One of the underrated joys of jazz is the music that has been on soundtracks for TVs and movies. Some of the hippest sounds have come from the silver screen and the small box in your living room, and Elmer Bernstein (who gave us music to The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape) wrote a ton of this snappy stuff. The Big Band De Canarias gave tribute to Bernstein’s dressing in a concert back in 2013, and this album is a recording of that satisfyingly swinging event.
You get some of the Shark Skin Suitiest stuff like the classic “The Man With The Golden Arm” and “Sweet Smell of Success” which both include film noir riffs and high hat heaven. The vintage 1955 “B” movie “Johnny Staccato” delivers five sepia mooded pieces, and vocalist Esther Ovejero coos a lusty “The Silencers.” While seemingly out of place, the themes form “Ghostbusters” and “The Age Of Innocence” actually fit in with some clever orchestration, and some nice flute soloing by Sara Anton” make “Saints and Sinners” and “Birdito” float with a bopper’s delight. This material represents a genre that has been overlooked far too long; hopefully this disc will ignite interest in a musical milieu that deserves recognition and exploration. Dig it!
Varese Sarabande Records