Grand Theft Auto IV

[mjzee]

From a profile in today's Wall St Journal of Sam Houser, creator of Grand Theft Auto:

The DNA of Rockstar traces to Mr. Houser, a British-born pop-culture aficionado. He remains close to his parents and to his brother Dan. Their father, Walter, is a lawyer who was part-owner of a well-known London nightclub, Ronnie Scott's, where young Sam met jazz legends. When trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie asked the boy what he wanted to be when he grew up, Mr. Houser says he replied, "a bank robber!"

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Damn good story!

MG

[funkogre]

speaking of GTA...

http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=n...il&nid=1238

Roy Haynes Hits The Video Game World, Grand Theft Auto Style

Daily News Headlines

Posted 5/21/2008

The hot new video game right now is Grand Theft Auto IV. It has sold more than 6 million copies and made $500 million in sales in its first week.

Perhaps jazz was part of the reason behind the success of the game? The new game has a special feature to enhance play: 16 in-game radio stations featuring a wide variety of musical choices--rock, electronic and classic jazz. And who better to talk up these classic tunes by the likes of John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker--than the living link between all of the greats--83-year-old jazz legend Roy Haynes?

Haynes makes a guest appearance on Grand Theft Auto IV as the DJ of JNR 108.5 - "Jazz Nation Radio,” a station that plays classic jazz ‘sides' such as Chet Baker's "Let's Get Lost” and Haynes' own "Snap Crackle.”

"I travel all over the world performing this music, connecting with the audiences,” Haynes said. "But this is an opportunity to connect with a different audience, in a different way.

"Jazz has always been about personal expression, but it's also about communication. This is an excellent opportunity to communicate this music to millions of young people, so I have been really excited about it!”

I say they just make a Roy Haynes video game in which he SLAYS all other drummers with his incredible fills... the one right before the out head on "52nd Street Theme" (The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1), would be a fatal blow! know what I'm talkin' 'bout? (half notes on the bass drum) THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

[Shawn]

I rented this game from Blockbuster and it's ALOT of fun and incredibly detailed...to the point of surrealism. It's an odd experience. The Jazz radio station is very cool, they even have little between song banter...it's a little strange though to be gunning down people on the street to a bebop beat.

[captainwrong]

I about fell out of my chair when I heard Roy Haynes on the jazz channel. The one that really gets me is Roy Ayers on Fusion. He really seems into the character of the game, even bringing his vibes in the studio and punctuating his comments with a few runs on the bars from time to time. Way cool!

(I finished the story of GTAIV a few nights ago. Good stuff!)

[CJ Shearn]

awesome! hopefully a whole new generation of ppl my age will be exposed to this stuff