Personnel:
Franz Waxman, Gerald Fried (arr, dir), Pete Candoli, Maynard Ferguson (tp), Frank Rosolino, Joe Howard (tb), Mitchell Lurie (cl), Jack Dumont (as), Georgie Auld, Ted Nash (ts), Charles Gentry (bs), Ray Turner, André Previn (p), Barney Kessel (g), Joe Mondragon (b), Bernie Mattinson (vib), Dorothy Remsen (harp)
Reference: JM 1001
Bar code: 8427328470018
Two Original Soundtrack Recordings
JAZZ IN THE MOVIES presents the most celebrated scores by the composers that introduced jazz to motion pictures and television soundtracks. In addition to providing a superbly appropriate setting for dramatic scenes, all the jazz background themes were interpreted by many of the best Hollywood and New York jazz studio musicians.
"Heres a genre that needs to be revisited! Back in the 1950s a ton of teenage movies about rebellion, gangs, drugs, romance and juvenile delinquency came out. Ah! The good old days!! Fresh Sound Records has brought together some of the soundtracks from these matinee specials, and lo and behold, they are really GOOD. The studios in those days boasted of the crème of the LA jazz scene crop, and the arrangers were up to the task, putting together some smoking scores as themes and background for the cheesy flicks.
The first reference spotlights B movies Crime in the Streets and Dino. Crimes band has an orchestra conducted by Franz Waxman with jazz soloists Pete Condoli/tp, Georgie Auld/ts, Ted Nash/ts, Barney Kessel/g, Andre Previn/g and Joe Mondragon/b. The cooking opening theme The Plot is a hot plate served well for Kessel and alto saxist Dumont, with The Crime not far behind. Other pieces get quite noirish and mysterious, with solos taking you down dark street corners, particularly on Theme, Variations and Fugato. The film Dino starred Sal Mineo (what teen movie WASNT he in?!?) and the orchestra lead by Gerald Fried includes the hot trumpet of Maynard Ferguson and the rich trombone of Frank Rosolino. This obscure film has some bluesy and bopping themes such as Little Jazz and Death in a Warehouse while Defiance begs for some LA band to take it up. Photos of actors Mineo and John Cassavetes (told you that youd like it) put it all in perspective. Where has this stuff been hiding? Fun, fresh and tight as a leather motorcycle jacket!"
—George Harris (February 17, 2014)
www.jazzweekly.com
