The legendary jazz artist Jimmy Scott passed away last Thursday, June 12, at the ripe age of 88. While he enjoyed a career that lasted well over half a century, I think I speak for many in my generation that my first introduction to his piercingly beautiful and expressive contralto voice by way of the David Lynch-directed 1991 series finale of ABC's Twin Peaks. Scott appeared in what would prove to be one of the cult classic's most indelible sequences, FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper's (Kyle MacLachlan) journey into the red-curtained underworld dimension (or some reasonable equivalent thereof--this is Lynch, after all) known as the Black Lodge, crooning a typically haunting Angelo Badalamenti/Lynch-penned ballad, "Sycamore Trees." Since Scott and the song didn't appear until the very end of the show's run, it was not included in television series' best-selling soundtrack album, but Lynch had the smarts and class to include the never-before-released complete studio version of the song on the soundtrack album of the 1992 feature film prequel, Fire Walk with Me--never mind the tune itself never appears in the film proper though portions of the instrumental track pop up in the score. Below, revisit the memorably surreal scene that unleashed the wonders of Scott's vocal gifts upon an unsuspecting portion of the series' (sadly dwindled, at that point) viewing audience, and then the full track as it appears on the Fire Walk with Me soundtrack album before CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution releases the comprehensive Twin Peaks The Entire Mystery Blu-ray set on July 29.
Buy the Twin Peaks--Fire Walk with Me motion picture soundtrack here.
Pre-order Twin Peaks The Entire Mystery Blu-ray set here.
