I was turned onto this album while in college in 1969. I've been a jazz freak since childhood and played music professionally since I was 14, and this just blew me away. Yes, this is a soundtrack album, but it's also a great jazz album. Best of all are the absolute heavyweights on the session. Though only some of the players are listed on the cover, I have seen a more complete listing...the best of the best. This big band (with strings and things, like sitar and harpsichord)includes two of the greatest jazz deities, Bud Shank (formerly with Kenton, Shorty Rogers, Shelly Manne ad inf.) on alto and flute, and Stu Williamson (formerly with Herman, Kenton, Frank Rosolino, Shelly Manne, etc.) accompany a band of Olympian musical peers. They play with a combination of musical artistry and screaming precision that I've only heard from assemblies such as Shorty Rogers' Giants, another all star team that included some of the same players here. Though their solos are often short, there's no mistaking the sound of Bud's flute and alto (theme from Mannix, Daktari, etc.) and Stu's trumpet. In fact, it was hearing Stu Williamson for the first time,(Shelly Manne & His Men Vol.4) at 15, that made me forever obcessed with continually improving my improvisation. Though I have always been inspired by the phrasings of Jack Montrose, Art Pepper, Bob Cooper, Bud Shank and Charley Mariano, I was amazed, once, when listening to recordings of myself, to realize how much Stu Williamson has influenced my playing. Possibly the greatest valve trombone player, I consider him the greatest trumpet soloist I have ever heard. They should hve let him do more. Borrowing from the best is the highest compliment you can give.
The main title theme, which is in 5/4 time, offers the composer, himself, Lalo Schiffrin, plenty of room to blow a nice harpsichord solo.
Along with the hard driving main and ending themes and the jazz/rocker "Wide Willy" are two incredibly melodic classics. "Jim on the Move" is a smooth groove, the main melody a blend of Bud Shank's flute and Williamson's muted trumpet. Too bad the solos are so short.
So melodic that it's a tear jerker, the theme for Barbara Bain's character, Cinamon Carter, is "The Lady Was Meant to be Loved". Strings and flute play the initial melody, with Bud Shank (Ah! That sound of "Mannix") picking it up with just the right amount of swing. This a great haunting melody that you can't get out of your head, like Russ Freeman's "THe Wind", Shelly Manne's "Parthenia" and standards like "Yesterdays" and "What's New?"
Possibly the best piece of all is the theme for Martin Landau's character, Rollin Hand. A hard driving jazz waltz, the initial melody is played by a brace of french horns, and it still rocks all the way to the end. Even the string section cooks. The drummer, throughout the album, never gets in the way, but he is constantly there, driving the band like a mad bus driver, going down a mountain, with no brakes and a major caffeine buz. With not a single solo note on this cut, he still drives this waltz with a passion, all the way to the tasty soundrack fade to strings ending.
Though not laced with the greatest number of solos, the pure music, melody and drive make this one of my favorite albums.

Brand	N/A
Rating	4.4 (35 ratings)
Price	$18
Category	Argentina

Music From Mission: Impossible 1966-1973 Television Series

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