Your Custom Text Here
Sweet Smell of Success (1957), starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, with a equally sharp Bernstein score
Song of the Day: More outstanding film theme music, this time with three contrasting examples from the New Yorker with a huge, award-winning repertoire, reaching deep into the American and British psyche
Read more
Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
Song of the Day: Moving on from Britain’s John Barry, two pieces of work from the highly versatile US composer and conductor here showing contrasting styles that equally express the dark and disturbing
Read more
Now listen to me … Michael Caine is accompanied by one of John Barry’s finest soundtracks
Song of the Day: Completing a Michael Caine leading role trio, the beautiful, haunting theme composed by one of film and TV’s all-time great composers who is best known for the James Bond films
Read more
Original record sleeve from the Alfie soundtrack
Song of the Day: From one jazz giant to another, this time led by tenor saxophone, with Sonny Rollins’s superb soundtrack composition to another Michael Caine film, 1966’s tale of that cheeky Cockney lothario
Read more
Miles Davis in 1958
Song of the Day: Returning to film scores but remaining on the jazz genre, a sublime example of Miles Davis in his early modal style, from his 1958 soundtrack to Louis Malle’s adaptation of a crime novel, starring Jeanne Moreau
Read more
Oscar Peterson and friends
Song of the Day: Continuing from yesterday’s jazz ode to freedom by Billy Taylor, with a version by Nina Simone, let’s move onto another piano great, and an instrumental number from 1963 that definitely echoes it
Read more
Billy Taylor (1920-2010) with his trio
Song of the Day: Moving on to another TV theme, best known for the original Barry Norman BBC TV film review programme that began in 1972, this wonderful jazz piano piece was originally associated with the 1950s civil rights movement
Read more
John Schroeder
Song of the Day: After three belters from Quincy Jones, today let’s move on to full fat funk TV and movie orchestra sounds from the 60s and early 70s, with tracks rarely recognised, but whose still hits home instantly
Read more
Get Carter (1971) starring Michael Caine, with soundtrack by Roy Budd
Song of the Day: Resuming a thread of film soundtrack music that transcends their original source - this time the classic thriller starring Michael Caine and directed by Mike Hodges from 1971
Read more
Bullitt (1968)
Song of the Day: Continuing the funk-orchestral movie-theme thread, another colossus of the genre, the Argentina-born American composer and conductor famous for so many outstanding film and TV soundtracks
Read more
The Animals may have done the best-known cover version, but there are arguably others than better it
To some it’s a masterpiece, to others a dirge, but from 17th century England to 20th century New Orleans, with artists that include Woody Guthrie, Nina Simone, The Animals and alt-J it’s a song that keeps evolving
Read more
Blind Boy Fuller
Song of the Day: After Lucille Bogan screaming with laughter at the dirtiest of lyrics, let's move on to only slightly more subtle material from the voice of the Piedmont blues singer from Wadsboro, North Carolina, who who also had a clever line in ragtime
Read more
Clara Smith
Song of the Day: After yesterday's sprinkling of tragic and dirty songs by Bessie Smith, let's get a little filthier courtesy of the so-called Queen of the Moaners from South Carolina who actually had a chirpy, perky, high voice
Read more
Bessie Smith, carrying more than weight on her famous shoulders
Song of the Day: After a series of early bluesmen, it's time to sprinkle some attention on the first true star of of the blues crossing into jazz, who not only mixed a little dirt into her powerful voice, but also into her lyrics
Read more
Ray Chalres
Song of the Day: After Sister Rosetta Tharpe performing in rainy Manchester in 1964, another great's rendition of a another wet weather number written by Tony Joe White in 1967 from his 1972 album Through The Eyes Of Love
Read more
Chilean band Newen Afrobeat
Song of the Day: After yesterday's international collaboration, another African and Latin jazz groove but this time all played in the same location, putting some heavier brass meat on the bones and a Fela Kuti classic
Read more
Kora Jazz Trio
Song of the Day: A Saturday special as we compare three versions of a song made famous by the Cuban ensemble, but here with an African and jazz twist, featuring the kora, piano and more with other musicians
Read more
Fatoumata Diawara
Song of the Day: After a series of longer established African stars, a more contemporary one – the Ivory Coast born singer songwriter, from her 2018 album, Fenfo (Something To Say), with a song about mass migration
Read more
Salif Keita
Song of the Day: After Senegal's Youssou N'Dour, let's hand over to yet another giant of African music, again from Mali, the royal 'Golden Voice', from his 2002 album Moffou
Read more
Youssou N'Dour
Song of the Day: Moving from Morocco, and another huge figure in African music and the style of mbalax, which mixes jazz, soul, Latin, and rock blended with sabar, the traditional drumming and dance music of Senegal
Read more