"Paris Blues" Take The "A" Train: Battle Royal: Birdie Jungle: Mood Indigo: Autumnal Suite/Nite: Wild Man Moore: Paris Stairs: Guitar Amour: Paris Blues. HMV Q CLP1.490 (12 in., 25s. Hid. plus Os. 31d. PT.).

Most films about jazz and jazz musicians turn out to be more than a trifle silly. "Paris Blues" is no exception—even though it does have some handsome shots of Paris. But even during the most banal sequences one could find refuge in listening to the soundtrack, composed by Duke Ellington and performed by an orchestra which obviously used the Ellington band as its nucleus. It is this music—although, alas, without the various piano solos (obviously played by Ducal fingers)—that can be tasted on this LP. Take The "A" Train and Mood Indigo are the work of a Quintet, Guitar Amour is a guitar solo, but otherwise all the tracks are by a large jazz orchestra. The Quintet tracks are notable for some excellent tenor playing by Paul Gonsalves ('ghosting', as it were, for Sidney Poitier) and the trombone work (on behalf of Paul Newman) of Murray McEachern, once a key-man in the old Casa Loma orchestra and a musician I hadn't heard of for quite a few years. Both tracks present good performances of the Ellington tunes, with plenty of to-and-fro between the soloists. Les Spann is the only guitarist listed in the personnel on the sleeve, although it is rumored that Barney Kessel took the solos. (Guitar Amour, as it happens, doesn't sound like the work of either man.) Battle Royal is also said to feature Guy Lafitte.

Louis Armstrong can be heard—although sounding far from distinguished—on Battle Royal and Wild Man Moore. The latter is oddly scored, using an electric organ and producing the orchestral equivalent of a fair-ground scene. Most of the band tracks are scored sensitively and adventurously. Wise, for instance, with fine passages for the woodwind, is impressionist in manner, as indeed are most of these items. Paris Blues, gentle and pastel-shaded, has Johnny Hodges playing Come Sunday alto. Best of all, though, I enjoyed Birdie Jungle, Autumnal Suite and Paris Stairs, In Birdie Jungle a hymnlike tune for reeds moves against varied rhythms supplied by an enlarged percussion department. Autumnal Suite, its tune oddly like Azure, makes good use of a flautist and has restrained, wellshaded playing by the brass section. Paris Stairs is in 3/4 time (accented 3/4—e.g. waltz, not gospel-time) and opens with a brief snatch of Ellington piano, followed by an attractive theme for reeds. Also to be heard on this track is a characteristic solo by Ray Nance.

Most jazz scores for films tend to be fragmentary and this one is no exception, some of the tracks fading away before they have really established much ident4. There are, though, many delightful passages. In any case, there is much more distinctive Ellington scoring to be found here than there was in his music for "Anatomy Of A Murder", which was mostly held together by the brilliance of the soloists. Just for once, too, I found myself enjoying the jazz more on the LP than I did when I heard it in the distracting presence of the film itself. Which may not be the best commendation for a film soundtrack but at least assures the recordbuyer that his money will not be wasted.

C.F.