Henry Mancini
Touch of Evil
Original soundtrack
(Varese Sarabande VS 5414)
Henry Mancini could only be described as "astoundingly prolific" based on his lifetime of work. After beginning his career as a big-band arranger, he broke into film writing with a stint at Universal Studios in the 1950s. As a staff arranger, Mancini learned the ropes of film writing by taking on many small and uncredited assignments, including musical cues for newsreels.

Mancini's jazz background served him well when he took on the assignment for Orson Welles' Touch of Evil in 1958. The score complements the corrupt Mexican border town setting of the movie, incorporating latin-jazz, Afro-Cuban percussion, and instrumental blues, all with a definite rock and roll influence. It's an excellent complement to the dark film noir feel of this classic film. One interesting note is that all of the tracks were used as "source music" in the film — meaning that the music comes from a visible source such as a jukebox, radio, dance band, or piano player. Varese Sarabande's 1993 reissue of the original soundtrack will provide your system a good test with the numerous jazzy instrumentals. If you only know Henry Mancini from the "Pink Panther" tune, give this album a try!

Henry Mancini trivia: Henry Mancini was honored with a postage stamp, issued in April, 2004.

Randy Newman
Ragtime
Original soundtrack (remastered)
(Elektra/Rhino R2 78245)
Randy Newman made his reputation as a talented, if quirky, songwriter (remember "Short People?"). His score for 1981's Ragtime served notice that he was capable of more. Since this initial success, he has been an active film composer, perhaps best known for his scores and original songs for the Disney/Pixar productions Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and Monsters, Inc.

This 2002 release is the first time the soundtrack for Ragtime has appeared on CD. It's a welcome treat for Newman fans, many of whom have treasured their vinyl copies for years! In this case, the long wait was worth it. Rhino's CD transfer is very clean, with an excellent sense of space and fullness surrounding the often sparse instrumentation. While composing the score, Newman studied the music of early 20th-century America, and created music that fits the period beautifully. Simple melodies predominate, particularly "Main Title," "Ragtime," and the song "One More Hour." You'll discover peppy, period-inspired work in "Clef Club No. 2," "Atlantic City," and "Newsreel." It's a nice reminder that movie music doesn't have to be on an epic scale to be effective.

Randy Newman trivia: Newman holds the all-time record for most Oscar nods without any wins with 16 nominations. He finally won in 2003 for Best Song ("If I Didn't Have You," from Monsters, Inc.).

Thomas Newman
The Shawshank Redemption
Original soundtrack
(epic soundtrax EK 66621)
I'll be the first to admit that this one of my favorite movies of the 1990s, and Thomas (cousin of Randy) Newman's great music is one of the reasons why. The innovative and evocative score for The Shawshank Redemption (1994) mixes electronics, piano, percussion, and orchestra to create a mysterious, moody, and dark soundscape — an excellent match for this prison drama.

Shawshank displays many of the elements that make Newman's music so distinctive. For a quick taste of this, go to the track "Shawshank Redemption." Listen carefully as eerie synthesized and sampled effects loom behind the dark, slow-moving melody, then allow yourself to be swept up as the music rises to a climax, only to fade away as enigmatically as it appeared. Although Newman's use of electronic effects and odd-sounding combinations of instruments is a hallmark of his work, he can also craft a fine melody. Listen to the affecting and sentimental "End Title" — a nice piece of "Americana" style composing. The album will provide an excellent test of your systems ability to reproduce quiet passages with depth and detail. To really experience the full effect of Newman's music, program your CD player to skip tracks 6, 12, and 16 — these tracks are non-original pieces of source music that are important to the story of the film, but seem out of place next to Newman's music. By the end, you'll feel you've completed a rewarding journey, guided by a talented composer.

Thomas Newman trivia: Prior to beginning his career as a composer, Newman assisted in the orchestration of the music for 1983's Return of the Jedi.