NEWS
Sounds like "The Majestic"!
31 Jul 2001 By Dana
(JCO Editor)
Finally, there is information available about the music of "The Majestic" soundtrack. Artist Claudia Cummings started a collaboration with director Frank Darabont, working as music consultant for the movie and also producing several songs.
Claudia Cummings' office was kind enough to share some of the Majestic experience with JCO.
"Darabont had been a fan of Claudia's music for a year and a half, playing her CD over and over again in his car, home and in his office. Claudia, who is highly reclusive, and had abandoned the music business, was asked by Darabont to do a 'little music' for 'The Majestic'. The collaboration blossomed into Claudia producing and recording 7 songs for 'The Majestic', including a song Claudia wrote and produced, called 'Dizzy' which is presently slated to be title track for the movie. Claudia hired the finest boogie woogie jazz musicians in the world, including Jim Cox, Peter Erskine, and Eddie Daniels, and booked Capitol Records most famous, Studio 'A' to record the session. The session was presided over by Claudia and Darabont. Musicians to engineers agreed it was a magical, amazing session. Claudia and Darabont work together with sort of a language of their own that was very interesting to observe."
And yes, Carrey did learn to play the piano for the movie.
"The music is very boogie woogie jazz oriented with focus on piano. Jim Cox was brilliant in performing the piano material that Carrey had to learn to 'play'. Claudia hired Mary Harris, who had also been in Jimmy Buffett's band, and who has coached many celebrities in the past, to coach Carrey with learning the piano parts. Suprisingly, Jim has tremendous natural talent for the style. He'd never played piano, and he was able to learn amazing boogie woogie riffs. He was a tireless student. He has wonderful natural talent for rhythm, and a performance style all his own. Claudia had contacted 'Guns and Roses' keyboardist, Teddy Andreadis to teach Carrey how to move behind the piano. Teddy was not used, because Carrey has such an amazing style of his own."
"Claudia encouraged Darabont to cast real musicians in parts of musicians, for the sake of reality of feel. She was responsible for bringing 10 or so musicians to acting in the film."
"Claudia has been encouraged by Darabont to record an album in the style of the music being used in the movie. Claudia has written 20 songs with the intention of an album to be released around the time 'The Majestic' is released (Christmas time)."
Even more high-profiled artists may be joining in.
"There are talks of asking Sting to sing a duet with Claudia for possible inclusion into the movie. The talks are in very preliminary stages and the song "Across the Sea" written by Claudia is currently being produced in demo form for Darabont to hear."
"Most of Claudia's work was done from her home, because of her reclusivity. Claudia is not currently signed to a record label."
-- With a very special thank you to Joan @ Claudia Cummings! Visit her website: ClaudiaCummings.com. Click to comment this article.
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