- “Accordion Player: He's not home.
Mayor: Where is he?
Sax Player: He hasn't been home all night.
Mayor: (groans)” - ―Two of the band members discussing with the Mayor who is worried that Jack is not in his home
The Halloween Town Band is a trio of musicians from Tim Burton's 1993 stop-motion animated film, The Nightmare Before Christmas. They are three monsters serving as Halloween Town's entertainment.
Background[]
The Halloween Town Band is a trio of monsters as their names imply consisting of an all-male band. They are shown to provide music to the citizens where and each of them uses a Halloween-themed instrument individually.
Members[]
The Accordion Player is a large monster who uses an accordion made from a dead fish hence his job as an accordionist as his name implies.
The Accordion Player was voiced by Kerry Katz.The Bass Player is a large monster who uses a bass instrument with a talking head hence his job as a bassist as his name implies. Unlike all three members, he doesn't speak much unlike the other two band members.
The Sax Player is a slender monster who uses a saxophone. Hence his name, he serves as the band's saxophonist with his metal saxophone shaped like a serpent.
The Sax Player is voiced by Greg Proops.Role in the film[]
The three band members are seen during the musical number "This is Halloween" where they and the other citizens are seen celebrating Halloween with Jack Skellington transforming from a pumpkin-headed scarecrow to a skeleton where the band and the rest of the citizens cheer for Jack after the Halloween celebration. As the Mayor of Halloween Town is announcing the prizes, Jack passes by the band playing a slow tune and when he passes a coin to the band, the saxophonist thanks Jack for giving him money much to Jack feeling exhausted of celebrating Halloween over and over again. The next day when the Mayor notices that Jack is not home, he frustratedly tries to get his attention just as the band notices the Mayor feeling frustrated and worried that Jack is not home just as the Mayor wonders where Jack is at.
After Jack returns from Christmas Town to Halloween Town, the whole band is gathered to witness the town meeting during the "Town Meeting Song" sequence along with the other citizens and after Jack's presentation, they and the rest of the audience applaud for Jack's presentation. The following night, they watch Sally walking to Jack's house after escaping from Dr. Finkelstein's home. Later when Jack plans to take over Christmas, he tells the band that "Jingle Bells" is an example of a Christmas song so that they know how a Christmas song sounds like where the head on the Bass Player's instrument tells the band to start playing the same tune Jack taught them. They later take part during the "Making Christmas" musical number where the Accordion Player is seen carrying a wheelbarrow of pumpkins to help Jack prepare for his plan to take over Christmas. The Harlequin Demon is seen putting the Sax Player on a pillory where he transforms a rat carcass into a hat which Jack suggests that a bat would be better than a rat for a hat, followed by Jack telling the Melting Man to find a new present. Later, the Bass Player is seen carrying chains with skulls for Jack's sleigh alongside the Mummy Boy carrying a box of candy canes and the Little Witch carrying a present for Jack to deliver.
Soon as Jack plans to leave for the real world via sleigh, the band plays "Here Comes Santa Claus" together just as Jack departs his sleigh to the real world much to Sally's worry that his Christmas plan can cause a disaster. They later participate during the musical number "Sally's Song" together worried about Jack in the real world. They later watch Jack delivering Christmas presents to the children in the real world only for Jack to be shot down by military units due to the disaster he caused for delivering the Halloween-themed Christmas presents for the children. With Jack taken down, the band members and the rest of the citizens of Halloween Town sadly react to Jack fearing that he is destroyed just as they and the other citizens mourn of Jack who was shot down with the Mayor giving out a sad announcement. However, after Jack defeats Oogie Boogie and rescues Santa Claus to save Christmas to help him undo the mistake he did in the real world, Jack then returns to Halloween Town where the band members are seen approaching Jack happy to see him back as they find out he is alive as they celebrate Jack's return.
Disney Parks[]
Haunted Mansion Holiday[]
The three band members appear in the Disneyland version of the attraction at New Orleans Square and in the Tokyo Disneyland version of the attraction at Fantasyland respectively.
In California's version, they appear outside a window in the portrait corridor where guests are at the loading area where they board their Doom Buggies and later in the séance circle on a tarot card representing "Three Lifelines" with Madame Leota reciting the Thirteen Days of Christmas. They are depicted holding out their palms to represent the lifelines.
In the Tokyo Disneyland version, they are seen in a portrait area on the a space used for a portrait of the Arsonist which is exclusive to the Tokyo version of the attraction.
Trivia[]
- The head seen on the bassist's instrument has a striking resemblance to to composer Danny Elfman, who composed the score for The Nightmare Before Christmas.
- In the Nightmare Before Christmas trading cards set, each of the Halloween Town band members are each given an individual name which all start with a letter J respectively: Jimmy (the Accordion Player), Jim (the Bass Player), and James (the Sax Player).
Gallery[]
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