Classic Film Music

It’s the opening weekend of the Plaza Classic Film Festival and this year the world’s largest classic film festival looks to feature another outstanding amount of awesome films for all movie-lovers to enjoy. I am glad I got a few kicks in the butt by a great friend that showed me this festival where I’ve been able to see classic films I love and also find new, breathtaking films I never knew about. I was on my way to write about Radiohead when their lyric about how “it’s not like the movies, they fed us all little white lies” stirred me up to write about some classic films that have some awesome music I absolutely love.

I had first heard Adagio for Strings back when I was in high school and my old band director showed it to me. A slow-moving and equally slow-burning song, it was made even more famous when Platoon used it as the centerpiece to its darkest, most horrific moments. A certain conviction and deep and profound movement, it’s a flawless classical piece. This version is even more fitting because it’s a symphony that is conducted by Leonard Bernstein who happened to write the music for West Side Story, which played at the festival today (Thursday Aug 1) but we didn’t attend (it was $20!)

 
One of the best touches to any of Quentin Tarantino’s films is his way of combining music with a scene for absolute perfection. One of those scenes is the one in Reservoir Dogswhere Mr. Blonde takes out his anger and anguish on an ill-advised cop in stunningly memorable fashion. Easily regarded a classic film now, it took some time for people to catch on and come to think about it, the film has at least a handful of other significant songs but “Stuck in the Middle With You” by Stealer’s Wheel is probably the best.

  
I’m not sure if Mo’ Better Blues is considered a classic but I definitely like the film a lot. And even more because Spike Lee wanted to name it A Love Supreme after John Coltrane’s brilliant four-piece suite. Coltrane’s widow asked Lee to change the name of the film but luckily she let him use the first movement, Acknowledgement, on the film for what is a moment of beautiful music magic.

 
The film Donnie Darko is one of those cult films that you either love or don’t really care for. Personally, I feel like it deserves a lot of credit for presenting a story about adolescence in an understanding and moving fashion, while still using a lot of fantastic music throughout. The scene where they use Tears for Fears’ “Head Over Heels” is really special and the song itself, well, it’s really quite awesome.

 
Martin Scorsese, like Tarantino, has always been able to combine music into his films: with a deft touch. It’s fitting that tomorrow (Friday Aug 2) we get to kick off the festival with his stone-cold classic Goodfellas and while there are many songs from that film that could go here, I will go with an even older classic of his, Mean Streets, and its use of The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby.” Mostly because it inspired Brian Wilson to write “Don’t Worry Baby,” (I’ll include that classic song by The Beach Boys, too, just because I love it, although it’s entirely irrelevant to this post – well not entirely since there is this song) but also because the scene he uses it in is a chilling take of poignant humanity. And with that, to the festival we come! – Bryan

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman

During John Coltrane’s high years, he reveled as an unmatched musician that was on a whole different playing field. Even when he matched up with artists of similar ilk, like even Miles Davis, he outshined because his skill was something extraordinary. Ears unlike many others, skills that matched his impeccable ears and this silvery, smooth delivery, he was the best of the best. So during the early 60s Coltrane was just catching steam when he teamed with vocalist Johnny Hartman for what many consider a true jazz classic in balladry.

Make no qualms about it, Coltrane’s list of albums is deep and this is just one of a sample collection that further showcases his ear for melody. On this album he would take a backseat almost to Hartman’s singing as the two recorded the entire album in one day. Legend has it that Hartman went to one of Coltrane’s shows where he stayed until he finished and the two performed together and felt the fire. Agreeing to make an album together, they supposedly had their set list picked before they heard Nat King Cole singing “Lush Life” on the radio. Suddenly, the duo felt compelled to record their own definitive version of it. Here you can definitely tell that Coltrane allowed Hartman to take over, his voice sounds clear and very mellow, subdued almost by Coltrane’s serene style. You can hear his soft sax as it creeps into the song at about the two minute mark, always staying right underneath. Personally, yes to me, the sax is the star but you gotta love the way Coltrane allowed another star to reach high as well. The song’s lyrics were written by Billy Strayhorn who once said, “all music is beautiful,” agree or not, this is definitely just that, beautiful.

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And then there is “My One and Only Love,” where Coltrane takes the lead from the beginning with a melodically linear line. His saxophone renders half breaths where he dips notes, he takes the melody and adds the 7^th just to make it that much brighter and the piano is nothing more than decoration to Coltrane’s undeniably sweet saxophone skills. Just six songs short, this piece closes the first side of the record with a distant calling of love and although reminiscent, it sounds happy to have loved. Now, I’m not getting romantic or anything but this has to be the kind of music one would love to play at their wedding. The bright and sprinkling drums signal Hartman’s singing as he calls out with his singing heart. It’s timeless and the utter presentation of romanticism at its best. Even if they only paired up once and all we got was these six songs, it was obviously well worth it. – Bryan