A really great record – and one that's hardly what you'd guess from the title! Sure, the Cleopatra movie was a giant hit in the 60s – but it also gave the chance for some jazzmen to explore more exotic territory – as was also the case with material from Spartacus and Lawrence Of Arabia! Tenorist Paul Gonsalves plays a nice batch of soul jazz takes on Cleopatra – and he brings his gutsy solo style into play with a set of groovy arrangements of "Egyptian" tunes, both from the score of the film and from the pen of players on the session. And speaking of players, Dick Hyman's on organ, and he gives the album a nice nice groovy sound that works very well with Gonsalves' sharp-edged tenor. Titles include "Caesar & Cleopatra Theme", "Bluz For Liz", "Cleo's Asp", "Cleopatra's Lament", and "Action In Alexandria". LP, Vinyl record album

Piano and violin come together beautifully here – the former by Barbara Higbie, the latter by Darrol Anger – who also plays mandolin and cello as well! There's an acoustic balance here that's more jazz than some of the other Windham Hill albums of the time – especially in the music's sense of rhythm and phrasing – and the rich acoustic tones of both players get wonderfully past some of the new age cliches that are too-often wrongly associated with the label – and remind us that at their best, records like these offer up a key flowering of the acoustic underground of the 70s. Mike Marshall plays guest mandolin on one title – and tracks include "Movie", "Tideline", "Above The Fog", "True Story", "Onyame", and "Gemini". (Folk/Country, Jazz) CD

A great collection of Italian soundtrack performances by the legendary Chet Baker – who used his horn in a way that was similar to the Miles Davis performances for the French new wave scene of the late 50s! All tracks here were written and directed by Piero Umiliano, who also plays piano – and the set features the tracks "I Solti Ignoti", "Tema D'Amore", "Alone In A Crowd", and "Relaxin With Chet" from Big Deal On Madonna Street – plus "Twlight At Los Angeles", "Thinkin Blues", and "Smog" from Smog. (Soundtracks, Jazz) CD

Basie plays well-known hits from movies and the stage – titles include "Hello Young Lovers", "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "Laura", "A Fine Romance", "Days Of Wine And Roses", "The Trolley Song", and "The Shadow Of Your Smile". CD includes three bonus tracks, one of which features Tony Bennett on vocals. CD

Way more than just a James Bond cash-in record – and instead an ultra-hip jazz session from the west coast scene of the 60s! The James Bond at the helm of the record is actually Jimmy Bond – the great bassist who worked on some key sessions of the late 50s and early 60s as a sideman, and who turns out to be a surprisingly great leader on this rare mid 60s date! The record is more jazz than anything else – played with a crime/spy bent, to be sure – but also flowing with really great solos and a fair bit of a bossa influence in the rhythms! The group here is more than hip enough to make the record work – with Harold Land on tenor sax, Bobby Bryant on trumpet, and Buddy Colette on flute and tenor – all working in a sextet led by Bond, with plenty of round, warm, almost modal lines on his bass – punctuated nicely by piano from Joe Parnello and drums by Joh Guarin. Arrangements are by Dick Groove – who keeps things very groovy – and many of the tracks here are actually original numbers written by Bond and Warren Baker, titled after Ian Fleming books that had not yet been made into movies at the time of this album! Titles include "Casino Royale", "Moonraker", "For Your Eyes Only", "007 Theme From Dr No", "Man With The Golden Gun", "Diamonds Are Forever", and "Live & Let Die". CD

A compelling exploration into the use of the music of Miles Davis in film – one that begins with a famous French soundtrack from the new wave generation, then moves onto vintage Miles tunes that were used in other movies over the years! The core of the record features Davis' score to the 1957 film Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud – one of our favorite-ever Miles Davis albums – and a stunning soundtrack that began a rich legacy of jazz scores in France! Miles recorded this material during late-night post-gig sessions with a great group that includes French players Barney Wilen, Rene Urtreger, and Pierre Michelot, plus American ex-patriot Kenny Clarke. Wilen's playing is fantastic, and it's great to hear him and Miles together on the score's spooky meandering passages. Alongside that body of work, the CD also features Davis songs that were used in a variety of films from the 70s onward – tracks that weren't written for the films, but which had strong use in movies that include Lenny, Kerouac, Tacones Lejanos, Ginger & Rosa, Talented Mr Ripley, and La Flor De Mi Secreto. These titles include "Saeta", "Blue Haze", "Tempus Fugit", "Well You Needn't", "It Never Entered My Mind", "Nature Boy", "Solea", and "Blue In Green". Also features a selection each by Lenny Bruce and Jack Kerouac! CD

