Earlier this month I posted a list of five favorite swinging action-jazz albums. This brassy genre was popular roughly between 1958 and 1963, with the proliferation of TV shows and movies featuring cops, robbers and private detectives. After posting the first list, I received a crime wave of emails calling for more. So, action-jazz albums:
- Music From Peter Gunn (1958)—Henry Mancini
- Private Life of a Private Eye (1959)—Enoch Light
- Music for a Private Eye (1959)—Ralph Marterie
- The Swingin' Eye (1960)—Si Zentner
- Man from O.R.G.A.N. (1963)—Dick Hyman
JazzWax clip: Think Sy Zentner is just a pop lounge lizard? Not so fast. Dig for yourself...
Additions to the "crime jazz" list:
Pete Rugolo CD Thriller / Richard Diamond
Sampler Crime scne
Sampler Crime Jazz
Sampler Crime Scene USA
McHugh/Rugolo - Jack the Ripper
Covers with separate email
Willie
Posted by: Willie | September 28, 2011 at 09:16 AM
Signore, your lists, they stay ill-legato
Until you run streets with Johnny Staccato!
Posted by: Ed Leimbacher | September 28, 2011 at 12:01 PM
As great as the "Swinging Eye" album by Si Zentnor is, it is not really a "crime jazz" album. A more appropriate selection by Si Zentner would be "From Russia With Love" which contains FRWL, Charade, The James Bond Theme, Burke's Law, Peter Gunn, M Squad, The Fugitive, Dragnet, Mr. Lucky, The 3rd Man Theme, Bond's "007" Theme and The Man with the Golden Arm. The cover even shouts crime jazz: http://www.amazon.com/Russia-Love-James-Bond-Theme/dp/B003UIPTA0/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1317313624&sr=1-1
"More music from Peter Gunn" is also fantastic crime jazz and, much as I like the first album, I sometimes prefer this volume better.
Posted by: James Cimarusti | September 29, 2011 at 12:39 PM
I love Kenyon Hopkin's music to "The Yellow Canary" (1963). Besides that, it's one of the yellowest LP's I have in my collection of jazz soundtracks ;)
The personnel is excellent:
http://www.dougpayne.com/khdisco.htm
Some groovy sounds.
Posted by: Bruno Leicht | September 29, 2011 at 02:47 PM
Si had some great jazz players in his band. I always like his playing as well as his band.
Posted by: Win Hinkle | October 10, 2011 at 12:31 PM