan’na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)’, and it’s hard to imagine anyone disapproving of James Taylor’s ‘Second Star to the Right’ or Ringo Starr and Herb Alpert’s ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’. Bonnie Raitt– backed by Was (Not Was) – and Sun Ra play things straight with a pair of Dumbo classics: Raitt’s take on ‘Baby Mine’ is bluesy and glossy, while Ra and his Arkestra don’t quite launch ‘Pink Elephants on Parade’ into the cosmos (but certainly make it fun to listen to). The more faithful versions offer no shortage of pleasures either. Save for the closing ‘Pinocchio Medley (Do You See the Noses Growing)’, there’s rarely a clear rhyme or reason to what Willner combines: one medley zigzags from Mary Poppins to Snow White to 101 Dalmatians to Dumbo. frontman Michael Stipe and Tex-Mex rockers Los Lobos – and that’s just on the opener, one of five medleys on the album. The performers include jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, R.E.M. Musical eclecticismĮven if you know nothing about Willner, a quick glance at the Stay Awake’s tracklist offers insight into his eclecticism. But Willner was best known for the many tribute albums and concerts he curated and produced, assembling all-star rosters to cover the songs of Kurt Weill, Leonard Cohen, Tim Buckley and others. ![]() He also joined Saturday Night Live as music producer in 1980, overseeing music for the sketches. Willner, who passed away in 2020, began his career as a producer in the mid-1970s, sitting in on a Sun Ra studio session in 1974 and assisting producer Joel Dorn on records by Leon Redbone and The Neville Brothers before working with a wide cast of musicians that included Lou Reed, Lucinda Williams and Marianne Faithfull. But Stay Awake (released in 1988) features some of the most radical reinterpretations of all. Reinterpretations of Disney songs are almost as old as the songs themselves – Snow White’s ‘Someday My Prince Will Come’ became something of a jazz standard, while millennial pop acts like Miley Cyrus and the Baha Men appeared on the Disneymania series. Listen to Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films on Apple Music and Spotify. The late Hal Willner understood that, and that’s why, decades after its release, Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films remains such a spellbinding listen. These songs are imprinted in the brains of millions, if not billions of people. Some are showstopping numbers, replete with dazzling displays of sound and colour, and others are quiet and heartrending, imparting wishes and dreams that could come true with the wave of a magic wand. Some are joyous, and others are sorrowful. features ten medleys of songs from timeless Disney films for piano solo. Virtually every production released by The Walt Disney Company, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves to Frozen II, hinges on a song. File Format: PDF File Size: 15005 kB Description: (Piano Solo Songbook). Every page is beautifully illustrated with full-color art from Disney features, making a remarkable souvenir folio for anyone who loves Disney movies and music.ġ6 beloved Disney songs, from animated classics up through their newest blockbusters.Music has always been a linchpin of Disney films. Perfect for beginning students to play and sing.
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