Howard Drossin
Encyclopedia
Howard Drossin is a music composer for film, television, commercials, and video games. He is best known for his score on the Tony Jaa
martial arts film, The Protector
, which he co-composed with hip-hop producer RZA
.
Drossin's early music was for video games as the Music Director
at Sega
. In 1999, he began scoring films with the Sundance Film Festival
's surreal horror film, The Item. In 2002, he started working with Terence Blanchard for whom he orchestrated and arranged music for film scores and jazz albums. Howard began working with The RZA on 2004's Blade: Trinity
, which led to their work together on film, soundtracks and commercials. In 2006, the music he wrote for Joseph Kahn
's commercial (and YouTube
video sensation) "Hail: Return of the Sun" won a Clio
for Music & Sound.
Drossin's work with Terence Blanchard
won a 2008 Grammy
in the category of Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album category for A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)
.
Drossin lives in Los Angeles, California
.
Tony Jaa
Tatchakorn Yeerum , formerly Panom Yeerum , better known in the West as Tony Jaa, in Thailand as Jaa Panom, is a Thai martial artist, actor, choreographer, stuntman, director, and monk...
martial arts film, The Protector
Tom-Yum-Goong
Tom-Yum-Goong Tom-Yum-Goong Tom-Yum-Goong (Thai: ต้มยำกุ้ง, is a 2005 Thai Martial arts Action film starring Tony Jaa. The film was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, who also directed Jaa's prior breakout film Ong-Bak. As with Ong-Bak, the fights were choreographed by Jaa and his mentor, Panna Rittikrai...
, which he co-composed with hip-hop producer RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
.
Drossin's early music was for video games as the Music Director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
at Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
. In 1999, he began scoring films with the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
's surreal horror film, The Item. In 2002, he started working with Terence Blanchard for whom he orchestrated and arranged music for film scores and jazz albums. Howard began working with The RZA on 2004's Blade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity is a 2004 American superhero vampire action film, written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the screenplays to the first two Blade films...
, which led to their work together on film, soundtracks and commercials. In 2006, the music he wrote for Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn is an American music video, advertising, and feature film director.-Early life:Kahn was born in Jersey Village, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He is of Korean ancestry. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Livorno, Italy until his family moved to Texas...
's commercial (and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video sensation) "Hail: Return of the Sun" won a Clio
Clio Awards
The Clio Awards are annual awards bestowed to reward innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design and communication. The categories include work in nearly all types of media, and the judges are advertising professionals from around the world....
for Music & Sound.
Drossin's work with Terence Blanchard
Terence Blanchard
Terence Oliver Blanchard is an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, arranger, and film score composer. Since he emerged on the scene in 1980 with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and then shortly thereafter with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Blanchard has been a leading artist in jazz...
won a 2008 Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the category of Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album category for A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)
A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)
A Tale of God's Will is an album recorded in 2007 by the Terence Blanchard Quintet.In 2008, won a Grammy Award for "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album," and was nominated for "Best Jazz Instrument Solo" for his work on the song, "Levees."-Background:Film director Spike Lee commissioned New Orleans...
.
Drossin lives in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Movie soundtracks
- Sidewalk - (2010)
- Cadillac Records - (2008)
- Miracle at St. Anna - (2008)
- Talk To MeTalk to Me (2007 film)Talk To Me is a 2007 biographical film about Washington, D.C. radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist, and Dewey Hughes, his friend and manager...
- (2007) - Waist DeepWaist DeepWaist Deep is a 2006 drama-action film directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall, starring Tyrese Gibson and Meagan Good. It is loosely based on the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, including some similar subplots including the two main characters on the road, trying to avoid police, and committing bank...
- (2006) - Inside ManInside ManInside Man is a 2006 crime-drama film directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Willem Dafoe and Jodie Foster. The film's screenplay was written by Russell Gewirtz and produced by Brian Grazer...
- (2006) - Akeelah and the BeeAkeelah and the BeeAkeelah and the Bee is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Doug Atchison. It tells the story of Akeelah Anderson, portrayed by Keke Palmer, an 11-year-old girl who participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, her mother, portrayed by Angela Bassett, schoolmates, and also her...
- (2006) - Tom-Yum-GoongTom-Yum-GoongTom-Yum-Goong Tom-Yum-Goong Tom-Yum-Goong (Thai: ต้มยำกุ้ง, is a 2005 Thai Martial arts Action film starring Tony Jaa. The film was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, who also directed Jaa's prior breakout film Ong-Bak. As with Ong-Bak, the fights were choreographed by Jaa and his mentor, Panna Rittikrai...
- (2005) (U.S. title: The Protector, 2006) - Blade: TrinityBlade: TrinityBlade: Trinity is a 2004 American superhero vampire action film, written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the screenplays to the first two Blade films...
- (2005) - Danny the Dog (film)Unleashed (film)Unleashed , is a 2005 American-British-French martial arts action thriller film directed by Louis Leterrier and written by Luc Besson. Film stars Jet Li, Bob Hoskins, Morgan Freeman and Kerry Condon...
- (2005) - What Boys Like — (2003)
- Jane Bond — (2001)
- The Theory of the Leisure ClassThe Theory of the Leisure ClassThe Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study of Institutions is a book, first published in 1899, by the Norwegian-American economist and sociologist Thorstein Veblen while he was a professor at the University of Chicago....
