Search - Jack Nitzsche :: The Hot Spot: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Alfredo V. from OSSINING, NY
Reviewed on 6/27/2010...

One of the better movie soundtracks. Great musicians.

A lost opportunity...

nicjaytee | London | 10/09/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker and Taj Mahal together on the same album: Wow!... well not quite. The problem is that this eclectic combination was put together specifically to play a Jack Nitzchse composed movie score. As soundtracks go it's good - lot's of drifting, atmospheric playing that's ideally suited to building cinematic moods - but, out of context, a great deal of it sounds like what, of course, it is: the music without the movie.On track after track John Lee Hooker puts in a tour-de-force of deep blues "groans" (so good that they're regularly sampled), Miles Davis inserts trumpet stabs to die for and Taj Mahal (supported by Tim Drummond, Earl Palmer & Roy Rogers) provides superbly earthy backings. But... after 13 often quite similar, low-key offerings it gets (dare I say it) a bit boring. So, why buy it? Well... it's an intriguing one-off mix of brilliant artists, it's great background music and, it contains three real gems: "Gloria's Story" (featuring some beautiful solos from Miles Davis) and the virtually identical "Bank Robbery" & "End Credits" where the group let rip with some wonderfully burning jazz-blues to provide an insight into what treats could have been on offer in a less constrained situation. A lost opportunity but worth the money all the same."

THIS IS THE HOT SPOT!

deepbluereview | SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA USA | 05/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I BOUGHT THIS CD ON A PURE WHIM, NEVER HEARING OF THE MOVIE AND HAVING NO IDEA OF WHAT TO EXPECT. WHAT A GREAT SURPRISE. THE CD FEATURES JOHN LEE HOOKER ON VOCALS, TAJ MAHAL ON GUITAR, MILES DAVIS ON TRUMPET, ROY ROGERS ON SLIDE, EARL PALMER ON DRUMS AND TIM DRUMMOND ON BASS. THE CD IS A COLLECTION OF SLOW BURNING SULTRY MUSIC THAT COMBINES BLUES AND JAZZ AS ONLY MILES DAVIS COULD PLAY. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE MOVIE, BUT DENNIS HOPPER DEFINETLY KNOWS HOW TO THROW A BAND TOGETHER. GO AHEAD, BUY THE CD, INVITE OVER THAT SOMEONE SPECIAL, OPEN A BOTTLE OF WINE, DIM THE LIGHTS AND FIND THAT HOT SPOT. A GREAT FIND!"