Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox to Revamp Pop Hits at Mayo Center

Enjoy a whole new take on the songs you love in a way you've never heard before! Pop hits get a doo-wop, swing, or ragtime remix at Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, coming to Mayo Performing Arts Center on Thursday, February 9, 2017 at 8 pm. Tickets are $39 - $79.

Imagine wandering into a nightclub somewhere on the outskirts of time. A classic jukebox in the corner plays timeless music with oddly familiar modern lyrics, incongruously marrying the 21st century party vibe of Miley Cyrus or the minimalist angst of Radiohead is incongruously married with the crackly warmth of a vintage 78 or the plunger-muted barrelhouse howl of a forgotten Kansas City jazzman. The dance floor is full of revelers twerking in poodle skirts, while at the bar well-heeled hipsters balance a martini in one hand with a smartphone in the other.

If such a place actually exists, no doubt the soundtrack is Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox. Founded by pianist and arranger Scott Bradlee in 2009, the ensemble reimagines contemporary pop, rock and R&B hits in the style of various yesteryears, from swing to doo-wop, ragtime to Motown - or, as Bradlee himself puts it, "pop music in a time machine." The band parlayed a series of YouTube videos shot in Bradlee's Queens living room into massive success, accruing more than 500 million YouTube views and over 2 million subscribers, an appearance on "Good Morning America," and performances at packed houses across the globe.

The Essentials, released on September 30 via Concord Records and Postmodern Jukebox Records, collects 18 favorites from Postmodern Jukebox's weekly postings. Both the songs and the styles span decades - it just happens that the decades in question are separated by about half a century. Bradlee's choice of material ranges from the '80s hard rock of Guns N' Roses to hits as recent as last year's Justin Bieber plea "Sorry." They're rendered by a rotating cast of musicians and singers in fashions that date back to a time when Axl, Slash and Bieber's parents had yet to be born - a time of street corner harmonies and torch singers, blues belters and golden-voiced crooners.

In his liner notes Bradlee writes, "It's my hope that this collection will lead you to discover a world of nostalgia for the music of the past ? regardless of when you were born ? and welcome you warmly into our community of amazing live performers, creative artists, and music lovers that are dedicated to keeping #RealMusic alive."

If that hashtag denotes a modern-day mission statement, that's no accident. Bradlee conceived Postmodern Jukebox as a tonic for the autotuned vocals and programmed beats that populate today's radio soundscape. Postmodern Jukebox combines a genuine appreciation for the melodies and songcraft of these recent hits with a passion for talented musicians playing real instruments.

"I just wanted to make music in the classic styles of ragtime, blues, swing, doo wop, and Motown that I loved as a kid," Bradlee writes. The album, he continues, includes "breathtaking vocal performances, raucous horn solos, infectious dance rhythms, and nostalgic melodies - all captured the way music was recorded in the Golden Age of the record industry: with everyone together, in the same room."

In the early days, that room was in the rather cramped confines of Bradlee's small apartment in Queens, NY, at a time when he was one of countless struggling musicians in the city. The backdrop has grown along with the ensemble's success, but the spirit remains the same - a collective of musicians dedicated to the timelessness of music, performing songs vibrantly and without a trace of irony. And the media has taken notice: Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Scott Bradlee's group is known for retro-fying modern hit songs into viral success," while Yahoo! Music added, "if you've been on YouTube in the last couple of years, then you're familiar with the everything-new-is-old-again brilliance of the viral phenomenon known as Postmodern Jukebox."

Postmodern Jukebox is certainly a rebuke to the contention that "they don't make 'em like they used to." The Essentials is an engaging and vivacious album that bridges generations with a unique spin of its own. To echo Bradlee's own invitation: "Dust off the turntable, fix yourself a stiff drink, and get comfy. Welcome to the world of Postmodern Jukebox."

Mayo Performing Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, presents a wide range of programs that entertain, enrich, and educate the diverse population of the region and enhance the economic vitality of Northern New Jersey. The 2016-2017 season is made possible, in part, by a grant the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support received from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, F.M. Kirby Foundation and numerous corporations, foundations and individuals. The Mayo Performing Arts Center has been designated a Major Presenting Organization by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Mayo Performing Arts Center has been named 2016 Outstanding Historic Theatre by the League of Historic American Theatres.

Mayo Performing Arts Center is located at 100 South St., Morristown, NJ 07960. Call the box office at (973) 539-8008 or go online at www.mayoarts.org. All Programs Subject to Change.

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