When you find a reissue of a rare Ennio Morricone film score on sale for ten bucks, you put down ten bucks.
In this case, it was the score for the 1980 crime thriller Il Bandito Dagli Occhi Azzurri (The Blue-Eyed Bandit). This is a rare Morricone score in that it’s mostly a jazz album he composed and conducted for the well-known Italian trio of Ricardo Del Fra (double bass), Robert Gatto (drums), and Enrico Pieranunzi (piano). There’s also a full horn section brought in by the Maestro on a few tracks.
Such as the opener, “Città Viva,” which sets up the action fight away with bold horns and Gatto’s snappy snare work. “Madre Assente” is a lovely track that has Dino Asciolla‘s viola joining Pieranunzi’s piano. “Campi Aperti e Spospesi” has a haunting sound that only Morricone can seem to create.
“Double Face” portrays the moment when we realize the main character isn’t all he seems to be, and Pieranunzi has fun with it. “Esecuzione Radifonica” has beats that hip hop DJs will want to snatch. The whole trio thumps and grooves on the first version of the song Morricone named for them – “Per Enrico, Riccardo e Roberto.”
If you’re thinking “Sotto I Ponti Dell Città” sounds like Dave Brubeck‘s “Take Five,” that’s because it does. Many of the tracks are in 5/4, and Morricone wanted a similar sound to Brubeck’s classic track for many of the moments in the film. It’s a delightful piece. “Per Dalila” is almost soft-rock and perfect for romance. “Stranamente Di Notte” ratchets up the tension with Pieranunzi’s piano coming straight out of a giallo film and Del Fra’s bass creeping up on you out of the dark.
The big brass of “Cinque Quarti” is sharp and deserves to be its own theme song for a TV action show. What follows are variations on previous tracks for the rest of the score. “Per Dalila #2” is especially nice.
It’s yet another fine score from the Maestro, and a fun one with all of its jazz elements.
Keep your mind open.
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