Too Funny To Fail

Joplin wrote this wonderful ragtime waltz after her very young wife, Freddie Alexander died after only a few weeks of marriage. Recorded by Bohém Ragtime Jazz Band's leader, pianist Tamás Ittzés on Oct 20, 2013 in Budapest.

Bethena (Scott Joplin)

Crimea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIr2yDDU5bI

Pyromaniac

copyright Aalok Mehta
Produced and composed by Aalok Mehta, Albert Fox, Anisha Nagarajan


Trident Original Score  First Fight Scene

This cue covers Robert Smigel reminiscing at how much he loved the original SNL cast and show of the late 70s. And nothing to me feels more sentimental about late 70s New York than Billy Joel songs of that era. And while the accordion playing a French waltz is certainly a nostalgic setup, the key instrument here for me is the electric bass. Something about songs of that era, the electric bass is very prominent and when you hear it clearly in a simple arrangement like this it really brings you there. 

Also listen for the little chattering interjections on rimshot and claves  once the drums come in. In this part of the scene, Robert is talking about how he went to college to be a dentist. It can be surprising what inspires musical ideas for a scene...if I could have recorded that little phrase on a toy set of teeth, I would have!

Such An SNL Nerd

This bossa nova cue needed a rewrite, as the original version was a bit too grooving and in the pocket. This scene is about Carell and Colbert auditioning for the show, at a time when each of them was under pressure to find work. The original syncopated, laid-back pizz strings groove felt good but lacked tension, so it didn't play to picture in the way the director had conceived the scene.

This was addressed by putting quick 16th notes on strong beats instead of  weak beats. Fast notes on strong beats make for a less natural rhythm to play, as string players have to add extra physical force to create accent on the strong beats. This makes the hand less lively and it becomes more difficult to follow up with quick 16th notes.  By rewriting the string parts this way, the groove had more tension, transforming the cue into the right atmosphere for the scene.

Steve And Stephen

This cue from early in the film plays in the scenes of Dana's standup gigs when he was barely out of high school. I wrote this like how a sitcom's theme song might have sounded in that era - innocent, sunny and fun. Note there is a musical pause in this cue, which gives space for a surprising reveal in the background a photo of Dana at one of his first standup gigs.

Bits On A Napkin

This energetic cue underscores how the "badass nerd pirates" developing the how were inspired by Monty Python. It's something of a pirate jig with strings lending a bit of classical British atmosphere. 

The melody is on cello (a tremendous instrument for all pirates), and doubled by banjo, to add an American "Yank" touch. 

The B section really sings out with the accordion joining the melody. I wrote this to sound like the folk songs people sing at the pub when it's late and they hold their beer mugs are in the air.

Also this is the last moment in the film that is 100% optimistic, when the show was still a dream coming to life and they hadn't filmed anything yet. The film's underlying tension kicks in in the very next scene.

Fearless Idiots

This cue about the birth of the AG Duo starts out with a very laid back jazz-night-club opening, suggesting a writing team sneaking naughty jokes past watchful network censors. When the jazz flute enters accompanied by hockey-arena organ, things take a suggestive - and faintly ridiculous - turn. The harmony and melody both build in intensity until the cue climaxes with a descending triplet run, and a final extended jazz chord on the vibes.

The AG Duo

This overtly comic cue plays in the film during the development of Grandma the Clown, a rather avant-garde and dark sketch built on long, awkward (and for me, brutal) silences. This sequence in the film intercuts behind-the-scenes discussion with long clips of the sketch. Since the original Grandma the Clown had no music, adding this cue to the scene creates a new context around the comedy. We're no longer responding to the sketch itself, but rather the reaction among the writers, executives, and audience who saw it.

While the introduction is a slow, oom-pah, the melody's opening phrase is written like a sad lament. Perhaps that was me responding to the sheer "staring into the abyss" I feel watching Grandma the Clown. But the responding phrase balances that with light and fast finger-work. That must have come from seeing how industry comedy writers delighted in the bit.

The instrumentation of the melody follows the A-B-A structure of the cue. Mandolin plays the A; oboe and flute share the B; and all three play together at the return to the A. Combining instruments as we go along can be one way of escalating the stakes as a scene develops.

Grandma The Clown

I made part of this recording for a documentary about labor in Africa. It's fun stuff so I made it into a full track of its own.

Hu Soom Puko

John Piscitello is a Bronx-born composer whose music spans genres, honed through years of performing in clubs, concert halls, and theaters.

His latest work includes the romantic comedy series “Sexpectations”, streaming on Tubi, featuring a magnificent symphonic orchestra in the style of classic Hollywood films. He also collaborated with Aalok Mehta to create the hybrid east-west score for “DesiQuest”, an actual-play Dungeon & Dragons show featuring an all South Asian cast. 

His comedy work includes “Too Funny To Fail: The Life and Death of the Dana Carvey Show” (on Hulu), in which Steve Carrell, Stephen Colbert, Dana, and others recount the spectacular failure of his brilliant ABC network sketch show in the 90s. John’s “rebels with sweaters” score drives the hysterical battle between comedy writers vs. their corporate overlords.

John’s stylish, breezy score for “Becoming Bond” (also on Hulu) brightens George Lazenby’s improbable tale of landing the role of James Bond, embellished by comedy re-enactments featuring Jeff Garlin, Jake Johnson, Jane Seymour and more.

John created a “heart-pounding” (The Playlist) electronic score for the acclaimed 2019 film “Mike Wallace Is Here” (also Hulu!). The LA Times called it “crackerjack documentary” and The Wrap “a masterful, cinematic biography”.

John’s recent comedy work for Eko’s interactive platform include the genre comedy series “Wizard School Dropout”, about a female wizard (Khosha Patel) just trying to survive among the “humdrums” in Echo Park, and the cringe-comedy “That Moment When” with Milana Vayntrub.

The AG Duo

John Piscitello

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