Every once in a while, something unexpected makes you stop what you’re doing and smile. That happened to me recently while listening to Orchestrator Emulator, the upcoming album from The 8-Bit Big Band. A Nintendo-inspired contemporary jazz orchestra project blends unexpected elements into something that genuinely swings.

This fifth full-length release from GRAMMY-winning composer Charlie Rosen and his 90+ piece ensemble is more than just nostalgia. Orchestrator Emulator transforms classic video game music into rich, energetic, joy-infused jazz. And it’s fun — something jazz is more than capable of, and this album leans into it with joy.

My kids grew up on the Nintendo Wii, and I was the dad playing alongside them. We played a ton of Mario Kart and Wii Sports, so hearing those melodies reimagined as full-on big band arrangements immediately hit home. Rosen’s take on the “Wii Sports Theme” channels an instantly recognizable Earth, Wind & Fire blast , while “Waluigi Pinball” turns into a jazz-funk jam featuring organist Matthew Whitaker. There’s bossa nova from Persona 5, Afro-Cuban textures from Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and even a wall of low brass that would make any headbanger proud on Undertale’s “Megalovania.” It’s hard to believe a track with a name like “Space Junk Road” could sound so insanely gorgeous, but that sweeping orchestral standout piece took my breath away.

As Rosen puts it, “These songs, once confined to background loops and limited sound chips, deserve to be reimagined, revered, and performed with the same respect given to any great work of American music.” Mission accomplished.

More than anything, this album brought me joy. And that’s reason enough to write about it.

Orchestrator Emulator drops July 18 via TeamChuck Records.

Tracks:

1. Intro to Album 5
2. Wii Sports Theme – from “Wii Sports”
3. Brinstar – from “Metroid”
4. Super Mario Bros. 3 Overworld Theme – from “Super Mario Bros 3”
5. Kass’s Theme – from “The Legend of Zelda – Breath of the Wild”
6. Waluigi Pinball (ft. Matthew Whitaker) – from “Mario Kart”
7. No More What Ifs (ft. Martina DaSilva) – from “Persona 5”
8. Super Mario World Overworld Theme – from “Super Mario World”
9. Space Junk Road – from “Super Mario Galaxy”
10. Tokyo Daylight (ft. Andy Arthur Smith) – from “Persona 5”
11. Casino Night Zone – from “Sonic The Hedgehog 2”
12. Megalovania – from “Undertale”
13. Super Mario Praise Break – themes from various Mario titles
14. Kass’s Theme (Choro Version) – from “The Legend of Zelda – Breath of the Wild”

Photos by Matthew Murphy.