Video for the Ava Zelafone song Like A Cat from their EP Un Deux Trois CAT. A real post-war Ava Zelafone fever dream – but a lot of fun for our lively avatar nevertheless! The video is an edited version of the 1956 promotional film Design for Dreaming by MPO Productions. The star of the film is none other than Carolyn Jones, who is perhaps best known for her role as Morticia Addams in the 1960’s television series The Addams Family. The dreamlike film is set at the 1956 General Motors Motorama event and provides a good illustration of mid-20th century gender roles and aspirational consumerism.
Brazil’s Gift is a silent film from 1931, featuring a new soundtrack by Ava Zelafone. The film was created as a form of coffee propaganda that was shown to grocers and various social groups across the U.S. in order to drive up sales of coffee. Ava Zelafone’s electronic soundtrack for this whimsical little film is available to stream or purchase on Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify, and other digital music sites.
Here’s something I haven’t done in a very long time. This is an acoustic version of Johnny Sailor from my latest EP – recorded “down below by the storeroom” during the times of social distancing. To hear the studio version go to https://soundcloud.com/avazelafone/johnny-sailor
So, I’ve had a little time on my hands as of late and, being an inveterate tinkerer and musician, I created my first electronic instrument from tiny little parts based on a schematic from the early ’80’s. Here’s a few shots from the process leading toward the finished unit, which I call The Baba Tolby, in honor of my late cat companion. The music you hear is what the little synth sounds like with a bit of delay thrown in for good measure.