Jazz Articles

Piero Umiliani: To-Day's Sound

by Douglas Payne
July 1, 1998

Piero Umiliani scored over 60 films in his native Italy between 1958 and 1981. And it's no secret that Italian films, even as derivative and as unfamiliar as they are to most Americans, are a treasure trove of excellent artistry. The recent “now-sound" craze is finally affording Italian film composers like Umiliani their due.

This 1971 double-album-on-one-CD is a prize. It's an instrumental program, similar to the kind Henry Mancini used to release between films. But this one is tougher, ...