Cuphead – Original Soundtrack by Kristofer Maddigan, A Jazz Critic’s Review

Cuphead is a video game released in September 2017 that has already sold more than three million copies. The game has a vintage feel reminiscent of 1930s cartoons. They join that visual with an audio soundtrack of original jazz and ragtime that has taken on a life of its own, acculturating millions of ears to good music in the process. The soundtrack is so popular that a vinyl edition, designed to look like a 78rpm album set, has been released. Many people now in middle age grew up hearing jazz in cartoons from the 30s and 40s. Those cartoons could still be found on TV even in the 1980s. Recent generations haven't had that early exposure. It can only be good for lovers of early jazz, let alone ragtime, that projects like this are out there catching the ear of a wider audience. Composed by Kristofer Maddigan, and performed by a 13-piece big band, a 10-piece ragtime ensemble, a solo pianist, an organist, and even a tap dancer, the soundtrack features 56 tracks and nearly 3 hours of music. A great deal for a $10 download. The music itself includes band arrangements reminiscent of Raymond Scott, pretty piano rags you would not expect in a video game, and myriad circus marches that fit the video game format perfectly. The playing is often fast and precise. Listen while driving and you may find yourself weaving in and out of traffic, the trees bending as you pass. Cuphead -