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Jazz & Soundtracks

By Ludovico Granvassu | Mondo Jazz
February 26, 2019
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Jazz has had a very close relationship with cinema and TV. To be perfectly frank in this relationship cinema and TV have not as generous as jazz has been towards cinema.

Jazz has been only sporadically covered by quality movies. When that has happened the quantity of stereotypies and clich��s about jazz spoiled them for any serious fun.

Nevertheless, jazz musicians have made great contributions to soundtracks (from

Duke Ellington

piano
1899 - 1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Duke Ellington's music for Otto Preminger's "Anatomy of a Murder" to

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis soundtrack for Louis Malle's "Elevator to the Gallows"). Even more frequently themes from movie soundtracks have lent themselves to great renditions by jazz musicians.

This week we explore the intersection between jazz and soundtracks of movies of all sorts, from police flicks to erotic movies to documentaries, and we'll throw in some TV soundtracks for good measure. Stay tuned for two hours packed with great music, from

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman to

Gato Barbieri

saxophone
1934 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Gato Barbieri, from

Quincy Jones

arranger
1933 - 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Quincy Jones to

John Lurie

saxophone
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">John Lurie and

Michael Blake

saxophone, tenor
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Blake.

Happy listening! Click the play button in the image above to listen to this program.

Ben Allison
bass, acoustic
b.1966
" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Allison "Mondo Jazz Theme (feat.
Ted Nash
saxophone
b.1960
" data-original-title="" title="">Ted Nash &
Pyeng Threadgill
vocals
" data-original-title="" title="">Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00
Nicole Johänntgen
saxophone
b.1981
" data-original-title="" title="">Nicole Joh?nntgen "Ghostbusters" Henry II (Selmabird Records) 0:16
Host talks 10:25
John Lurie "Stink" Get Shorty (Antilles) 13:12
Michael Blake "Shots 'n' Chasers" Vodka Rocks (Self-released) 18:00
Jimmy McGriff
organ, Hammond B3
1936 - 2008
" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy McGriff "The Pink Panther" Topkapi (Sue) 21:35
Herbie Hancock
piano
b.1940
" data-original-title="" title="">Herbie Hancock "Main Title" Blow-Up (MGM) 23:30
Fabrizio Bosso
trumpet
" data-original-title="" title="">Fabrizio Bosso,
Julian Oliver Mazzariello
saxophone, tenor
" data-original-title="" title="">Julian Oliver Mazzariello "Taxi Driver" Tandem (Verve) 25:00
Host talks 29:39
Marvin Gaye "Trouble Man" Trouble Man (Motown) 32:26
J.J. Johnson
trombone
1924 - 2001
" data-original-title="" title="">J.J. Johnson "Better Days" Themes and Cues for Movies & Television (Family Groove) 34:57
J.J. Johnson "Ballad for Bobby" Themes and Cues for Movies & Television (Family Groove) 37:03
The Jazz Interactions Orchestra "Complex City" Jazzhattan Suite (Verve) 38:01
Host talks 46:07
Joe Jackson
trombone
" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Jackson "Abe's Blues" Tucker: The Man and His Dream (A&M) 48:00
Stanley Wilson "The Lonely Beat" The Music from M Squad (RCA) 50:32
James Taylor
guitar and vocals
b.1948
" data-original-title="" title="">James Taylor Quartet "Theme from Starsky & Hutch" Wait a Minute (Polydor) 54:08
Host talks 59:55
Willie Bobo
percussion
1934 - 1983
" data-original-title="" title="">Willie Bobo "Kojak Theme" Tomorrow Is Here (Blue Note) 1:01:23
EZ Pour Sprout "A-Team" Don't Shave the Feeling (Love Slave) 1:04:54
Bobby Hutcherson
vibraphone
1941 - 2016
" data-original-title="" title="">Bobby Hutcherson "Theme From M-A-S-H" Linger Lane (Blue Note) 1:06:43
Quincy Jones "Sanford & Son You've Got It Bad Girl (A&M) 1:11:11
Kristin Asbjornsen
" data-original-title="" title="">Kristin Asbjornsen "Quirky Waltz" Factotum (Milan) 1:14:13
Bill Frisell
guitar, electric
b.1951
" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Frisell "Meet the Stantons" All Hat (Emarcy) 1:15:40
Host talks 1:16:32
John Lee Hooker
guitar
1917 - 2001
" data-original-title="" title="">John Lee Hooker with
Miles Davis
trumpet
1926 - 1991
" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis "Coming to Town" The Hot Spot (Antilles) 1:18:28
Gato Barbieri "Last Tango in Paris" Last Tango in Paris (EMI) 1:21:33
John Zorn
saxophone, alto
b.1953
" data-original-title="" title="">John Zorn "Erotico (The Burglars)" The Big Gundown (Nonesuch) 1:25:14
Marco Cappelli
guitar
" data-original-title="" title="">Marco Cappelli's Italian Surf Academy "Sesso Matto" The American Dream (Mode) 1:29:29
Host talks 1:34:11
Luigee Trademarq "Nocturna No. 5" Bande original (Rectangle) 1:36:41
Alain Goraguer "Birgit Et Le M?le Du Pays" Musique Class��e X (Les Disques de Culte) 1:38:10
Tony Bennett
vocals
1926 - 2023
" data-original-title="" title="">Tony Bennett "Girl Talk" The Movie Song Album (Columbia) 1:41:30
Ben Allison
bass, acoustic
b.1966
" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Allison "Midnight Cowboy" Cowboy Justice (Palmetto) 1:44:41
Host talks 1:49:30
Chet Baker
trumpet and vocals
1929 - 1988
" data-original-title="" title="">Chet Baker "Moon & Sand" Sings and Plays from the Film "Let's Get Lost" (Novus) 1:51:29
Bill Evans
piano
1929 - 1980
" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Evans with
Jeremy Steig
flute
1942 - 2016
" data-original-title="" title="">Jeremy Steig "Spartacus Love Theme" What's New (Jazz Collectors) 1:57:00
Ornette Coleman "Intersong" Naked Lunch (Milan) 2:02:29
Host talks 2:06:11
The Bad Plus
band / ensemble / orchestra
b.2000
" data-original-title="" title="">The Bad Plus "(Theme From) Chariots of Fire" Suspicious Activity? (Columbia) 2:08:55

Photo Credit: George Brich.

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