Various

Deep, funk breaks, wah wah-guitar action soundtrack music and big jazz arrangements. This release marks Vocalion’s third compilation of music taken from the archives of KPM, the world’s leading library music company. As with the previous titles in this series, the focus is on the funky ’70s, and this release opens with arranger-composer David Gold’s superb ‘Big City Suite’, originally recorded in 1977 and issued in KPM’s legendary 1000 Series. Blending funk and jazz with exquisite orchestral writing, it is a superb evocation of city life in all its aspects, and was recorded in Dublin using some of Ireland’s finest jazz and session musicians. The remainder of the disc comprises some of the best tracks from the KPM 1000 Series, recorded between 1972 and 1978, by the cream of the company’s composers. Among the many delights are Steve Gray’s Theme for A Hunter (1975), Nick Ingman’s Open Roads (1978), John Cameron’s Four O’Clock Earthquake and Smokey Joe’s Dilemma (1972), Alan Hawkshaw & Brian Bennett’s Dossier (1976) and Alto Glide (1974), Keith Mansfield’s The Fix and Snake Hips (1976), and much more besides. The accompanying booklet contains tributes to the late Robin Phillips (1939-2006) – head of KPM during the 1960s and ’70s – written by Keith Mansfield, Alan Hawkshaw, James Clarke, David Gold and Peter Cox, KPM’s Creative Director. Not only do their tributes offer a fascinating insight into Robin’s life and career, but also to KPM itself in the 1970s. The booklet features several photographs of various KPM composers, taken during the 1960s and ’70s. All the music here is on CD for the first time, and has been remastered from the original analogue stereo tapes.