New Danger Mouse Album Breathes Strange Life into Morricone and Alessandroni
There’s no way to write this without pointing out how tangential it is to the world of film. On the other hand, it strikes the movie world right in the heart of a classic genre. So take your pick. Either way, it’s good music. Acclaimed producer Danger Mouse has teamed up with Italian composer Daniele Luppi to create “Rome,” an album that’s inspired by the scores of Spaghetti Westerns.
Normally, a theme or influence for an album wouldn’t be movie news, but in this case, Danger Mouse and Luppi brought together many of the original musicians who recorded the scores for Ennio Morricone and Alessandro Alessandroni – including the iconic Cantori Moderni (which is perhaps best remembered for The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly).
Jack White and Norah Jones lend their competing vocal styles to the project, and NPR has a first listen that’s just about good enough to blow a few minds. It absolutely captures the spirit of the genre, and there’s a good chance it will act as a surge of nostalgia for times when quiet strangers shot clean through the nooses of men dangling from trees.
Both Morricone and Alessandroni are still alive (and in their 80s), but it doesn’t seem like either were available to whistle for the project. None the less, it’s some great music that would have made a hell of a film score.
