Basil Rag (Frank LiVolsi, pianist)

Bit of important information: this piece is not actually called, "Basil Rag." I don't know what it's called, as I have no information about it. In Walt Disney's "The Great Mouse Detective," there is a scene when Basil of Baker street and Watson go incognito into a bar by a nearby wharf. In the background, as the various unsavory characters of the bar carry on their usual business, the bar's pianist accompanies a juggling octopus by playing the ragtime piano piece that you hear in this YouTube video.

Henry Mancini wrote the music for The Great Mouse Detective; and since I have never been able to find any sheet music for this rag, a chord map for it online, or even a mention of it in the Great Mouse Detective's soundtrack, I not only had to reasonably assume that Mancini wrote this piece as well, but also had to pick out every note by ear (by replaying the scene on my VCR over and over again so I could hear the music).

I picked it out by ear to the best of my ability, changing the key from B-flat major to A-flat major, with no modulation. In the video, 2:08-2:36 is off-the-cuff improvisation (the first time I've ever recorded anything of that nature).

This is my rendition of one of my favorite rags.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• rag
• ragtime
• piano
• concert
• great
• mouse
• detective
• walt
• disney
• Henry
• Mancini
• jelly
• roll
• morton
• scott
• joplin
• Frank
• LiVolsi

[millenniumfalsehood]

I always had a good laugh at this piece. The composer obvious had an affinity for Scott Joplin and other rag artists.

Are you drawing on pieces like the Maple Leaf Rag for that technique, or are you playing by ear?

I may have to listen to your version obsessively and try it out for myself. ;)

[KingPorter1]

I was playing it by ear, but outside influences always are a factor in the way a musician plays his music. Pieces such as the Maple Leaf Rag, and especially pieces more in the early stride/traditional jazz style such as King Porter and Carolina Shout, certainly helped shape the way this arrangement took form.

[Chandersson25]

do you have piano sheets for your version?

[KingPorter1]

I never actually wrote it down. I might in the future, but that's not certain...

[revesvans]

...meanwhile guns are fired, and darts and knives fly through the room.

[mewhite1528]

Wonderful...enjoyed this very much. Thanks for figuring it out and sharing..... Best Regards. Octopus juggling in the background.....lol.

[mewhite1528]

Wonderful...enjoyed this very much. Thanks for figuring it out and sharing..... Best Regards. Octu

[1947Desoto]

Can you by chance remember what the notes for the basic melody of the song are? Or do you plan on making sheet music?

[KingPorter1]

@redkitten8 I'm actually not, just a humble musician :D

[LukeSgoubs]

Wooooooow!!!!

[kirikakirikakirika]

You're my hero!

[TEgnoto89]

wow... really great. i love this score; i've been trying to find myself a copy of the full conductor's score for some time.. it seems like newer film scores simply aren't available to the public in any way shape or form. but really just a phenomenal score imo... kudos to you for figuring this out for yourself

[TheKimico16]

*hears the song and walks into a random bar* XD