Search - Johnny Williams :: Checkmate: Original Music From the CBS-TV Show (Plus: Johnny Williams: Rhythm in Motion)

Sheer Brilliance

Tad Ulrich | Los Angeles, CA United States | 06/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First off, I gotta admit I bought this limited edition cd on the strength of "Rhythm in Motion" alone. I've been waiting for this one for decades and it is simply one of my favorite albums of all time. I'd never listened to the Checkmate soundtrack before, or even watched the series for that matter, so this is just a new added treasure for me.



This is an outstanding production from Sony BMG. The thick booklet includes interesting commentary about the early career of Johnny (now John) Williams, some photos, complete album cover and liner replications as well as complete player personnel listings (not available on the previous Rhythm in Motion) and analyses of each tune. The musicians are the same basically for both records and feature such outstanding cats as Conrad Gozzo, Pete Candoli, Vince de Rosa, Ted Nash, Gene Cipriano, Jimmy Rowles, Joe Mondragon and Shelly Manne. On "Rhythm", John's father and brother do outstanding work on percussion. The remastered sound of both records is excellent and as sharp as the day it was recorded.



Checkmate follows a more or less standard approach to murder-mystery scoring ala perhaps Henry Mancini. But Williams infuses much color in his own concept, making this a truly wonderful listening experience. Some of my favorites are the opening theme as well as "Hassle in the Castle" with its debt to Mancini, and the loping "The Bishop's Retreat."



"Rhythm in Motion" comes at you with all the subtlety of a 12 gauge shotgun. Opening with a rousing "Fasctinatin' Rhythm" it doesn't let down one iota with the concluding "Buckle Down Winsocki." Truly brilliant writing and playing throughout and not one ballad in the mix either. Despite all the percussive fireworks creating sheer pandemonium, there is narry a wasted or ill thought out note or "ching" anywhere. It all makes sense and adds up to one of the most joyous listening experiences for big band/percussion enthusiasts (who like a good measure of humor) imaginable. No small measure to this album's success must be given to Hall of Fame drummer Shelly Manne who fuses all the tricky ensembles with his usual brilliance and execution. This album may be a bit too much for regular listeners but for those with true musical inclinations, it's sheer heaven on earth. The fact that this album didn't sell well during it's initial release does not detract one iota from its musical value.



Everyone knows of John Williams importance in the world of film scoring and Checkmate and Rhythm attest to his early brilliance. And I just can't imagine that Williams has lost nostalgia for these early efforts.

But don't mess around folks, this cd is limited to only 1000 issues and it's already down to 999!



"

For Nostalgia Buffs like Me

J. S. Beardall | American Fork, UT, USA | 07/18/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have long been John Williams fan and this is a remarkable piece of music history."