Jean Ledrut - "The Trial" OST, Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, 2017/1962 (Doxy Music)

I know very little to nothing about the musician/composer Jean Ledrut.  Looking at his Discography, I can only find this album 'The Trial," as well as the original release of the same title but as a 7" EP and the full-length album as well.   This is the original soundtrack to Orson Welles' film of 1962, "The Trial" based on the novel by Franz Kafka.  It's a great film, and I think it's an Orson Welles masterpiece. Beyond that, I have a thing for Tomaso Albinoni's "Adagio in G Minor."  The music is used throughout the film, which gives it a slightly sad and depressed presence to "The Trial." The fact that the film/novel is very black humor in its practice, but seen as some as a 'heavy' statement of our culture, is an additional layer of pleasure for both the film and the soundtrack. 

Beside Ledrut, the other strong presence on the album is the great jazz pianist/film track composer Martial Solal.   He also wrote the score for Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless."  Here he does piano work for the jazzy score that is very much part of this project.   The main theme is Albinoni's music - arranged with strings, but also with solo organ (my favorite) and then various 'jazz' versions of the theme.  Ledrut I believe did the arrangements of the "Adagio in G Minor" but also wrote the Incidental music that's on the album as well.  

There's not a whole lot of information on the album, which is a real minus, especially since the composer/artist is an unknown figure in the English speaking world, but on the other hand, Doxy once again has made a work that wasn't available to the music market, and one has to appreciate their taste and expertise in getting this soundtrack out to the world.  I have written about Doxy (the label) in other posts/commentary, but I don't know anything about them. I suspect that they're from Italy, but even that is a mystery.  They do a lot of reissues of soundtrack albums and jazz/pop recordings. All good if not excellent taste in music and presentation.  Still, I suspect that they are a bootleg company that puts out music in between official labels, or works that become public domain.  Nevertheless, I never had a bad recording from this record label, and again, their taste is superb.  

Giovanni Fusco - "L'Eclisse" Vinyl, LP, OST, Album, Limited Edition (500), 2016 (Doxy Cinematic)

"L'Eclisse" is an Italian film made in 1962, starring Monica Vitti and Alain Delon, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni.  The soundtrack to the movie is by Giovanni Fusco, who also did the music for Alain Resnais'"Hiroshima, Mon Amour," as well for other Antonioni films.  About a week ago I saw "L'Eclisse, " and I loved the soundtrack.  I located a copy very recently, and I'm very impressed with Fusco's music.   The music is so much of the visuals, but here, I try to not think of the film, and just focus on the music. 

On this album, we get six versions of Mina's "Eclisse Twist."  One in Italian (of course), French, Spanish, English, an instrumental, and a slow-downed version.  That alone is worth the price of the album.   The additional greatness is Fusco's moody music that is minimal and dramatic.  While listening to Fusco's music, it reminded me of Angelo Badalamenti's work with David Lynch.  Perhaps due to the juxtaposition of a rock n' roll tune ("Eclisse Twist") with Fusco's borderline avant-garde composing.  In the same manner of a Roy Orbison song fitting into Badalamenti's score for "Blue Velvet," the same goes for the dynamic combination of Mina (an Italian 60s pop singer) and Fusco. 

The film "L'Eclisse" is slow-paced and takes its time to unveil its seductive relationship between Delon and Vitti, as well as presenting the world that is empty.  The music also conveys that unbalanced where things are not settled.  "Eclisse Twist" throws a wrench in the process, and it's very effective to go from one mood (celebrating) to the other (contemplating).   And back again.  The film and the soundtrack is a beautiful piece of work.  

Also, I want to give praise for the label Doxy or Doxy Cinematic.  I suspect that they operate in the gray area of bootlegging, but do a superb job concerning the sound of the vinyl, as well as the design work, and even more important, their ability to curate their series in a thoughtful and excellently manner.