For the first release on his Aleph Records label,
Lalo Schifrin conducts a concert of familiar movie themes. "
Lalo Schifrin presents 100 Years of Cinema" is the subtitle, and it's not entirely accurate, since the earliest music here comes from 1939's Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, but after that it's an interesting mixture of genres ("Western Medley," "Classics Medley," "Movie Songs Medley") and well-known tunes like "As Time Goes By," "The Shadow of Your Smile," and "The Entertainer."
Schifrin, who often sits in for some jazzy piano work, is joined by
Dee Dee Bridgewater and
Julia Migenes for occasional vocals. But the spotlight is mostly on the Philharmonic Orchestra of Marseilles, which sounds especially effective on orchestral showcases like "The Theme From James Bond," "Raiders of the Lost Ark March," and "Homage to Nino Rota." In some cases, when he's taking on fellow composers like John Williams or
John Barry,
Schifrin uses the standard orchestrations; otherwise, he supplies his own, often resulting in versions that are livelier and more rhythmic than the originals