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The mercurial talents of the late, great John Dankworth (1927-2010) are celebrated in this Vocalion release, comprising JD's 1974 Movies 'n' Me album, marking the only occasion on which he recorded for the RCA label. As the title suggests, it was an opportunity for Dankworth to explore his considerable back catalogue of film themes, dressing them in attractive new arrangements that took full advantage of the rhythms and sounds of the 1970s. Of course, being a Dankworth album, the all-important jazz element is to the fore, the music best described as a happy marriage between big band, funk and jazz. As a result, such Dankworth concoctions as the signature themes for Modesty Blaise, Darling, Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment and Return from the Ashes each sound resplendent in their new guises. Not all the themes contained in Movies 'n' Me are from Dankworth's canon of film music; two have their origins in obscure BBC TV series, namely Look Stranger and Whirly Birly, the latter from 'Bird's Eye View'. The big band heard in Movies 'n' Me is made up of the cream of Britain's jazz and studio musicians of the 1970s, including Don Rendell and Alan Wakeman (tenor saxes/reeds), Kenny Baker (trumpet), Tony Hymas (keyboards), Ronnie Verrell (drums) and Paul Hart (bass guitar). John Dankworth himself is, of course, heard on alto sax, and proves that not only was he a wonderful composer but also a brilliant instrumentalist.
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