Music in Film: The Reel Deal Richard Baratta

• 1Luck Be a Lady04:12
• 2Everybody's Talkin'04:33
• 3Alfie06:37
• 4Chopsticks05:24
• 5Theme from "The Godfather"07:03
• 6Seasons of Love05:36
• 7Come Together05:38
• 8If I Only Had a Brain07:18
• 9Peter Gunn05:09
• 10Maria03:57
• 11The Sound of Music06:29
• 12Let the River Run05:18
• Total Runtime01:07:14

Info for Music in Film: The Reel Deal

Acclaimed Film Producer and Adroit Jazz Drummer Richard Baratta Takes Audiences On a Journey Through Cinema in His First Studio Release as Bandleader – Music in Film: The Reel Deal Out September 25, 2020 on Savant Records.

“I always knew Richie was a great producer of films. When I got to sing some jazz numbers with him and his group I learned something else. The man is a fantastic jazz drummer and an incredible Latin Jazz musician. Enjoy this great music!” (Joe Pesci)

Film Producer and Drummer Richard Baratta is excited to announce his sophomore release as a bandleader, and first release in a studio setting, Music in Film: The Reel Deal, out September 25, 2020 on Savant records. Music in Film: The Reel Deal is the drummer’s triumphant return to the jazz artform after a 30+ year diversion during which time Baratta became a celebrated film producer of Hollywood hits like The Irishman, Joker, and Wolf of Wall Street. This album sees the coalescence of Baratta’s two seemingly disparate worlds, a celebration of cinema through the lens of jazz. The project features songs that were notably used in major motion pictures, films such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Midnight Cowboy, Big and The Wizard of Oz. Pianist Bill O’Connell serves as Music Director; Carroll Scott lends his vocal prowess to a rendition of “Seasons of Love” from Rent; saxophone luminary Vincent Herring adorns the albums tracks with alto and soprano saxophone, as well as flute; and guitar virtuoso Paul Bollenback, bassist Michael Goetz, percussionist Paul Rossman round out Baratta’s steadfast rhythm section.

While Music in Film… is his proper studio debut recording, Baratta’s association with jazz goes back decades. Baratta was born into a musical household in Poughkeepsie, New York where he began his journey as a drummer. He spent his post-collegiate time studying with Jack DeJohnette and playing in the Catskills before arriving in New York City in 1975 where he would strike up fruitful associations with such jazz greats as Saxophonist John Stubblefield, guitarist Vernon Reid and pianist Hal Galper. For the next decade, Baratta embraced the lifestyle of the career musician; gigging consistently to make ends meet. It was the desire for stability that spawned Baratta’s farewell to jazz and foray into the film industry.

From 1984, when he took a job scouting locations for Desperately Seeking Susan, to 2019, when filming wrapped on Joker, Baratta, who climbed from the position of location scout all the way to executive producer, was ensconced in movies. His work figured into more than 50 films—Donnie Brasco, 5 SPIDERMAN FILMS, The Wolf of Wall Street and The Irishman included—and he became a known quantity in the business.

A chance encounter with a club owner who was transforming the former commissary basement of Kaufman Astoria Studios which dated back to the silent films of the 1920’s into a music club called ‘The Astor Room’, rekindled Baratta’s desire to return to his drumseat and perform live once again. It was there that Baratta began his musical collaboration with guitarist Paul Bollenback and bassist Michael Goetz. Other jazz greats such as Eric Alexander, David Kikoski and Walter Blanding filtered in and out and eventually, Baratta established the working band that is heard here on his seminal work.

From the album’s very first track, “Luck Be a Lady”, the band’s unquestionable chemistry is displayed. On this nod to the masking scene in Mrs. Doubtfire, Bill O’Connell’s adamant pianistic refrains fall perfectly in the pocket with the tasteful samba groove laid down by Baratta and enhanced by Goetz and Rossman. From here, the band shifts gears with a shuffling rewrite on “Everybody’s Talkin’” of Midnight Cowboy fame. The band shows their stunning facility in a swing context on this piece, Herring’s saxophone soars over the rhythm’s section locked in full swing. Bollenback’s sparse guitar musings under Herring’s stellar melodic invention offer the perfect balance and depth to this piece.