— (2001) - The ItemThe ItemThe Item, formerly known as The Sumter Daily Item and The Daily Item is an independent, morning newspaper published in Sumter, South Carolina, by Osteen Publishing Company.-History:...
— (1999) - Jimmy HollywoodJimmy HollywoodJimmy Hollywood is an American comedy film written and directed by Barry Levinson and starring Joe Pesci and Christian Slater.- Plot :Jimmy Alto is a failing actor living in Los Angeles. After increasing frustration with crime in the city Jimmy, along with his 'spaced-out' best friend William ,...
- (1994)
Commercials
- Fox Sports Knights — (2004)
- Fox Sports Raiders — (2004)
- Fox Sports Cyborg — (2004)
- Hail: Return of the Sun — (2006)
Video game soundtracks
- Splatterhouse - 2010, Namco Bandai GamesNamco Bandai Gamesis an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
- Sonic and the Black KnightSonic and the Black Knightis a title within the Sonic the Hedgehog series, released exclusively on Wii as the second entry in the Sonic Storybook series, following on from Sonic and the Secret Rings. The game is directed by Tetsu Katano, who was the lead programmer of the Sonic Adventure titles and Sonic Heroes...
- 2009, SegaSega, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world... - Afro SamuraiAfro Samurai, also written AFRO SAMURAI, is a Japanese seinen dōjinshi manga series written and illustrated by manga artist Takashi Okazaki. It was originally serialized irregularly in the avant-garde dōjinshi manga magazine Nou Nou Hau from September 1999 to May 2000...
- 2009, Namco Bandai Games - Alien Front OnlineAlien Front OnlineAlien Front Online is a Dreamcast video game originally released for the console in 2001.In the game, players use armored vehicles to fight battles staged in arenas. Players could choose which side they wished to fight for, the aliens or the humans, and could also choose one of three different...
— 2001, Sega - Baldur's Gate II: Throne of BhaalBaldur's Gate II: Throne of BhaalBaldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal is the expansion pack for the computer role-playing game Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, and is the final chapter in the Baldur's Gate series. It adds a multi-level dungeon called Watcher's Keep to the game and completes the main plot...
- 2000, Black Isle StudiosBlack Isle StudiosBlack Isle Studios was a division of the computer and video game developer and publisher Interplay Entertainment. Black Isle Studios was a division that developed computer role-playing games, and also published several games from other developers. It was based in Orange County, California, USA. The... - Vigilante 8: Second OffenseVigilante 8: Second OffenseVigilante 8: 2nd Offense is a vehicular combat video game released for the PlayStation, Dreamcast and the Nintendo 64 on December 1, 1999...
— 2000, Activision Publishing, Inc.ActivisionActivision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles... - Vigilante 8Vigilante 8Vigilante 8 is a vehicular combat video game released on June 4, 1998 for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy Color. It is a spinoff of the PC game Interstate '76, and features several concepts carried over from that title.Vigilante 8 was developed with a team of only five people Vigilante...
- 1998, Activision Publishing, Inc.ActivisionActivision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles... - Dynamite CopDynamite CopDynamite Cop is a video game published by Sega and initially released in arcades on Sega Model 2 hardware. The game was then ported to the Sega Dreamcast console and released in Japan, North America and Europe...
— 1998, Sega - Die Hard ArcadeDie Hard ArcadeDie Hard Arcade is the licensed North American, European and Australian version of the Japanese videogame . The game is a beat 'em up with loose ties to the Die Hard movie series of the same name....
- 1996, Sega - Knuckles Chaotix — 1995, Sega
- The OozeThe OozeThe Ooze is a video game developed by Sega Technical Institute and released in 1995 for the Mega Drive/Genesis console. In the game, players take the role of a slimy puddle of liquid and face off against various enemies and obstacles.-Plot:...
— 1995, Sega - Comix ZoneComix ZoneComix Zone is a arcade-style action game. The game's unique feature is that it is set within the panels of a comic book. Each level consists of two pages and secrets are discovered by shredding the paper and revealing items. The unique dialogue is rendered within talk bubbles with the typical...
— 1995, Sega* - Sonic & KnucklesSonic & KnucklesSonic & Knuckles is a 1994 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed in the United States at Sega Technical Institute by members of Sonic Team, and was published by Sega worldwide on October 18, 1994.As well as working as a standalone...
— 1994, Sega - Sonic the Hedgehog 3Sonic the Hedgehog 3Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 1994 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed in the United States by members of Sonic Team working at Sega Technical Institute, and was published by Sega, debuting worldwide in the first half of 1994...
— 1994, Sega - Sonic SpinballSonic the Hedgehog SpinballSonic the Hedgehog Spinball is an adventure pinball game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was originally released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1993 and later ported to the Game Gear and Master System in 1995.The game title is a pun on pinball and Sonic's famous spin dash move...
— 1993, Sega
Sources
- http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,27240/
- http://www.rpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10053&ID=35
- Anton Sirius interviews Dan Clark, director of THE ITEM...
- Blue Note Records Earns 10 Nominations in the 50th Annual Grammy Awards
- http://www.allmovieportal.com/m/2006_The_Protector_about_the_filmmakers.html
External links
- Howard Drossin at MySpace
- Artist profile at OverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMix, also known as OC ReMix and OCR, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and paying tribute to video game music through arranging and re-interpreting the songs with new technology and software, as well as by various traditional means...