the 8-Bit Big Band
{{Short description|Video game jazz ensemble}}
{{Use|us|date=December 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates |date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| background = group_or_band
| name = The 8-Bit Big Band
| image = The 8-Bit Big Band logotype.png
| image_upright = 0.8
| alt = The 8-Bit Big Band logo
| caption =
| origin = New York City
| current_members = Charlie Rosen
| genre = {{hlist|Jazz|video game music}}
| years_active = 2017–present
| website = {{URL|the8bitbigband.com}}
}}
The 8-Bit Big Band is a jazz and pops orchestra directed by Charlie Rosen that specializes in jazz arrangements of video game music. The band won the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella in 2022 and were nominated for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals in 2024.
History
File:Charlie rosen 2023 2.jpg directs the 8-Bit Big Band.]]
The 8-Bit Big Band was founded in 2017 by Charlie Rosen, who also serves as the director. He did not initially anticipate that the project would be successful in the long term, but it received a positive community response online{{nbsp}}– particularly on YouTube, which he likened to the "Tin Pan Alley of video game music". Primarily based in New York City, the band plays arrangements of popular video game songs{{nbsp}}– which Rosen refers to as "the great video game songbook"{{nbsp}}– from titles such as Mario Kart 64{{nbsp}}(1996) and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time{{nbsp}}(1998). Rosen's background in Broadway theater music led him to incorporate elements of its musical style in his work. Will Friedwald of The New York Sun compared many of the band's arrangements to the compositions of Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder. The band features around 30 performers, most of whom join temporarily, or are hired locally when the band tours. The band's live performances also feature guest performers such as Grace Kelly and Leo Pellegrino.
In a collaboration with Button Masher, the band arranged the song "Meta Knight's Revenge", from the game Kirby Super Star{{nbsp}}(1996), which appeared on their studio album Backwards Compatible in 2021. In 2022, it was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, one of the few times a video game score had been considered at the event, and the first time a song from a Nintendo game had won. In 2023, the band covered the song "Last Surprise", from Persona 5{{nbsp}}(2016); PC Gamer{{'s}} Mollie Taylor appreciated the reworking, finding "extra jazzy vibes along with a sprinkling of some more retro digitized sound bites." The arrangement received a nomination for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals in 2024.
Accolades
{{Plain row headers}}
| class="wikitable plain-row-headers"
|+ {{sronly|Accolades received by the 8-Bit Big Band}} ! scope="col" | Award ceremony ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Category ! scope="col" | Nominated work ! scope="col" | Result ! scope="col" | {{refh}} |
| scope="row" rowspan="2" | Grammy Awards
| align="center" | 2022 | Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella | {{won}} |
|---|
| align="center" | 2025
| Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals | "Last Surprise" | {{nom}} |
Discography
- Press Start! (2018)
- Choose Your Character! (2019)
- Backwards Compatible (2021)
- Game Changer (2023)
References
{{reflist|refs=
{{cite news |last=van der Velde |first=Issy |title=Persona 5 jazz cover nominated against Willow Smith and John Legend at Grammys 2025 |work=NME |date=2024-11-12 |url=https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/persona-5-jazz-cover-nominated-against-willow-smith-and-john-legend-at-grammys-2025-3811840 |access-date=2024-12-08 |archive-date=November 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241116150919/https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/persona-5-jazz-cover-nominated-against-willow-smith-and-john-legend-at-grammys-2025-3811840 |url-status=live }}
{{cite news |last=Olson |first=Eric |title=Video games meet big band jazz at Seattle's Benaroya Hall |work=The Seattle Times |date=2024-08-26 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/video-games-meet-big-band-jazz-at-seattles-benaroya-hall/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241006010002/https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/video-games-meet-big-band-jazz-at-seattles-benaroya-hall/ |archive-date=2024-10-06 |url-status=live }}
{{cite magazine |last=Taylor |first=Mollie |title=It only took 8 years and an orchestral jazz cover but one of the funkiest Persona 5 songs finally got nominated for a Grammy |magazine=PC Gamer |date=2024-11-11 |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/it-only-took-8-years-and-an-orchestral-jazz-cover-but-one-of-the-funkiest-persona-5-songs-finally-got-nominated-for-a-grammy/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |archive-date=November 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241127025425/https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/it-only-took-8-years-and-an-orchestral-jazz-cover-but-one-of-the-funkiest-persona-5-songs-finally-got-nominated-for-a-grammy/ |url-status=live }}
{{cite news |last=Friedwald |first=Will |title=Jazz for the video game generation |work=The New York Sun |date=2023-12-21 |url=https://www.nysun.com/article/jazz-for-the-video-game-generation |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222020217/https://www.nysun.com/article/jazz-for-the-video-game-generation |archive-date=2023-12-22 |url-status=live }}
{{cite news |last=Remington |first=Kate |title=Swingin' with the 8-Bit Big Band |work=WSHU |date=2020-02-21 |url=https://www.wshu.org/culture/2020-02-21/swingin-with-the-8-bit-big-band |access-date=2024-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241219031221/https://www.wshu.org/culture/2020-02-21/swingin-with-the-8-bit-big-band |archive-date=2024-12-19 |url-status=live }}
{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Andy |title=Kirby picks up a Grammy thanks to the 8-Bit Big Band |work=NME |date=2022-04-05 |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/kirby-picks-up-a-grammy-thanks-to-the-8-bit-big-band-3198312 |access-date=2024-12-08 |archive-date=July 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709000451/https://www.nme.com/news/music/kirby-picks-up-a-grammy-thanks-to-the-8-bit-big-band-3198312 |url-status=live }}
{{cite web |last=Kohli |first=Diti |title=8-Bit – the big band that plays video game music – returns to Berklee next month |work=The Boston Globe |date=2020-02-19 |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/02/19/lifestyle/8-bit-big-band-that-plays-video-game-music-returns-berklee-next-month/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-12-08 |id={{ProQuest|2358215320}} |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201145319/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/02/19/lifestyle/8-bit-big-band-that-plays-video-game-music-returns-berklee-next-month/ |url-status=live }}
{{cite news |last=Harris |first=Elizabeth A. |title=The modern music man: he plays 70 instruments and video games, too |work=The New York Times |date=2019-04-14 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/14/theater/charlie-rosen-broadway.html |access-date=2024-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241221045719/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/14/theater/charlie-rosen-broadway.html |archive-date=2024-12-21 |url-status=live }}
{{cite news |last=Rossignol |first=Derrick |title=A song from a 26-year-old Kirby game is Nintendo's first Grammy win |work=Uproxx |date=2022-04-04 |url=https://uproxx.com/music/kirby-2022-grammys-nintendo-meta-knight-super-star/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240529222458/https://uproxx.com/music/kirby-2022-grammys-nintendo-meta-knight-super-star/ |archive-date=2024-05-29 |url-status=live }}
{{cite news |last=Milano |first=Brett |title=Video game music + jazz = 8-Bit alchemy |work=Boston Herald |date=2019-10-04 |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/10/04/video-game-music-jazz-8-bit-alchemy/ |access-date=2025-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231009175720/https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/10/04/video-game-music-jazz-8-bit-alchemy/ |archive-date=2023-10-09 |url-status=live }}
}}
External links
- {{Official website|the8bitbigband.com}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:8-Bit Big Band, The}}
Category:Video game music cover bands
Category:Musical groups established in 2017