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A beautiful little soundtrack for this late John Wayne western – scored by Elmer Bernstein in a wonderfully expressive way – with a quality that goes way past the usual entries in the genre! There's almost a slight undercurrent of sentimentality to the music – not in a cloying way, but with a quality that seems to reference the entire history of the western with sensitive ears – in a way that the film almost seems to do with its story, as well – carrying things forward without too much drama, but this subtle depth that really makes the music special! The recording quality is excellent, and Bernstein's scoring shows some instrumental modernity he wouldn't have had a few years before – complex use of subtle elements that really comes through in the production. Titles include "Born To Hang", "Necktie Party", "Smoke", "New Money", "Surrounded", "Thickening Plot", "Billy Joe", "Train", and "Venture".

Elmer Bernstein at his greatest – working here with the best mix of drama and energy he could bring to a film score during this golden age – a perfect blend of older orchestrations and a new sort of emotion that was perfect for the 60s! The score follows strongly off some of Bernstein's best from the late 50s – and has that amazingly evocative way of setting a new scene with each new tune – an almost-visual way of putting things forward that works quite strongly, even away from the film! Titles include "Speak Of The Devil", "Forbidden Room", "New Star", "The Producer Asks For A Divorce", and "The Carpetbagger Blues".

Elmer Bernstein at his greatest – working here with the best mix of drama and energy he could bring to a film score during this golden age – a perfect blend of older orchestrations and a new sort of emotion that was perfect for the 60s! The score follows strongly off some of Bernstein's best from the late 50s – and has that amazingly evocative way of setting a new scene with each new tune – an almost-visual way of putting things forward that works quite strongly, even away from the film! This great CD edition features a whopping 31 tracks in all – 21 numbers from the film, plus 10 more from the 1964 album, which offers a re-recording of the score. Titles include "Speak Of The Devil", "Forbidden Room", "New Star", "The Producer Asks For A Divorce", and "The Carpetbagger Blues".

Elmer Bernstein serves up some of his most famous soundtrack themes – but in a style that's even more jazz-based than the original! The group here is a large one, filled with great west coast players – and Bernstein's tunes sparkle even more in this rich setting than they did in their initial use on film – partly because the presentation allows some musicians the chance to really open up and solo! The lineup features Bud Shank and Bob Cooper on saxes, Pete Candoli and Don Fagerquist on trumpets, Milt Bernhart and Dick Nash on trombones, Bob Bain on guitar, Russ Freeman on piano, Shelly Manne on drums, and Francisco Aquabella on percussion – and titles include "Rat Race", "Three Time Blueser", "Hop Skip But Jump", "Jubilation", "Man With The Golden Arm", "Saints & Sinners", and "Sweet Smell Of Success".

Two bold soundtracks from Elmer Bernstein – back to back on a single CD! First up is The Shootist – a late John Wayne western, but scored with a very classic feel – that driving, dramatic, very Americanist mode that Bernstein brought to his best action scores for the west in the 60s – where each new tune feels like a rich, fresh theme – even though there's a great sense of variety in the record! As with the best Bernstein, the orchestrations are always lean and focused – never too overblown, and able to pack just the right punch for the specific mood of the moment. Titles include "Shootout", "Farewells", "Ride", "Attack", "Pain/Promise", and "Sweeney". Next is The Sons Of Katie Elder – a great 60s western with Dean Martin in the lead next to Wayne – given a soundtrack by Bernstein that showcases some of the lighter elements that Martin brings to his performance – not comedic, but a nice balance to the usual John Wayne modes. The title track is served up in a vocal version by Johnny Cash, and John Wayne narrates "Texas Is A Woman" – alongside other tracks that include "The Elders Fight", "Trouble In Town", "Return To Town", "Memories Of Clearwater", and "Hastings Ranch".

A jazz soundtrack double-header – one that features both the small combo and larger band version of the soundtrack to The Sweet Smell Of Success! The first half of the CD features the Chico Hamilton Quintet's album of music – a wonderful bit of cinematic jazz from the 50s. The combo was a key part of the LA scene at the time, but are oddly featured as a regular club act in the movie's New York setting – but we'll gladly forgive that geographic error, given that the music on the set is so great. The quality's a bit like some of the Hamilton Quintet work on World Pacific – but there's a slightly freer, more urgent feel here too – work that's sometimes somewhat driving, and beautifully blended from the guitar of John Pisano, clarinet of Paul Horn, cello of Fred Katz, piano of Carson Smith, and drums from Chico. Side one features a lot of short incidental cuts – like "Susan", "Cheek To Chico", "Jam", and "Night Beat" – and side 2 is an extended "Concerto Of Jazz Themes From The Soundtrack Of Sweet Smell Of Success". The second half of the CD features the full orchestral version of the Sweet Smell Of Success soundtrack – but done in a style that's almost as jazzy and swinging as the small combo one! Elmer Bernstein's at the helm here – and the music's a wonderful pastiche of modes that's right up there with his sublime score for The Man With The Golden Arm – done in a similar blend of driving jazz, somber moments, and some slightly more raucous touches! As with that album, the players are all great – and soloists on the album include Pete Candoli, Ted Nash, and Shelly Manne – west coast players despite the New York setting of the film, and playing here with a fair bit of grit in their groove. Titles include "The Street", "Hot Dogs & Juice", "Toots Shor's Blues", "Nite Spot Rock", "Love Scene", and "Out Of Darkness".

