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.  

Anton Karas "Anton Karas Plays The 3rd Man Theme" LP, Vinyl, Album (London Records)

"The Third Man" is one of my favorite films.  Friendship is a good subject matter for a film.  Especially a bad friendship.   I have always loved the soundtrack by Anton Karas, with just him playing the Zither.  Ah, the very name of the instrument makes me remember the days of Vienna, right after the war.  Except I never been to Vienna.  I only know Vienna through "The Third Man," through the eyes of Harry Lime.

I never realized that there was "The 3rd Man" TV show.   An American or British show?  Since this album seemed to come from the United Kingdom, I gather it's a British production. Nevertheless, it's Michael Rennie as Lime, and by this album cover, I already love the series.  I'm also not sure when this album was released.    By my estimate, sometime in the late 1950s.  

I have seen numerous edition of "The Third Man" soundtrack over the years, but it was Michael Rennie that made me put down $5.95 plus California sales tax.   Side one is the beloved and classic Karas soundtrack, but side two are Fritz & Jacky, who do Zither duet.  The titles are in German.  So, I'm not even sure it this music was used in the TV series or not. The music is not as good as Karas, but the playing is quite lively.   Oh, and I should state that the Karas soundtrack is the same as the Orson Welles/Caroll Reed film.  

A1	Third Man Theme
A2	Visions Of Vienna
A3	Danube Dream
A4	Cafe Mozart Waltz
A5	Second Theme
A6	Wien, Weib, Wein
B1	Die Annemarie Aus Rotterdam, Einmal Kommt Die Grosse Liebe, Erzahl' Mir Ein Marchen, Marina
B2	Ein Kleines Schiff Am Grossen Meer, Der Cowboy Hat Immer Ein Madel, Der Negerkonig "Bum"
B3	Halt, Bitte Bleiben Sie Doch Stehn, Liebe 1st Ja Nur Ein Marchen, Pack Die Badehose Ein
B4	Quicksliver, Du Ahnst Es Nicht, Was Du Fur Mich Bedeutest

Anthony Perkins - "From My Heart"

Anthony Perkins - From My Heart

Album, Download, 1958

RCA Records

It’s not unusual for a movie or TV actor to do an album during the late 1950s to 1960s.  Even up to the 70s, but I think the actor Anthony Perkins, in the late 50s was very much interested in being a recording star  But alas the movie world came upon his door and he answered the knocks of Orson Welles and Hitchcock and history was made.  Nevertheless this album came before that knock, and at then there is nothing awkward about his singing. He’s quite good.  The material is so-so, but he had the voice to cut it.  It would have been interesting to see if he could have added the quirkiness of his acting talent to his music, but alas that didn’t happen.  But on the other hand the arrangements are good.  It's a shame that he didn't stay with the music making.