Excellent album recorded by vibist Walt Dickerson during the mid 60's. Ostensibly a "soundtrack session", Dickerson freely improvises on themes from the movie A Patch Of Blue, and turns the score into a great platform for moody jazz playing on vibes and piano. Even more surprising is the fact that Sun Ra is the pianist in the quartet, making a rare non-Arkestra appearance – and on a major label, too! Titles include "Bacon & Eggs", "Alone In The Park", "Selina's Fantasy", and "Thataway". CD

Silent film score by trumpeter Dave Douglas – with Jamie Saft on wurlitzer, Marcus Strickland on saxophones, Brad Jones on bass, Gene Lake on drums, and DJ Olive on turntables. Tracks include "Just Another Murder", "Fatty's Day Off", "Famous Players", and "Barnyard Flirtations" – plus a DVD featuring the original 1916 Fatty Arbuckle movie "Fatty & Mabel Adrift" with score by Douglas. CD

A gem of a record from the late 60s British scene – one based around the sound poems of writer and poet Terry Durham! The record features Duram speaking and singing his own lyrics – supported by musical backings arranged by John Coleman, shaded in by some wonderful work by players that include Alan Parker on guitar, Evan Parker on saxes, and Chris Karan (from the Dudley Moore and Roy Budd trios) on some especially nice drums! Despite the poetic approach of the session, Durham's rough vocals give it a real sense of humanity – with none of the high-art pretension you might expect, and a real "everyman" sort of feel that comes from the overall delivery of the tunes. There's a nice link here between the other British jazz and rock experiments of the time – and in a way, Durham's a lost link in a lineage of hipper British artists that include Nick Drake and Scott Walker. A few tracks even get a bit funky, and titles include "The Fortunate Isles", "Sleep Train", "White Room Dreaming", "Branwells Corner", "Crystal Telephone", "Moving Through My Life", and "Stills From A Late Nite Movie". CD

A beautiful jazzy score by Duke Ellington – and a fitting companion to this classic Otto Preminger film! The record captures Ellington at a perfect moment – right during his Indigos period of increased sophistication, when his band was at an all-time level of perfection – and really shaking free of the too-familiar modes of the past. Ellington's music has a wonderful range of feeling here – even more so than usual, given the shifting scenes of the film – and the players are an all star lineup that includes Clark Terry on trumpet, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Johnny Hodges on alto, and Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet. Titles include "Upper & Outest", "Almost Cried", "Sunswept Sunday", "Happy Anatomy", "Flirtibird", and "Low Key Lightly". Plus, the CD features a huuuuge amount of bonus tracks – including other tunes from the movie, outtakes, and even the original single version of the theme! 26 cuts in all! CD

A beautiful jazzy score by Duke Ellington – and a fitting companion to this classic Otto Preminger film! The record captures Ellington at a perfect moment – right during his Indigos period of increased sophistication, when his band was at an all-time level of perfection – and really shaking free of the too-familiar modes of the past. Ellington's music has a wonderful range of feeling here – even more so than usual, given the shifting scenes of the film – and the players are an all star lineup that includes Clark Terry on trumpet, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Johnny Hodges on alto, and Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet. Titles include "Upper & Outest", "Almost Cried", "Sunswept Sunday", "Happy Anatomy", "Flirtibird", and "Low Key Lightly". Plus, the CD features a huuuuge amount of bonus tracks – including other tunes from the movie, outtakes, and even the original single version of the theme! 26 cuts in all! CD

A great little set – way more than you might think from the cover! Ostensibly, this one's a cash-in album for the mid 70s Star Wars soundtrack craze – but since it's handled by trumpet genius Don Ellis, it's got a surprisingly funky feel – with many tracks that recall his own great soundtrack work of the time, especially the nice electric current in his grooves. In fact, the album only has two tracks from the Star Wars soundtrack – despite the fact that the logo for the movie is displayed largely on the cover – and all other tracks are originals by Ellis, handled with a sweet mix of electric funk and funky jazz soloing! Lots of nice keyboards, and titles include "Star Wars", "Orion's Sword", "Eros", "Lyra", "Ursa", "Vulcan", "Crypton" and "Arcturas". CD

