Jazz Soundtracks — Part 6

The following is an excerpt from the book Film and Television Scores, 1950-1979 (McFarland, 2008) by Kristopher Spencer, founder of Scorebaby.com.

The jazzy surf movie soundtrack Gone with the Wave (1965) is a West Coast-style session featuring seasoned players such as Shelly Manne (drums), Paul Horn (saxophone and flute) and Howard Roberts (guitar), but this time the leader is none other than Hollywood composer Lalo Schifrin, who sits in on piano.

"A Taste of Bamboo" is one of the more imaginative tracks, with tuned percussion and piano ringing out an "oriental" melody over a quick, slippery groove of guitar trills. "Breaks" is a bit more conventional, but grooves even harder, with Manne's drums crashing like waves behind Roberts' nimble fretwork, Schifrin's chomping piano chords and Horn's liquid sax solo. "Aqua Blues is another up-tempo ride that wouldn't sound out of place on Schifrin's Bullitt soundtrack (1968). Another highlight is "Breaks Bossa Nova," an outstanding showcase for the soloists, this time working it out over a sweet Latin groove."