A pair of cool British TV soundtracks – both of which feature an action jazz style to rival the best early work of Henry Mancini for the television screen! First up is lost spy soundtrack work from the British composer Edwin Astley – best known for his work on The Saint and Danger Man, but also sounding pretty darn great on the earlier program International Detective! The feel here is similar to some of Astley's better-known work – a more dramatic take on the crime jazz used on American TV in the late 50s – one that retains much of the instrumental elements of the sound, especially the well-placed use of saxes – but which also uses larger orchestrations to flesh out the music nicely, creating a stronger, more cinematic feel. The set features a total of 21 tracks from this short-lived show – and titles include "International Detective", "Murder Strip", "Theme For Larceny", "Night Patrol", "The Badge", "Manhunt", "Shock Tactics", "Murder Chase", and "Concerto In Law". Next is Man From Interpol – one of the best spy soundtracks we've ever heard – and one of the only scores we've ever seen from Brit jazz drummer Tony Crombie! The work was done a few years before Barry's famous Bond scores – but it's got a very similar feel, with lots of driving themes that make the best use of brazen horns, fast jazz, and beat-styled rhythms that crackle throughout the set. Most titles are pretty short, but really great – and nearly all of them feature some extremely strong jazz musicianship, in the manner of that used on the best American soundtracks by Mancini at the time! Titles include "Panic Station", "Interpol Cha Cha Cha", "Interpol Chase", "Samba De Janeiro", and "Blues Macabre". (Soundtracks, Stocking Stuffers) CD

A collection of essays on a great range of musical topics from Chuck Eddy – a writer whose work you might know from Creem or The Village Voice – and who covered a surprising amount of music in his decades in publication! The book brings together columns from a four decade stretch that begins in the late 70s – as Eddy pens tight, short pieces on subjects that include the Beastie Boys, Aerosmith, TLC, Public Enemy, country Music, The Urinals, Kanye West, Mayer Hawthorne, Pet Shop Boys, John Hiatt, Motorhead, The Cure, Voivod, and many others – plus side trips on various formats, styles, and subcultures too. 326 pages, softcover, and with dozens of entries! (Books, Stocking Stuffers) Book