A Score To Settle

Welcome to the next new episode of the podcast! To close out the year, I am presenting a special holiday-themed installment, focusing on music from theatrical and TV movies about or set around Christmas. While this will of course represent only a small sampling of the many films found in this genre, my selections here span the years from 1938 all the way to the current century and include such popular titles as A CHRISTMAS CAROL, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, SCROOGED, HOME ALONE and ELF. Music composed for these films originate from such notable talents as Franz Waxman, Henry Mancini, Danny Elflman and John Williams and from wonderful scores that could really be enjoyed both during the holiday season and throughout the year.  Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle https://twitter.com/score2settlepod   Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com

Welcome to the next new episode of the podcast! In this installment I am returning to my focus on that most well-known, renowned and world-famous film composer, John Williams. In Part 1 I charted Williams's career beginning with his TV and early film work in the 1960's and progressed through the 70's, while spotlighting themes and scores that often go unheralded or overlooked. Here in Part 2 I continue on from the 1980's into the current era of his marvelous contributions to cinema, again highlighting often overlooked scores that were composed alongside the popular blockbusters. These include titles such as MONSIGNOR, THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, JFK, SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET and MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA.    Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle https://twitter.com/score2settlepod   Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com

Happy Halloween and welcome to the next new episode of the podcast! Getting into the spirit of the season, I felt compelled to join the fun and craft a list of my Top 10 favorite horror movie scores. Admittedly, I'm not much of a horror movie fan, however if a favorite composer provided the music (such as Jerry Goldsmith) or the story seemed especially intriguing (such as Clive Barker's NIGHTBREED), then I found myself motivated to take a look and a listen. This list is of course my own personal favorites and not centered around "most popular" or "most successful" titles, so the "slasher" and "torture" sub-categories aren't represented, with no offense to respective fans of those movies. Instead, you will hear music from horror movies about mad scientists, those set in space, on the open sea and even one example that journeys into Hell. I also share some of my own memories of discovering the films and their scores featured on this Top 10 list. Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle https://twitter.com/score2settlepod   Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, I am focusing on the music of the most famous and beloved film composer in the world, John Williams. His richly melodic and developed scores have thrilled and stirred audiences for decades, whether accompanying sharks, space ships, wizards or bullwhips. In charting his career and listening for the hallmarks of his style, I wanted to primarily spotlight music before he achieved the superstardom, as well as other movies concurrent to the popular blockbusters that are perhaps less notable or less well-known to general audiences. My aim is to focus a bit more on the John Williams you might not have heard.   Here in part one, I talk about his early career in the 1960's including TV series such as LOST IN SPACE and THE TIME TUNNEL and wacky adult comedies like NOT WITH MY WIFE, YOU DON'T. I continue on to his scores from the 1970's, when the variety of projects expanded along with his musical vernacular. This runs the gamut from THE COWBOYS to THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING, THE TOWERING INFERNO and THE FURY, all of which showcase Williams's immense compositional range, something often undervalued, along with his ability to perfectly accompany any cinematic story.  Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle https://twitter.com/score2settlepod Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com  

Welcome to the next new episode of the podcast! In this episode, my topic is the unmistakable and always resonant music of the unrivaled, brilliant, often imitated but never duplicated John Barry. His unique and indelible film scores have elevated every project for which he composed, from the James Bond series to DANCES WITH WOLVES and so much wonderful music in between. My focus here is mainly on his music outside of James Bond, since I feel that 007 would deserve his own episode, and how Barry's style evolved from the jazz & pop trends of his day to the lush, sonorous orchestral works that garnered him awards and notoriety, heard in scores such as SOMEWHERE IN TIME and OUT OF AFRICA.  John Barry was born in York, England in 1933 and became steeped in the craft of movie-making thanks to the fact this his father owned several local cinemas, allowing the young Barry to watch, observe and absorb films of all types. His formal music studies led to him to the trumpet, then diving into the world of jazz and pop, expressing all of this during the late 1950's and early 1960's primarily through his own band, The John Barry Seven. In a way, he could be considered one of the first film composers who came from the world of pop music, an early example for current composers such as Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer, themselves formerly from the pop/rock genre. Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle https://twitter.com/score2settlepod Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com      

