NEWS FROM TOP DOLLAR PR


From Top Dollar PR

ROD ABERNETHY AND JASON GRAVES SCORE BIG WITH ORIGINAL MUSIC FOR
STAR TREK: LEGACY, STAR TREK: TACTICAL ASSAULT & STAR TREK: ENCOUNTERS

AWARD-WINNING COMPOSERS WRITE EPIC SCI-FI ORCHESTRAL MUSIC FOR UPCOMING
BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO GAMES TO COINCIDE WITH 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF STAR TREK

Rockville, Maryland – September 29, 2006 – Bethesda Softworks® and Rednote Audio today proudly announce that veteran video game and film/TV composers Rod Abernethy and Jason Graves (Blazing Angels, The Hobbit) have created the original sci-fi orchestral scores for Bethesda Softworks’ upcoming titles STAR TREK: Legacy™ (Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows), STAR TREK: Tactical Assault™ (PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and Nintendo DS™ ) and STAR TREK®: Encounters (PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system). All three titles are scheduled to launch this fall under license from CBS Consumer Products. The STAR TREK franchise, which debuted with the Original Series in 1966, will celebrate its 40th anniversary this fall.

Rod Abernethy and Jason Graves have produced 60-minutes of classic symphonic style music for the highly anticipated next-generation STAR TREK video game, STAR TREK: Legacy, the first ever project to feature all five actors who portrayed the STAR TREK series captains. Developed under the direction and supervision of Bethesda Softworks at the studios of Mad Doc Software, Rednote’s score for Legacy fully captures the grand-scale feel and spirit of the STAR TREK universe.

Parker A. Davis, Legacy Producer at Mad Doc Software, says, “Mad Doc was fortunate enough to recruit the musical talents of Rod Abernethy and Jason Graves to score a completely original soundtrack for Legacy. We’re crafting a game that marries the cinematic appeal of STAR TREK and intensity of starship combat, and Rod and Jason captured that beautifully in their score. We’re thrilled with the results and believe gamers and fans of the series will agree it's very ‘Star Trek’ - very science fiction.”

STAR TREK: Legacy is an epic game of Starfleet combat spanning the entire STAR TREK Universe, featuring all the ships from every episode, every film. Players become the Admiral of a task force of warships and must lead their fleet to victory in large-scale battles complete with stunning visuals and special effects.

STAR TREK: Tactical Assault is a real-time spaceship combat game for 1 or 2 players, featuring a wide array of authentic Star Trek races, ships, and weaponry from the universe of the original Star Trek series. Players take command of powerful Federation and Klingon warships and must outthink and out duel their opponents in order to succeed. Play through either the Federation or Klingon campaigns in single-player mode or go head-to-head against a friend in wireless multiplayer action.

STAR TREK: Encounters is a shoot ‘em-up arcade style space combat game featuring ships, characters, and weapons from 40 years of Star Trek. Take command of your starship and blast through the universe, defending your vessel and demolishing your opponents’ in fast action battles.

For more information on these titles, please visit the official web site at http://startrek.bethsoft.com.

About Bethesda Softworks®
Headquartered in Rockville, MD, Bethesda Softworks LLC, a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media Inc., is a premier developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software and has produced numerous award-winning titles, most recently with The Elder Scrolls® IV: Oblivion™ and the 2002 PC and Xbox® Game of the Year and RPG of the Year, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrrowind®. Among Bethesda’s more popular franchises are The Elder Scrolls® series and Fallout®, as well as its licensed properties, Pirates of the Caribbean™ and Star Trek®. Its product line spans the sports, racing, RPG, strategy, and action genres. For more information on Bethesda Softworks’ products, visit www.bethsoft.com.

About Rednote Audio
Renowned for their cinematic and prolific orchestral music on action/adventure video game titles such as Blazing Angels, Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows, Zathura, King Arthur and The Hobbit (“Soundtrack of the Year” – 2004 Game Audio Network Guild Awards), Rednote Audio also creates award-winning music for film and television. Rod Abernethy’s work in video games began by collaborating with veteran film composer Elmer Bernstein on the video game "Wild Wild West, The Steel Assassin.” Since 1998, Rod has created award-winning scores for over forty video games. Early in his career, Rod recorded and collaborated with many well-known producers including legendary Paul Rothchild (the Doors, Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt) and David Lord (Peter Gabriel, Tori Amos, Tears For Fears, The Pretenders). Working in many major studios in the U.S. and U.K., Rod has recorded for Warner Bros., Elektra, Atlantic, and MCA Records. Jason Graves has studied with film composers Elmer Bernstein and Christopher Young, as well as Hollywood orchestrators Jack Smalley and Will Schaefer. He has composed and conducted for the Hollywood Studio Orchestra at Capitol Records and Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles, as well as the Northwest Sinfonia in Seattle. In addition to film scores, national commercials and trailer music, Jason has more than ninety television shows to his credit including three Telly's, an Addy, nine Silver Reels, a Gold Case Award, and a Cable A.C.E. Award. Jason also won 2nd Prize in Turner Classic Movies’ 2005 Young Film Composer Competition, of which there were more than 500 entries.

