Life & Beth
A HULU Originals Series
Producers: Amy Schumer, Kevin Kane, Dan Powell and Ryan McFaul
Production: Fifth Season, Irony Point, It's So Easy Productions
Music by: Timo Elliston and Ray Angry
Beth's life looks pretty great on paper. Impressive to everyone she grew up with. She makes a good living as a wine distributor. She's in a long-term relationship with an attractive, successful guy and lives in Manhattan. But when a sudden incident forces her to engage with her past, her life changes forever.
An evocative jazz score by Ray Angry and Timo Elliston guides some of the show’s most effective scenes through their peaks and valleys, sometimes doing the heavy lifting for the emotional beats, and sometimes working alongside the actors on their way there.
- VARIETY
SCORING LIFE & BETH
One of the things about Life & Beth that was really satisfying to me, is the way we were able to use jazz as one of the main flavors of the score. I've spent my life studying and performing jazz, as has Ray. As has my dad, and his dad. My stepmom, and back a few generations on my mom's side, too, all jazz musicians. But, in my line of work as a composer for film, jazz is usually used as a punchline of sorts. It's most often making fun of something. It's rarely used just as a language of expression.
But, at Amy's urging, we composed jazz for scenes throughout the season - both dramatically and comedically. And the music was never the punchline.
When it came to writing, we were, of course, sensitive to the fact that we needed to serve the film first - but, we were also careful not to water down the compositions. We felt that having the music be a little complex and challenging harmonically could help us in conveying the complexities in the story.
LIFE & BETH - THE BAND
An incredible couple of days recording the score for Life & Beth at the legendary Studio A at Electric Lady Studios in NYC. It was made all the more special since it was with with several of our dearest friends, who happen to also be among the greatest musicians in the world.
Sean Jones - trumpet
Myron Walden - saxophones
Ben Williams - bass
Eric Harland - drums
Bridget Everett - vocals
Marlon Saunders - vocals
PapaBear Johnson - bass
Nir Felder - guitar
Ray Angry - piano/keyboards
Timo Elliston - piano/keyboards
