DIAL 22-22 / THINKIN BLUES

Description

FLIES SJ-03 | Limited edition 7″ – 100 copies

Side A: Armando Trovajoli e il suo complesso – DIAL 22-22 (feat. Lydia MacDonald)
from the original soundtrack of the movie Chiamate 22-22 Tenente Sheridan (1960)

Side B: Piero Umiliani and his orchestra – THINKIN’ BLUES (feat. Helen Merill)
from the original soundtrack of the movie Smog (1962)

The two tracks on this 7-inch are an example of vocal cool jazz at its best. On side A you have the main theme from the soundtrack of Chiamate 22-22 Tenente Sheridan, an underrated giallo directed by Giorgio Bianchi in 1960. Composed by Armando Trovajoli, Dial 22-22 is a refined nightclub song à la Peggy Lee’s Fever, with a smoky and typically noir-style vibe. A sextet featuring Trovajoli himself – alongside some of the best soloists from the pioneering RAI jazz orchestra he conducted at the time – provides a perfect cool jazz canvas on which Lydia MacDonald’s warm and elegant voice paints a tale of sensuality and seduction.

Flip side and you’ll see why this record is truly unique: you’ll find a previously unreleased vocal version of Thinkin’ Blues, one of the main themes from the soundtrack composed by Piero Umiliani for the 1962 movie Smog. Recorded during the same session as the rest of the soundtrack, which saw jazz trumpet legend Chet Baker join Umiliani’s orchestra, this track is enriched by Helen Merrill’s mesmerizing vocals. The American jazz singer lived in Italy for a while in the early 60s, working with Umiliani as well as Ennio Morricone, Romano Mussolini and Sandro Brugnolini, and singing on some of the best Italian jazz records of all time. This track is a precious, terrific find for all connoisseurs of Italian jazz and film music.