In this episode, I am joined by well-renowned composer, orchestrator and copyist Stuart Balcomb, talking about his background and career. In addition we discuss the wonderful music he provided episodes of the highly-regarded and popular 1990's BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, for which Mr. Balcomb was part of an amazing group guided and mentored by the talented and late lamented composer, Shirley Walker. But first, I inquire into his publication of the memoirs of famed Hollywood session player, composer and conductor Artie Kane, titled "Music To My Years: Life and Love Between The Notes". The latter was published by Stuart through Amphora Editions. Regarding Artie Kane, he grew up as a piano prodigy and initially made a career of performing on radio and stage shows before emerging as one of the top session players for TV and film scores in Hollywood. He also played on albums for many famous pop stars of their day, such as Frank Sinatra. Artie Kane then moved into composing for media, including many popular TV series such as WONDER WOMAN, THE LOVE BOAT and MATLOCK. Then starting in the 90's he became a sought-after conductor on scores for composers including John Williams, Danny Elfman and James Newton Howard. Kane's memoir, "Music To My Years: Life and Love Between The Notes", tracks his life both professionally and personally. the good and the bad, in an honest and entertaining fashion, funny and sometimes heartbreaking, and is an enlightening read for anyone interested in the art and craft of music.   You can find out more about Stuart Balcomb at his website https://www.stuartbalcomb.com/. You can find out info about Artie Kane's memoir at https://amphoraeditions.com/. Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle https://twitter.com/score2settlepod Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, I am joined by talented composer, songwriter and music producer David Das. We talk about his background in studying music, arranging and composing and how George Gershwin's inimitable concert work "Rhapsody In Blue" provided him so much inspiration and direction. Other topics include writing music for all forms of visual media (trailers, games, dramatic projects) as well as his efforts as president of the non-profit group The Academy of Scoring Arts, which is an organization devoted to the study of influential classical, jazz and film music and is also a way for creatives in the industry to network. Lastly, we discuss various concert classical works, from Mozart to Debussey to Schoenberg and Stravinsky, and their collective influence on movie music, both compositionally and philosophically. You can find David and his work at http://www.daviddas.com and The Academy of Scoring Arts at http://www.academyofscoringarts.org. As a side note, there are few electronic glitches that crop up very briefly in this episode, so my apologies in advance!   I also talk about the fascinating and entertaining new memoir by famed musician, film/TV composer and conductor Artie Kane, published by Amphora Editions, titled "Music To My Years: Life and Love Between The Notes", available at amphoraeditions.com/books.   

Welcome to the next new episode of my podcast! In this episode, I turn my spotlight on composer Hans Zimmer and his music for the movies. Born in 1957, in Frankfurt, Germany, Zimmer's initial musical background was by way of pop music, most famously with the band The Buggles, who had a huge hit in 1979 with their perky tune "Video Killed The Radio Star".  Later, he shifted into writing ad jingles before notable British composer Stanley Myers brought him over as an apprentice. Soon, they were co-composing together on a number of film scores. Zimmer quickly graduated to his own solo composing career in 1988 with A WORLD APART, which very soon led to notable big hits such as RAIN MAN, DRIVING MISS DAISY, BACKDRAFT, CRIMSON TIDE, THE LION KING and more. I wanted to look at how Zimmer's unique blend of synths, pop, exotic instruments and traditional orchestral forces changed the soundscape of movie music, starting in the 90's and continuing through to today, as heard in such blockbusters as the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN and DARK KNIGHT series, INCEPTION and DUNKIRK. Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle https://twitter.com/score2settlepod Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com

