Here’s a genre that needs to be revisited! Back in the 1950s a ton of “teenage movies” about rebellion, gangs, drugs, romance and juvenile delinquency came out. Ah! The good old days!! Fresh Sound Records has brought together some of the soundtracks from these matinee specials, and lo and behold, they are really GOOD. The studios in those days boasted of the crème of the LA jazz scene crop, and the arrangers were up to the task, putting together some smoking scores as themes and background for the cheesy flicks.
The first disc features music from the movies College Confidential and Synanon. The former has a hot big band conducted by Franz Waxman with compositions by Dean Elliott. The band boasts of guys like Bud Shank/as, Bob Cooper/ts, Jimmy Rowles/p, Shelly Manne/dr and Don Fagerquist/tp and has a burning “Main Title” to start things off and some exotic percussion provided by Milt Holland. Brief but hip solos by Shank and Cooper are 50s chic, with a finger snapping “Blues Train” and “Let’s Go” begging for modern retakes. Syananon is composed, arranged and conducted by no less than Neal Hefti himself, and includes a stellar group including Plas Johnson/ts, Rowles/org, Howard Roberts/g, Red Mitchell/b and Earl Palmer/d. Johnson gets lots of space for themes and a bit of improve, and Rowles’ bluesy organ adds lot of atmosphere on “Blues for Hopper.” Did you know that “The Whiffenpoof Song” came from this film? It works! Also,vintage photos of Mamie Van Doren (oh, yeah!), Stella Stevens (oh, yeah, oh yeah!) and Chuck Connors add to the atmosphere. A winner!
The second disc spotlights B movies Crime in the Streets and Dino. Crime’s band has an orchestra conducted by Franz Waxman with jazz soloists Pete Condoli/tp, Georgie Auld/ts, Ted Nnash/ts, Barney Kessel/g, Andre Previn/g and Joe Mondragon/b. The cooking opening theme “The Plot” is a hot plate served well for Kessel and alto saxist Dumont, with “The Crime” not far behind. Other pieces get quite noirish and mysterious, with solos taking you down dark street corners, particularly on “Theme, Variations and Fugato.” The film Dino starred Sal Mineo (what teen movie WASN’T he in?!?) and the orchestra lead by Gerald Fried includes the hot trumpet of Maynard Ferguson and the rich trombone of Frank Rosolino. This obscure film has some bluesy and bopping themes such as “Little Jazz” and “Death in a Warehouse” while “Defiance” begs for some LA band to take it up. Photos of actors Mineo and John Cassavetes (told you that you’d like it) put it all in perspective. Where has this stuff been hiding? Fun, fresh and tight as a leather motorcycle jacket!
Fresh Sound Records