Movie soundtracks with a jazz slant. The sixth in this classic box-set series delves into the world of TV film noir. Through the 1950s and into the 60s, composers such as Henry Mancini, Elmer Bernstein and Nelson Riddle, working with the best musicians on the west coast, defined a style. The sleazy alto saxophone, nerve-jangling brass, menacing bass clarinet – these may have become cliches later, but on these seven discs they have bite and purpose. And the themes! Mancini’s Peter Gunn, Bernstein’s Johnny Staccato and Count Basie’s M Squad are among the most gripping examples.
