Corey Paul’s dream of leading a live funky jazz ensemble that nodded to the intergalactic noir-western series “Cowboy Bebop” seemed like a far-out fantasy. Now it’s a reality, and the show’s hitting venues across Southern California this November.
In the early aughts, Paul was an avid viewer of Toonami, a Cartoon Network programming block focused mainly on broadcasting Japanese animations. Some of its early weekly showings featured popular animes such as “Sailor Moon,” “Dragon Ball,” and “Mobile Suit Gundam Wing.” While Paul enjoyed the different shows on the network, the music of “Cowboy Bebop” in a commercial caught his ear, inspiring him to listen to the soundtrack all the way through before watching the series.
He began pitching the songs to his high school band director, but the incredibly fast-paced jazz was too tricky for the students. When he attended the University of Central Florida in Orlando, the director thought it didn’t fit into the curriculum. Paul went on to perform at weddings and theme parks and was a member of the Dr. Phillips Center Jazz Orchestra in Orlando, but he couldn’t give up on his vision for the “Cowboy Bebop” soundtrack.
He decided to ask some of the fellow musicians he’d played gigs with if they’d join him in bringing the music of his childhood to life.
“I always wanted to create something, but I never had an opportunity to find something that would pay the bills and be super popular, but now here we are,” Paul said in a Zoom interview. “I had this amazing opportunity that was under my nose this whole time. It’s my dream come true.”
Paul is now the curator and band leader of the Bebop Bounty Big Band, a 14-piece ensemble that performs the jazz and funk music of the iconic ’90s animated series. The two-hour show stopping at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside on Thursday, Nov. 14, The Magnolia in El Cajon on Friday, Nov. 15 and The Belasco in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 17, includes clips of the series all in sync with a live jazz ensemble. Fans can expect to follow the solar system adventures of Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed, and Ein as they track down intergalactic fugitives and struggle to make a living in the vastness of outer space.
The series’ soundtrack is iconic thanks to the score of Japanese composer Yoko Kanno, who was influenced by soul, jazz and funk. In a 2014 interview with the Red Bull Music Academy, Kanno said that she used to think the majority of the music in her middle and high school brass band was boring and was often frustrated with the lack of life in it, leaving her yearning for more.
Kanno searched for a groovy inspiration and found it in her college years when she traveled to New Orleans and sat in on the city’s funk and jazz scene. Motivated by the genres’ rapid brass beats, she went on to create “Tank!” the opening credit theme to “Cowboy Bebop.” The introduction, armed with a sharp baseline and timely horn section, sets the tone for the rest of the score in the series. It melds lively jazz sounds with Western, noir and futuristic visuals in a way that has become a signature of the series and Kanno’s musical panache.
“I don’t think it would have been as memorable without Kanno scoring,” Paul said. “I don’t think somebody else could have done it to the same level, but I think that it was a really lucky situation where the right people got together and created something classic because you had the storytelling and the music married together in a special way that would be very difficult to ever replicate again.”
The music of the series is revered by fans, including Paul, who was careful not to veer too far from the original. Instead, he approached his rendition of the show as a love letter to the series by creating a live adaptation that honored the original score, characters and story with the fandom at the center.
“Our biggest critics are people like me, who love the series and are mega fans but haven’t seen our show,” he said. “I would’ve had the same reactions that they do, like, ‘Can we leave this alone?’ I’m proud to say that we haven’t had those major fans give us a single negative or even partially negative review after seeing the show. It’s scary to touch people’s stuff when they love it so much. You better deliver, or they’ll let you know.”
Paul didn’t want to give too much away but said they’ve got some things in store for fans at upcoming performances. Previous shows have included special appearances by voice actress Wendee Lee, the voice of Faye Valentine in the English Dub, and John Beau Billingslea, the voice of Jet Black also in the English dub.
“I hope that fans who come see the show feel like they’re watching the series for the first time again, or at least experience the nostalgia of all the emotions associated with the ups and downs of the show,” he said. “It’s as much of a tragedy as it is a comedy. It takes you to many different places, and I want to try to turn that up to 11 as often as possible at these live performances.”
Cowboy Bebop LIVE performed by Bebop Bounty Big Band
Where: Fox Performing Arts Center, 3801 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside.
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14.
Tickets: $48-$81.50 at Livenation.com.
Also: 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15 at The Magnolia, 210 E Main St., El Cajon. $59-$94.40 at Livenation.com; 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17 at The Belasco, 1050 S Hill St., Los Angeles. Tickets start at $91 at Livenation.com.
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