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Donald Rubinstein: Martin
ByRubinstein, who later performed and recorded with Bill Frisell, Ra-Kalam Bob Moses and other jazz artists, was then a 24 year-old self-described "music fanatic," in Boston studying piano and counterpoint with Madame Margaret Chaloff and Richard St. Clair. His brother Richard, a film producer, recommended him to director George Romero and the rest, as they say, is history. Rubinstein wrote and recorded the music almost simultaneously, pulling in his friends from Boston's always-fertile jazz scene. The result is closer, at times, to late 20th Century chamber music, though reed, flute and vibraphone improvisations by Hankus Netsky, Ehrlich, Gorn, and Paul Johnson figure prominently throughout. Rubinstein's own piano work has an off-the-cuff flavor to it, and his heavily-phased Fender piano conjures the spirit of contemporary jazz-rock stylings. Though divided into a plethora of cues, the music flows continuously throughout making it hard for the listener to determine which track is which. Disparate elementsjazz improvisation, operatic vocals, a string quartet, creepy soundscapes, and the sober main themeappear and disappear quickly, demanding attentive listening.
Rubinstein's work proved to be first-rate, and Martin is universally recognized by horror film fans as one of the finest soundtracks in the genre. Rubinstein later collaborated with Romero on several film scores, including Knightriders, Bruiser and Romero's well-regarded television series Tales from the Darkside. His work on Martin stands as much more than an interesting footnote in the rather hermetic world of horror movie fandom. This is music that, unlike many movie soundtracks, rewards repeated listens.
Track Listing
The Calling (Main Title); Train Attack; Phased; Tat Cuda's House; Martin At The Butcher Shop; Antique Chase With Villagers; Garlic Chase #6; Martin Goes To The City; Christina Leaves; Halloween; Modern Vamp; Chant; The Calling (Reprise); Braddock / Chase; Back To Me; Crawling Sequence; Martin Martin Martin; Marie--Interlude; Evocation; Fly By Night; Exorcism / Classical Funk; Stake, Well Done!
Personnel
Donald Rubinstein: piano (solos), electric piano, voice, conductor; Hankus Netsky: oboe, conductor; Dan Kellar: violin; Hank Roberts: cello; Lisa Korns: flute; Steve Gorn: flute; Marty Ehrlich: saxophones, clarinets; Mark Zamcheck: piano (Main Theme); Richard Eisenstein: piano; Paul Johnson: percussion, vibraphone; Richard Gertz: bass; J. Michael Kelly: guitars; Mike Phelam: percussion; Mike Avery: percussion; John Kass: violin; George Olson: viola; Betty Silberman (Main Theme), Michael Gornick, Ellen Demos, Sandy Lipsman: voices.
Album information
Title: Martin | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Ship To Shore Phono Co.