Erroll Garner on piano, Ike Isaacs on bass, Jimmie Smith on drums, and Jose Mangual on percussion. CD

Forget the title – which sounds like a bit of a gimmick – as this is a fine fine Eddie Harris album! After the success that Vee Jay had with Eddie Harris' huge hit version of "Exodus", they cut this album of Eddie playing movie themes – like "Green Dolphin Street", "Laura", "Moonglow", and "Secret Love", plus a few standards like "These Foolish Things", and "The More I See You". Dick Marx handled the arrangements – and the overall sound is slicker than Eddie's "Exodus", as his solos are laid out over larger string arrangements by Dick Marx, but it's not without some charms – especially because Eddie's tone at this point is amazing, filled with little tricks and turns that make just about anything he plays sound great! LP, Vinyl record album

It's the late 60s, and Eddie's creating his famous electrified Varitone sound – unique among other soul jazz players in that it actually added a lot to Eddie's work, instead of detracted from it (as with some other boppers who briefly picked up the instrument.) The Varitone's cool flat tone works extremely well with the original tracks on Electrifying Eddie Harris – like the long version of "Listen Here", the groovy "Sham Time", the Latiny "Spanish Bull", or the incredible "Theme In Search Of A Movie", written by the great Chicago soul genius Charles Stepney. The album Plug Me In features Harris along with some fantastic arrangements by Stepney. Stepney's work on the album is amazing, and he contributes incredible touches like prepared piano and funky strings, both of which make the album one of the best that Harris ever did! Titles on the session include "Live Right Now", "It's Crazy", "Winter Meeting", and "Theme In Search Of A TV Commercial". CD

The title tells the whole tale of the album – as pianist Jackson plays jazzy versions of themes from films that include "Never On A Sunday", "A Summer Place", "From Here To Eternity", "The High & The Mighty", "Exodus", "Return To Peyton Place", and "High Noon". A number of tracks are piano solos, and others feature backings by bassist Al McKibbon and drummer Frank Capp. LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one by Quincy! Although the material here isn't funky like his 70's work, it does show Quincy as a strong composer of serious thriller-type material – working in a style that produces a nice amount of tension and mood, and which still has some nice touches of jazz. The group is filled with strong jazz players like Freddie Hubbard, Anthony Ortega, Oliver Nelson, Elvin Jones, and others – and the album features a vocal version of the theme by Marc Allen, plus a crazy spoken bit from the movie, by Rod Steiger! Other titles include "Harlem Drive", "Naked Truth", "Rack 'Em Up", and "Death Scene". (Soundtracks, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty nice jazz tribute to the Billy Wilder film of the same name – and one that reprises a number of tunes from the film, especially popular songs of the 20s – but brings them back in a way that's still got plenty of hip 50s jazz touches! The record's nicely without the hoke that came with a lot of the music in the movie – thanks to a lineup that includes Art Pepper (on tenor, alto, and clarinet!), Joe Gordon, Jimmy Rowles, and Jack Marshall – playing a bit of rhythm guitar in addition to Barney Kessel's main solo one! And if there ever was a record to illustrate the old jazz adage "it ain't the song, it's the singer", this record may be it – because Barney and crew really work some magic with old chestnuts like "I Wanna Be Loved By You", "Sugar Blues", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Runnin Wild", "By The Beautiful Sea", and "I'm Through With Love". CD features 2 bonus tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure album from Sylvia Syms – issued on the short-lived Movietone label at ABC, with backing by the combo of pianist Bernie Leighton! Players aren't named, but there's a strong trumpet and tenor component to the album – with deeper soul that makes Sylvia sound hipper than usual. (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz set – based around Jack Webb's character in the movie of the same name – and one that features a group of players that include George Van Eps on guitar, Matty Matlock on clarinet, Eddie Miller on tenor, and Nick Fatool on drums. The tunes are all named after a different shade of either blue or red – and have a dreamy, late nite take on trad jazz that's surprisingly nice. Titles include "Lobster", "Fire Engine", "Peacock", "Turquoise", "Periwinkle", "Midnight", and "Flame". LP, Vinyl record album