An expanded version of Hugo Friedhofer's score for One Eyed Jacks – a compelling soundtrack for one of the more ill-fated westerns of the 50s! Friedhofer really moves beyond familiar stereotypes here – using offbeat orchestrations, often heavy on woodwinds and solo instrumentation, to create a nice sense of place and space – almost exotic at points, then underscored by bolder dramatic themes that build as the soundtrack unfolds. There's almost as much drama in the music as you'll find on the screen – and titles include "Seduction", "Contrition", "Toast To Friendship", "Kiss Of A Scoundrel/Pursued By Rurales", and "Finale". CD features a full bonus disc – a second CD with 27 more tracks from the original score, as well as alternates of the main themes on the first disc! CD

Over the years, we've come to realize that the best thing about the Peanuts cartoons isn't the actions of Charlie Brown and Lucy, but the wonderful music from Vince Guaraldi – perhaps the one aspect of the cartoons that's kept on giving over the years, and which we can proudly carry into adulthood! Vince's music is sublime – often simple, but groovy – a mix of rhythmic vamps and more lyrical passages that perfectly underscore the melancholy that graced the characters of Charles Schultz, and which perhaps defines them even better than the clunky stories or voiceovers on the screen. This set features all the best numbers from the glory days of those cartoons – mostly holiday numbers, but some other gems too – titles that include "Skating", "Little Birdie", "Baseball Theme", "Linus & Lucy", "Happiness Is", "Oh Good Grief", "Christmas Is Coming", "Great Pumpkin Waltz", "Thanksgiving Theme", and both vocal and instrumental versions of "Christmas Time Is Here". (Jazz, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

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Great later work from vocalist Alberta Hunter – a really well-recorded 70s session that was also done as a soundtrack – but which stands beautifully on its own! Backings here are by a great small combo, led by tenorist Budd Johnson and pianist Gerald Cook – with some nicely bluesy touches from Wally Richardson on guitar, plus trad horn lines from Vic Dickenson on trombone and Doc Cheatham on trumpet. Hunter's vocals are great – raspy enough to underscore her age and experience, yet wonderfully fluid as well – hardly dimmed at all by her advanced years. Titles include "I've Got A Mind To Ramble", "Workin Man", "You Reap Just What You Sow", "The Love I Have For You", "Chirpin The Blues", and "Some Sweet Day". (Blues, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

Very gripping music for this early 70s Italian TV thriller – scored with a wonderfully offbeat style by Mario Migliardi! Some tracks are sweet and breezy, while others are extremely dark – some of the darkest we've heard in Italian film score work of the time! These cuts have some very unique orchestrations – and often echo a 20th century classical mode at points, sometimes with a bit of electronics – but in ways that are quite different from the atonal 70s sounds of Morricone – much more dramatic, and filled with sharp notes and fast changes – instrumentation that bursts out with an almost improvisational quality at points. The mellower tracks stand out even more strongly than usual amidst this avant instrumentation – but they only underscore the overall darkness of the soundtrack by their presence. Edda Dell'Orso and I Cantori Moderni do a bit of singing on the record – but most cuts are instrumental, and the reissue features a total of 24 tracks in all. CD

Sweetness and darkness – perfectly blended together in this classic mid 70s soundtrack by Ennio Morricone! The main theme of the film – "Bambole" – is one of those Mondo Morricone type numbers that floats along on a gossamy sheen – vocals gliding softly over light woodwinds, stepping rhythms, and a bit of electric harpsichord – all used gently, but beautifully to create a wonderfully groovy little tune. But other numbers on the album are much more tense – strings drawn tighter, and sometimes into more atonal passages – and offset by descending woodwind passages that further underscore the melancholy of the film! Additional instrumentation includes some abstracted and slightly fuzzy guitar – and the whole album beautifully blends the sweet and dark tracks together with a great sense of pacing. Titles include "Bambole", in a number of variations – plus variations on "Spasmo" and "Stress Infinito". LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of exotic themes in this lesser-known Italian western score from the 60s – bits of flute, bits of whistling, and even some vocals from I Cantori Moderni! Mellower moments are nicely juxtaposed with more dramatic ones – underscoring the mix of romance and drama that follows the story of the film. I Cantori appear on more of the former – singing somewhat quietly and sweetly, with a very warm finish – in ways that are a bit different than their other work of the time, and almost sentimental at points. Alessandro Alessandroni handles the whistles and guitar in the work – and Bruno Nicolai handles the larger orchestrations. Titles include "Tema Dolores", "Mulini A Vento", "Viaggio", "Espanto En El Corazon", "Duello", and "Fuga Dall'Ovest". LP, Vinyl record album

A classical-oriented soundtrack from Arthur B Rubinstein – penned for an early 80s film that stars Richard Dreyfus and John Cassavetes! The music draws heavily on the baroque tradition – with lots of strings and woodwinds that come across with very colorful flourishes – but there's also some modern elements as well, a bit more space and tension that best underscore the bittersweet story of the film. Many tracks are relatively short – remixed here by Film Score from the original tapes, and put together with a beautiful booklet of notes and images from the movie. Titles include "Art Thief", "Find A Judge", "Intensive Care", "The Diagnosis", "The Parting", "Montage", "Candid Camera", and "Nice Breasts". CD

A groovy little soundtrack – played by The Sandals, the same group who worked on the film The Endless Summer – director Bruce Brown's strange documentary about surfers around the world. This time around, the theme is skiers – and The Sandals more than rise to meet the challenge – crafting some tight and groovy 60s instrumentals, with lots of guitar riffing over crackling bass and drum parts. Check out the tracks "Soul Something" and "Porsche" for some real grooviness – and keep on grooving through "Ski Bum", "Yellow Dove", "Return From The Casino", and "Water & Stone". LP, Vinyl record album

A spooky little soundtrack, with some slight erotic moments as well – all scored for a schlocky Italian film starring an ex-patriot Farley Granger! The story centers around an investigation of an earlier rape and murder – and the music does a good deal to underscore the mix of sexual tension and drama in the film – often using spare stepping basslines that move very slowly on the bottom of the tunes, while eerie keyboards, guitar, and weirder effects drift lightly over the top. A few numbers have a slightly warmer feel, in keeping with more erotic moments in early 70s Italian cinema – and there's also a bit of wordless vocals that float through some of the tunes, often with a theremin-like quality. LP features 15 tracks from the film! LP, Vinyl record album

A spooky little soundtrack, with some slight erotic moments as well – all scored for a schlocky Italian film starring an ex-patriot Farley Granger! The story centers around an investigation of an earlier rape and murder – and the music does a good deal to underscore the mix of sexual tension and drama in the film – often using spare stepping basslines that move very slowly on the bottom of the tunes, while eerie keyboards, guitar, and weirder effects drift lightly over the top. A few numbers have a slightly warmer feel, in keeping with more erotic moments in early 70s Italian cinema – and there's also a bit of wordless vocals that float through some of the tunes, often with a theremin-like quality. LP features 15 tracks from the film! LP, Vinyl record album