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"Film Score Monthly brings to CD more outstanding early work from the legendary John Williams: the classic "crime jazz" soundtrack to Checkmate plus the big-band showtunes collection Rhythm in Motion, both dating from 1961, when the composer was known as "Johnny" Williams.
John Williams began his career as a Hollywood pianist, performing in the Columbia Pictures orchestra and on various projects like Henry Mancini's Peter Gunn. Williams moved into composing primarily on television, before his eventual reign as the most successful feature film composer of modern times. Checkmate -- a crime thriller series in the tradition of Peter Gunn -- was both Williams's first series as primary theme and episode composer, and his first album as a featured artist for Columbia Records.
Checkmate starred Anthony George, Sebastian Cabot and Doug McClure as the members of "Checkmate Inc.," a private firm that specializes in preventing crime before it happens. Williams wrote a sizzling main title theme with a beguiling electric guitar ostinato and big-band brass. Like similiar albums of the time, the Checkmate LP (which was entirely re-recorded) features a studio rendition of the main title theme, adapted underscore and source cues, and original compositions in the same style. Smoky, moody, melodic and cool, the the Checkmate record is a classic from the Peter Gunn and Staccato -era of TV crime jazz.
Unlike past FSM CDs, Rhythm in Motion does not feature Williams compositions -- or even film music at all. Rather, it is comprised of 12 popular showtunes arranged by Williams into upbeat instrumentals for enhanced big band. Even at this early point of his career, Williams was a master of orchestral color -- imagine Broadway's famous melodies orchestrated like the Lost in Space theme, and you have a sense of the delights of this album.
These two vintage Columbia LPs are remastered from the original stereo master tapes for sterling sound quality. (The LPs at the time were meant to show off first-rate stereo imaging.) The booklet features a lengthy essay by Williams expert Jeff Eldridge, including new insight from original LP producer Jim Harbert."
- FSM
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