JOHNNY MANDEL I Want to Live Score LP MONO 1958 Orig UA

Johnny Mandell I Want to Live LPCategory / Style / Moods: * Standards * Film Music * Traditional Pop * Popular Music Entry Instruments * Songwriter * Trombone * Composer * Arranger[[$VALUE]] / [[$VALUEDATE]] [[$RATING]] asocc1958 US United Artists UAL 4005 LPTITLE: I Want to LiveARTIST: Johnny MandellCONDITIONVINYL: VG+ or betterCOVER: VGClick here for info on grading and abbreviationsHard to find original red label mono press Click the pix for a better view Reviewby Stephen CookParalleling Henry Mancini's own late-'50s, West Coast jazz noir backdrop to the detective TV series Peter Gunn, Johnny Mandel's I Want to Live soundtrack works both as high-end mood music and swinging jazz. And while straight jazz workouts like "San Diego Party" are fine, the most intriguing cuts are those that seamlessly combine jazz, Latin percussion, and strains of Max Steiner's dramatically moody soundtracks; Mandel creates an especially provocative and calamitous mix of it on tracks like "Stakeout." And as far as murky ambience goes, he delivers some of the best (next to Mancini) with numbers like the subtly sinister "Preparations for Executions." Mandel further demonstrates his ease with a variety of forms on marriages of high and low art like the avant-garde classical and Las Vegas grind/lounge mix "Trio Convicted," the spookily claustrophobic "Gas Chamber Unveiling," and the into-the-light-of-day "Letter Writing Sequence." To help navigate the vast terrain, Mandel enlists a cadre of top West Coast players like trumpeter Jack Sheldon, trombonist Frank Rosolino, reed player Bill Holman, bassist Red Mitchell, and drummer Shelly Manne. And topping off Mandel's original score, Rykodisc has included Gerry Mulligan and Art Farmer's combo interpretations of a handful of Mandel's original themes from the movie (Mulligan and company appear in the movie's bar scenes). One of the best jazz-inspired soundtracks around.Biographyby Scott Yanow Considered one of the top living composers during the 1990's, Johnny Mandel is one of the few writers around who is capable of writing standards that can be recorded and performed by a wide variety of jazz musicians and singer. Mandel starting writing arrangements when he was 13 but he made his living during the 1940's as a trombonist and trumpeter, generally playing in sections of big bands. He picked up experience playing trumpet with Joe Venuti (1943) and Billie Rogers, switching to trombone for stints with Boyd Raeburn, Jimmy Dorsey, Buddy Rich, Georgie Auld, Alvino Rey and most notably Woody Herman's Second Herd (1948) where his "Not Really The Blues" was one of several pieces that entered the book. He also worked with Chubby Jackson, Elliot Lawrence and Count Basie (1953), but by the early 1950's Mandel's writing skills were in greater demand than his trombone playing. He contributed arrangements for Artie Shaw's short-lived bop band (1949) and for Basie (1952-56). Settling in Los Angeles in 1953, Mandel (who played bass trumpet for a brief time with Zoot Sims before ending his active playing) since then has made a living writing for films including occasional scores that are jazz-oriented, most notably 1958's I Want To Live and 1965's The Sandpiper (which resulted in "The Shadow Of Your Smile"). In addition to his movie work, Mandel has written arrangements for a countless number of performers including Frank Sinatra and Shirley Horn. Other famous Mandel songs include "Emily" (from "The Americanization Of Emily"), "Close Enough For Love," "Hershey Bar" (recorded by Stan Getz), "Suicide Is Painless" (the "Theme from Mash") and "A Time For Love."Tracks1 . Main Title 1:21 2 . Poker Game 1:36 3 . San Diego Party 4:08 4 . Henry Leaves 1:39 5 . Stakeout 4:01 6 . Barbara Surrenders 2:05 7 . Trio Convicted 1:11 8 . Trip to Corona 1:28 9 . Peg's Visit 2:36 10 . Gas Chamber Unveiling 1:03 11 . Nightmare Sequence 1:08 12 . Preparations for Execution 2:50 13 . Letter Writing Sequence 1:25 14 . The Last Mile 1:48 15 . Death Scene 1:04 16 . End Title :56 This exquisite piece of retro music history is a vinyl sound recording (not a CD). Please visit the A Sound Deal store for similar items and information on grading and shipping. Add me to your favorites for red hot sales bulletins and sneak previews of upcoming products. Combine Items to Save $$$! Click here to check the store for more!©A Sound Deal