ReMix: Final Fantasy VI 'A Day in the Life of a Gambler'

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WARNING: Despite its alluring title, this ReMix contains absolutely no Kenny Rogers whatsoever. When Jon initially presented me with this otherwise stupendous solo piano ReMix from FF6, the title fooled me into thinking the arrangement would have at least SOME amount of Kenny Rogers in it. But no dice. Nada Rogers. Mr. Jiggin clearly knows not when to hold them, when to fold them, when to walk away, OR when to run. But somewhere in the darkness, he breaks even with another fine solo piano mix in the esteemed tradition of Silent Progression. He writes:

"I recorded this for Dwelling of Duels' free month in December 07. Stylistically, the arrangement is informed heavily by George Gershwin and Vince Guaraldi. Big thanks to Larry Oji and Anso for encouraging me to go back and re-record this, as I was originally going to settle for a take that was both sloppier and less energetic. While the arrangement itself isn't going to change the world, this piano solo is probably the best combination of performance and recording quality I've managed to date."

So, not to beat a dead horse, but I just wanna say that George Gershwin is about as Un-Kenny Rogers as you can get, and leave it at that. Fortunately these influences provided an arrangement that's definitely different from a lot of the more lyrical, flowing solo piano pieces we see, focusing more on syncopation and rhythm. This picks up at 0'38" - the intro is actually mellower and more traditional, but then things do get a little Peanuts, in a pleasing way. There are a lot of colors here: 1'36" is touching and more melodic, 2'09" turns to darker, more ominous tones, then 2'41" harkens back to the jazzier, rather upbeat vibe from earlier. It's a heck of a performance and a heck of an arrangement... this gambler is having a very interesting day, to be sure. This is our first arrangement of the Setzer theme, appropriately timed as 21 is in theaters right now and Blackjack is clearly pertinent ;) Jon's a versatile artist and multi-instrumentalist who can pepper his arrangements with guitar, trumpet, etc., and have it sound great, but it's cool to also hear these paired-down, pure arrangement/performance pieces too, as they have their own immediacy and momentum to them. Excellent mix from one of many gems off the FF6 OST, and more greatness from JJT, who - in spite of both his pseudonym and lack of proper respect for Mr. Rogers - continues to impress.

― djpretzel