Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Various Artists: Blue Movies: Scoring For The Studios

180

Various Artists: Blue Movies: Scoring For The Studios

By

Sign in to view read count
Various Artists: Blue Movies: Scoring For The Studios
Another volume in 'The Blue Series', the deceptively titled 'Blue Movies' (actually compiled from a variety of (now) Capitol owned labels such as Blue Note, Pacific Jazz, Roulette and Tower, and a quarter of the cuts originating with TV) is one of the better entries in the series. Featuring a few rarities, a couple of absolute classics and only a few duds, the thematic coherence of 'Blue Movies' may be contrived but there's plenty to like.

Drawing from the 60's and early 70's, this compilation is mainly a testament to the quality of the music being written for the screen during that era. Only two (Billy Taylor's 'I Wish I Knew How' and Grant Green and Diane Reeves' 'Down Here on the Ground') were not immediately recognizable.

The highlights include Bobby Hutcherson's masterful take on Herbie Hancock's them from 'Blow Up!' (though his take on the 'Theme From MASH' is shockingly lame), John Patton's version of Sonny Rollins' 'Alfie's Theme' (which may be a shock to those expecting the Bacharach tune) and Wilton Felder's little known (but excellent) theme from 'Bullitt'. For the collectors there's a Lee Morgan 45-version of John Barry's theme from 'Midnight Cowboy', which, like the version from the actual soundtrack, features Toots Thielemans on harmonica.

At the end of the disc, the listener is left to wonder where the Three Sounds got their version of 'Star Trek' and why Groove Holmes was ever reduced to recording the theme from 'Love Story'.

Personnel

Album information

Title: Blue Movies: Scoring For The Studios | Year Released: 1999 | Record Label: Blue Note Records

Comments

Tags

Concerts

Mar 20 Wed

For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.