Dark Film Noir Jazz

[ninety]

can anyone recommend some spooky film noir jazz? either artists albums or soundtracks that you know of. Im talking along the lines of the Twin Peaks soundtrack, if anyone has heard it. Basically the kind of late night smokey downtempo obscure jazz!

[Dmitry]

Sun Ra / The Night Of The Purple Moon

[Patrick]

Bob Belden / Black Dahlia (Blue Note) large ensemble, but very noirish

[Man with the Golden Arm]

In the spooky, but Twin Peaxy mode, you might check in on Barry Adamson. I'd certainly sample first but there is great stuff underneath some, at times, pretty lame voice-overs. When he gets into a groove without any monkey business it's just beautiful. (Of course my caveat here is that I've passed on all the Adamsons I had ways back.)

As for perfectly noir, but probably never find-able, would be Ran Blake's "Vertigo". He does some wonderful things with Hermann's various scores and more. I believe he may also have more spooky stuff among his other releases (tips?). His essential duets with Jeanne Lee are perfectly dark.

John Lurie's misc sound-tracky works might also help. While "Down by Law" is not necessarily haunted it has that Lynch-y feel. Even some of that "freshly-squeezed-audrey" finger-poppin' swank thrown in.

Then there's that modern cool smokey spoken drivel that Patrica Barber puts out. It does give me the willies so maybe that's spooky, too.

Good start-up thread here.

[DrJ]

I don't know if I'd call it "spooky," but damn moody and film-noirish is Terrence Blanchard's recent JAZZ IN FILM (Sony Classics).

[GA Russell]

I'm listening to something now that I think fits the bill:

American Dreams by Charlie Haden with Michael Brecker, Brad Mehldau and Brian Blade, with strings.

[hutch head]

You know what sounds like the "Twin Peaks" soundtrack?

Miles Davis "Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud"

Edited September 10, 2003 by hutch head

[Guest Chaney]

Haven't heard this one but how about...

Mental Cruelty (The 1960 Jazz Soundtrack)

In 1960, an astonishing jazz ensemble was convened by Swiss pianist George Gruntz to create a soundtrack for the Hannes Schmidhauser film MENTAL CRUELTY. The group included bebop innovator Kenny "Klook" Clarke on drums and Belgian saxophonist Barney Wilen, two of the most swinging and sensitive musicians on the planet.

Though the dark, lyrical, mysterious soundtrack was initially released on a 10-inch EP, legal difficulties led to its being recalled, and the few copies that were sold became incredibly valuable collectors items. Now, for the first time, the session is issued in its full glory, including several previously unreleased tracks.

Atavistic

[James]

Odds Against Tomorrow - The Modern Jazz Quartet. If recollection serves, this film is widely regarded as the last of the true film noirs. I found a copy on half.com.

[sidewinder]

The Walt Dickerson/Sun Ra 'Impressions of a Patch of Blue' can sound pretty spooky, especially when Ra lets loose on harpsichord !

[brownie]

Henry Mancini's music for Orson Welles 'Touch of Evil'. It's noir. It's cool. It's Mancini's best film score.

[jlhoots]

The I Want To Live soundtrack.

[BruceH]

Elmer Bernstein's soundtrack to The Sweet Smell of Success is pretty cool. Perhaps too brassy to be considered quietly moody, but very good.

[ghost of miles]

I'd love a CD soundtrack of that film that combined Bernstein's score with the Chico Hamilton music--or is Bernstein's score what the Hamilton group recorded?

[BruceH]

No, I'm almost certain that they are two different things, and I agree: A CD that included both would be great.

[Bright Moments]

just heard zorn's spillane.

wow!

B-)

[JohnJ]

Then there's that modern cool smokey spoken drivel that Patrica Barber puts out.  It does give me the willies so maybe that's spooky, too.

Anything but drivel if you really listen to it. Patricia Barber is producing some of the most interesting and original vocal jazz around. I highly recommend all of her Blue Note releases.

[theteach]

Try Peter Thomas's Kriminal Film Musik or Film Musik

Also, try Barry Adamson's Moss Side Story. If you like Zorn's Spillane, The Bribe is another good one.

Finally, this might be stretching it, but how about the avant/prog rock of Fantomas's Director's Cut.

Lou

[Brandon Burke]

[Hank]

I can't recommend the Mental Cruelty soundtrack highly enough. I got it as a result of this thread a year ago and find it really haunting--fugue-like, as soundtracks can sometimes be, with their returning variations on a main theme. Some very good Barney Wilen and Klook.

[alankin]

[ghost of miles]

Henry Mancini's music for Orson Welles 'Touch of Evil'. It's noir. It's cool. It's Mancini's best film score.

Just found this used last week. Brownie's right on... Courtesy of King Ubu, I became aware of another thread devoted to Leith Stevens' JAZZ THEMES FOR COPS AND ROBBERS, which includes Stevens' score for the noir film Private Hell 36. Sounds like it's definitely worth checking out... I just finished taping a program about Stevens, Shorty Rogers, and THE WILD ONE, and am hoping to track down the music Stevens did for a film called Crashout.