O’Connell’s killer Latin arrangement of the Euphemia Allen composition “Chopsticks”, pays tribute to the classic Tom Hanks-Robert Loggia piano dance scene from the movie Big which Baratta worked on. The band blazes through a bright-tempoed montuno, adding melodic and rhythmic intrigue to the classic piano piece. “Seasons of Love” puts guest vocalist Carroll Scott at center-stage for a lights-are-low take on Rent’s most beloved song. “Come Together” winks at Baratta’s work on the film Across the Universe, adding some funk and New Orleans grime-and-groove to the music. The final third of the album offers audiences more brilliant adaptations of songs borrowed from the world of cinema. “Peter Gunn”, the band’s only track pulled from television, is an up-tempo swing tune with post-bop panache. The band ventures on with a haunting, reharmonized version of “Maria” from West Side Story, a gorgeous arrangement of “The Sound of Music” and a sunny “Let the River Run”, reborn in seven, closing things out while acknowledging Baratta’s work on the film Working Girl.

Regarding the future of this working ensemble, Baratta notes “Being away as long as I’ve been away, and then to be in the fold with some of these musicians I’ve been playing with, I’m like a kid in a candy store,” he shares. “It’s wonderful for me, so I just want to keep it going. That’s all.”

Richard Baratta, drums, leader
Bill O'Connell, piano, arranger
Vincent Herring, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute
Paul Bollenback, guitar
Michael Goetz, upright bass
Paul Rossman, percussion
Carroll Scott, vocal (track 6)

Richard Baratta
was born into a musically oriented family in Poughkeepsie, NY in 1950. He began his musical journey at the age 12, playing saxophone, flute and drums, and eventually, exclusively drums. He played mostly jazz all through his teens. After earning a BA in History from Wagner College in 1973, and after studying with Jack DeJohnette, Bob Moses and Steve Haas he moved to NYC in 1975 to pursue his musical career. From 1975 to 1984 Baratta played gigs and recorded in and out of NYC. Some of his bandmates and associations were with John Stubblefield, Joe Ford, Frank Strozier, Hal Galper, Mike Richmond, Saheb Sarbib, Dennis Irwin, Vernon Reid, Billy Bang, Jack Wilkens, Ryo Kawasaki, Jessica Hagedorn and the Gangster Choir, Guilherme Franco, Pe De Boi, Cyro Baptista, and a very memorable one day hit with Hank Mobley and then Johnny Hartman.

In 1984, Baratta decided to dramatically alter paths, and pursued a career in movie production. "Money was tight, the gigs were hard to come by, and I was getting married and wanted to raise a family. It was just time for a very difficult decision that had to be made. I looked back many times and terribly missed the joy in playing and the camaraderie with the musicians. It was a total about face, but I have no regrets, except missing the live performance."

Since working on his his first film, Desperately Seeking Susan in 1984, Baratta has worked on over 50 movies, first as a Location Manager, then Unit Production Manager, and for the past 15 years as a Co-Producer and Executive Producer. A small sampling of his filmography includes, Academy Award nominated Joker Joaquin Phoenix winning the Best Actor Award, Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award nominated The Irishman, Dr.Strange, The Wolf of Wall Street, five Spiderman movies,Too Big To Fail, Smurfs, Taking Pelham 123, Across the Universe, Donnie Brasco, Working Girl, and Big. For a full listing of Baratta's film credits, visit imdb.com/name/nm0053102/ ​

The past 35 years of movie making never prevented Baratta from regularly listening to and attending music almost all the clubs in NYC and festivals elsewhere. As best he could, he tried to maintain relationships with his past bandmates and stay up on the jazz scene. However, with the exception of the occasional one nite gig every few years, Baratta essentially remained on the sidelines when it came to performing. Then a very fortuitous event occurred.

An opportunity presented itself in the fall of 2016 that changed everything. He decided to return to his roots and main love and began performing music again, while continuing to produce films. From December 2016 to the present he has played with Eric Alexander, Vincent Herring, Walter Blanding, Marcus Printup, Bruce Harris, Gerald Cannon, Bill O’Connell, Emmett Cohen, Jeb Patton, Steve Ash, Chris Pattishal, Mike LeDonne, Ray Gallon, Dave Kikoski Danny Nimmer, Jerry Weldon, Rogerio Bocatto, Paul Bollenback, Dave Stryker, Mike Goetz, Essiet Essiet, Yoshi Waki, and many others. From Baratta’s lips, “I’m telling you, I’m in heaven. I just want to keep it going. A light bulb has gone off in my head and the music seems clearer, fresher and more illuminating than ever.”

Baratta currently resides in Tenafly, N.J. Hopefully you’ll be seeing and hearing from him more often in the near future.

Booklet for Music in Film: The Reel Deal