Michel Legrand has spent most of his life as a composer in the studios and for films, but this release is a jazz classic. Legrand took 11 famous jazz compositions and arranged them for three different groups. Tenor great Ben Webster, flutist Herbie Mann, four trombonists, and a rhythm section perform pieces by Duke Ellington, Earl Hines, Django Reinhardt ("Nuages"), and the Count Basie-associated "Blue and Sentimental." A big band with trumpeters Art Farmer and {$Do   [ read more ]

CD $14.23

Composer/pianist Michel Legrand worked with such musical luminaries as Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan, and Dusty Springfield, is responsible for some of the most memorable film themes of the 20th century, and is easily mentioned alongside his contemporaries Henry Mancini, Andre Previn, Gil Evans, and Burt Bacharach. Amazingly though, he has never before recorded a solo piano album of his own songs. At 69 years old, Legrand finally delivers Michel Legrand By Michel Legrand, in which   [ read more ]

CD $16.13

Most significant as a composer for films, Michel Legrand has long been an underrated jazz pianist. This CD features Legrand playing a variety of his melodies in a trio with bassist Marc Michel le Bevillon and drummer Umberto Pagnini. Toots Thielemans adds his welcome harmonica to two pieces ("The Summer Knows" and "I Will Wait for You") which helps to compensate for Legrand's heartfelt (but somewhat painful) vocals; fortunately the latter are brief. The trio has good workouts on "Watch    [ read more ]

CD $16.13

This high-quality outing (reissued on CD) features composer Michel Legrand faring quite well as a jazz pianist. He performs six of his compositions (only "Pieces of Dream" is well-known) with a lyrical septet also including altoist Phil Woods (doubling on clarinet), tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, trumpeter Joe Wilder, guitarist Gene Bertoncini, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Grady Tate. The music generally swings, has plenty of fine melodic solos, and gives listeners a taste of some f   [ read more ]

CD $11.38

Michel Legrand's abundantly lyrical soundtrack to Jacques Demy's 1964 movie musical {#The Umbrellas of Cherbourg} faithfully evokes the film's predominant theme of young love foiled by adult reality. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg's overriding melancholia finds a voice in two main melodic motifs Legrand uses throughout the soundtrack, the first from the Legrand jazz standard "Watch What Happens" and the second from his song "I Will Wait for You." Legrand's considerable arr   [ read more ]

CD $14.23

Michel Legrand's soundtrack for the Steve McQueen/Faye Dunaway film {#The Thomas Crown Affair} is a lushly orchestrated, jazzy affair that ranks as one of his better early works. In addition to Legrand's instrumental score, the album features the Oscar-winning "The Windmills of Your Mind," as sung by Noel Harrison. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

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