What’s the idea behind your ‘video game jazz’ live show?
Our shows are a combination of video game music (drawn in part from our childhood nostalgia) rearranged in the style of jazz. It’s our way of paying tribute to the composers behind the soundtracks, by putting a fresh spin on some of the classic tunes heard from Mario, Final Fantasy, et cetera.
How much of a reception have you had from gaming and jazz fans? Is there a natural crossover?
It’s interesting having audiences from two different worlds come together, and it’s hard to really pinpoint our core demographic because it’s just all over the place. Whether it’s a jazz cat or a gamer, it’s humbling that we’re able to offer something to such a wide audience.
How did you get into playing this music in the first place?
We all have a long history playing together and our piano player started off with his own channel (youtube.com/zorsy) posting solo video game arrangements. It was only a matter of time before the rest of us got on board, since we all had ideas on how to expand it to a band lineup.
Is there much improvisation involved in the set?
Most of our songs have a lot of improvisation. We arrange barebone lead sheets that leave plenty of room for each musician to put their spin on things. Sometimes one of the members will create a simple idea that we all adapt to and follow, which keeps things really organic and spontaneous.
If you could choose just one game soundtrack to last you the rest of your career, what would it be?
This is a hard question. Everyone in the band has different preferences, but I think overall any of the Final Fantasies have so much material that we could reimagine just about any track from the series.
The Consouls press play at Play Bar on Wednesday August 19.