A strange little record – one that features a few tracks by Lawrence from Lord Of The Flies, The Great Chase, and David & Lisa – mixed with others from films that include To Kill A Mockingbird, Rat Race, Mutiny On The Bounty, and other films. Most of the material is pretty orchestral – and titles include "Lord Of The Flies", "Way Down East", and "Theme From David & Lisa" by Elliot Lawrence; "Rat Race", "A Girl Named Tamiko", "Two Weeks In Another Town", and "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Bernstein; "Cleopatra's Barge" by John Neel; and "Love Theme From Period Of Adjustment", "Our Language Of Love", and "Love Song From Mutiny On the Bounty" by Harry Betts.

1976 recording of the score – done in London with the Royal Philharmonic!

Nicer work than usual for Elmer – at least for this period – a sweet 70s score that mixes some groovy vocal numbers, upbeat action themes, and more standard orchestral tunes. There's a sense of space to the work that's quite nice – almost as if Bernstein had been taking tips from some of the Italians of the time – and overall, the album's got more than a few really nice and interesting tracks! Vocal tunes include "Where Have You been All My Life" by Trevor Chance, "Gold" by Jimmy Helms, and "Wherever Love Takes Me" by Maureen McGovern – and instrumental tunes include "Diggin", "Flight", "Flood", "Sunday At The Mine", and "The Lovers".

Elmer Bernstein serves up some of his most famous soundtrack themes – but in a style that's even more jazz-based than the original! The group here is a large one, filled with great west coast players – and Bernstein's tunes sparkle even more in this rich setting than they did in their initial use on film – partly because the presentation allows some musicians the chance to really open up and solo! The lineup features Bud Shank and Bob Cooper on saxes, Pete Candoli and Don Fagerquist on trumpets, Milt Bernhart and Dick Nash on trombones, Bob Bain on guitar, Russ Freeman on piano, Shelly Manne on drums, and Francisco Aquabella on percussion – and titles include "Rat Race", "Three Time Blueser", "Hop Skip But Jump", "Jubilation", "Man With The Golden Arm", "Saints & Sinners", and "Sweet Smell Of Success".

Elmer Bernstein at his jazzy best – turning out the kind of dramatic yet swinging score he did so well in the 50s! This soundtrack is different than the more common version of Rat Race on record – which featured music by Sam Butera – as it includes great orchestrations by Bernstein, yet done in ways that really isolate key instruments, and give lots of the best players some key solo moments, with plenty of jazz inflections! The music is released on record here for the first time ever, with some great bonus tracks too – and titles include "Betrayed", "Peggy Is Cynical", "Wet Reception", "Popsicles", "Strip", "The Letter", "Fur Cat", and "Milwaukee".

A pair of obscure soundtracks, both with a western theme – fitting together surprisingly well on a single CD! Hud is one of Paul Newman's finest early moments on screen – scored beautifully here by Elmer Bernstein, who shows a surprisingly deft ear for guitar lines – spun out in ways that are almost more folksy than the usual soundtrack of this type, and a real change from some of the jazzier, more dramatic Bernstein work of the late 50s. The CD features both film tracks that are mostly guitar, and alternates for a chamber orchestra – plus a few bonus tracks by other artists too. Titles include "Flower Bed", "Quarantine Sign", "Lonely Corrals", "Bonaparte's Retreat", and "Prelude". Next is Nathan Van Cleve's score for The Lonely Man – an obscure Anthony Perkins western, with a sweet title track sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford! The instrumental numbers carry the spirit of the theme nicely – a warm, slightly romanticized Hollywood version of the west – often using acoustic guitar and harmonica alongside more conventional orchestrations. Titles include "Losing The Stallion", "The Trek", "The Prodigal Father", "The Deserted Bonanza", and "Death At The Bonanza".

A great one from Franz Waxman – a score penned for a lesser-known movie, but done with all the vibrant colors we've always loved in his work! There's a definite jazz current to the music, but there's also some sentimentality mixed in as well – the same sort of balance that you'd find in an Elmer Bernstein score of the time – with a very evocative, very seductive mix of modes that lives extremely well away from the images on the screen! Titles include "Detroit Theater", "Two Up On Me", "Sharon/Sharon Proposes", "The Surprise", "Man & Wife", and "Korea War" – and the CD also features some rare bonus tracks, including the great Sammy Cahn number "Love Is A Career".

A Shirley Booth double-header – two obscure films that star the mostly-TV actress, both with mighty nice soundtracks! First up is Hot Spell, a great soundtrack from Alex North – done with all the subtle drama and spare intensity he brought to his more famous work at the time – surprisingly wonderful music that's as vivid sonically as the performances from Booth and Shirley MacLaine in the film! There's almost an Elmer Bernstein sensibility to the music at times – a "hot" heat that you can really feel, especially on some of the more urban jazzy passages. Titles include "The Lonely Woman", "We Never Close", "News About Jack", "Jack Leaves", "The Truth Hurts", and "Memories Fade". The Matchmaker is a bit more whimsical overall – scored by Adolph Deutsch in the manner of some of his famous comedy soundtracks of the early 60s – with lots of nice twists and turns in the melodies, and playful instrumentation within the larger orchestra that really helps the more humorous screen moments stand out. Titles include "Something Rotten In Yonkers", "The Matchmaker Polka", "Flirtation", "Bad Weather/Run For Cover", and "Discord In Harmonia Gardens".