Welcome to the next new episode my podcast! This episode has more of a focus on music for television. In the first section I explore the music composed by Stu Phillips for the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA television series, which aired for one season on ABC in 1978, produced by Glen A. Larson. This show and its music was an early favorite of mine and Phillips composed many wonderful themes and motifs heard through that single season. In the second section I talk with my friend and fellow soundtrack fan Mike Hagen about his favorite scores from TV series of the 1960's and 70's, including STAR TREK, LOST IN SPACE and DANGER MAN, the latter a UK television series aired here in the U.S. as SECRET AGENT MAN. Plus there are other fun recollections of his including his time working at the Tower Records in New York City and also being an extra on "Saturday Night Live"! If you're interested in more of Stu Phillips, check out his website, http://www.stuwho.com/.  Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle https://twitter.com/score2settlepod Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, I focus my "Listening To.." series towards the incomparable and distinctive French composer, Maurice Jarre. Born in 1924, Jarre studied composition and percussion at the Paris Conservatory, beginning his film scoring career in his native France during the 1950's through short films and documentaries. It was then his peerless, epic music for 1962's LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, one of the most highly honored and well-remembered movies, that introduced him to English-speaking audiences, who immediately embraced him. His subsequent career continually flourished until his passing in 2009, chock-a-block with additional musical highlights in films such as DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, IS PARIS BURNING?, THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING, WITNESS, MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME and GHOST. His uniquely melodic and often idiosyncratic style and approach remains a memorable component in all projects he scored.  Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle https://twitter.com/score2settlepod Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com

In this episode of the podcast, film & TV editor Marshall Harvey takes time to talk with me about the role of music in his editing process, his favorite film music and composers as well as editing the films of director Joe Dante, specifically THE BURBS, MATINEE, SMALL SOLDIERS and LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION. We also discuss discernible shifts in movie music styles in recent years and Marshall shares some stories involving the late, great composer Jerry Goldsmith when working on the aforementioned Dante films. Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle https://twitter.com/score2settlepod Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, I turn my "Listening To..." focus towards the inimitable composer Jerry Goldsmith and specifically, his music for films released in 1982. In that year alone there were five theatrical releases which featured his eloquent accompaniment - POLTERGEIST, NIGHT CROSSING, THE SECRET OF N.I.M.H., THE CHALLENGE and FIRST BLOOD. It was a typically busy year for Goldsmith and he produced several of his strongest, most celebrated scores, resulting in an Academy Award nomination for POLTERGEIST. I examine the aural connections between these efforts, a bit of the concert classical influences and their place in Goldsmith's overall canon. Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle https://twitter.com/score2settlepod Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, my guest is composer and musician Ben Wise. Ben writes, records and performs both with the indie/folk band TINY Goliath and as a solo artist. In the early 2000's, he began a career scoring commercials (i.e. "jingle writer"), a move which then grew to include web series, animated shorts and short films, including winning awards for the latter. We talk about his musical background, pop music, commercial jingles and film music. Contact Ben on Twitter and Instagram at @benwise and on Facebook at facebook.com/benwisemusic. The folk band TINY Goliath can be found at tinygoliath.bandcamp.com. Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle https://twitter.com/score2settlepod Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, I talk about and present examples of the marvelous music of Elmer Bernstein, specifically his jazz-oriented scores, like THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM, and those in the "Westerns" genre, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN for example. Bernstein was part of the unofficial "second generation" of film composers, along with Alex North, Franz Waxman and others, following on from the "godfathers" of Max Steiner, Alfred Newman and Erich Wolfgang Korngold. He tackled pretty much every genre but there were distinct periods of his career when he was considered the "go-to" guy for jazz scores, then Westerns, then comedies, amid others. This is part of my ongoing "Listening To..." series of the show in which I examine various composers, whether presenting attributes of their overall style, focusing on particular genres or even a certain year of their career. This is not a comprehensive biography of Elmer Bernstein or his entire career, but more of a brief introduction for anyone who might be curious to learn about what to listen for. Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle https://twitter.com/score2settlepod Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com  

In this episode, I am talking with soundtrack album producer and film music journalist, Dan Goldwasser. We focus on his work for both archival score releases, such as THE FIRM and AIRPLANE!, and for recent scores, in this case KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE and FERDINAND. I ask him about how these projects are begun, who's involved and roadblocks encountered. We also talk about being a movie music fan and whether this affects shepherding these albums and collaborating with composers. Check out Dan's photography and notes from scoring sessions around Los Angeles at his website, www.scoringsessions.com. Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle https://twitter.com/score2settlepod Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com