Rod Abernethy and Jason Graves are represented by Bob Rice of Four Bars Intertainment. For more information visit www.rednoteaudio.com

About Mad Doc® Software, LLC
Mad Doc® Software, LLC (www.maddocsoftware.com) consists of game industry veterans with experience in every aspect of game development. An emerging force in the industry, Mad Doc was founded in 1999 by Dr. Ian Davis with the goal of developing AAA titles that expand the game playing experience and broaden the market through creative use of new Networking, Graphics, and AI technologies, Massachusetts-based Mad Doc team members are responsible for over ten million units in the game market worldwide, earning the acclaim of players, critics, and publishers alike. Copyright 2005 Mad Doc® Software, LLC. All rights reserved. MadAI is a trademark of Mad Doc® Software, LLC. All rights reserved.

About CBS Consumer Products
CBS Consumer Products, a unit of CBS Enterprises, manages the worldwide licensing, merchandising and video activities for a diverse slate of properties owned or controlled by the CBS Corporation. Additional information is available by visiting www.CBS.com.

STAR TREK: Legacy™/STAR TREK: Tactical Assault™; STAR TREK®: Encounters. © 2006 Bethesda Softworks LLC, a ZeniMax Media company. ™, ® & © 2006 CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. CBS, the CBS EYE logo, and related marks are trademarks of CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. ® & © 2006 Paramount Pictures. STAR TREK: Legacy developed in association with Mad Doc Software, LLC. STAR TREK: Tactical Assault developed in association with Quicksilver Software. STAR TREK: Encounters developed in association with 4J Studios Ltd. Bethesda Softworks, ZeniMax and related logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of ZeniMax Media Inc. in the United States and/or in other countries. Microsoft, Xbox, the Xbox logo, Xbox 360, the Xbox 360 logo, Xbox Live, and the Xbox Live logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from owner. Nintendo, Nintendo DS and the Official Seal are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2004 Nintendo. “PlayStation”, “PS” Family logo and “PSP” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Memory Stick Duo(TM) may be required (sold separately). Certain limitations apply to Wi-Fi compatible connectivity. See manual for details. Player responsible for Wi-Fi compatible fees. All Rights Reserved. Other product and company names referenced herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. All Rights Reserved.

CORRECTION - PLEASE NOTE

From Costa Communications comes a correction to their previous press release on the subject below, which I posted on the site a few days ago. Please disregard that previous release.


WORLD PREMIERE OF
CRAIG ARMSTRONG'S SCORE
WORLD TRADE CENTER
WITH HOLLYWOOD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Saturday, October 7 at UCLA

(Hollywood, CA) - The Hollywood Symphony Orchestra follows its highly
successful inaugural concert with another evening of exquisite symphonic
music from the movies with the World Premiere of music by Golden Globe
winning composer Craig Armstrong from the "World Trade Center," the
Paramount Pictures release by director Oliver Stone. Over 100 of Hollywood's
top musicians and singers will appear on stage for an exciting gala event
and concert program on Saturday, October 7th at 8 p.m. at Royce Hall, on the
UCLA campus. Armstrong happened to be in New York on September 11, 2001, and
has composed a truly remarkable score, both poignant and emotive. He follows
this debut with the orchestral presentation of music from "Romeo and
Juliet," "Moulin Rouge," and "Ray" Thursday Oct 19th, 8pm at the Flemish
Opera House in Ghent.

Oliver Stone directs the true story of two police officers who became
trapped under the rubble of the World Trade Center after the 9/11 terrorist
attacks. Nicholas Cage and Michael Pena star as the two officers. Stone has
won several Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards for his films, which
include "Natural Born Killers," "JFK" and "Born on the Fourth of July." This
is the first time Stone and Armstrong have worked together.

For more than thirty years, conductor John Scott has been regarded as one of
the finest composers working internationally in films today, having
collaborated with the foremost producers and directors. The evening's
program will range from Sergei Prokofiev's classic score for the 1938 film
"Alexander Nevsky" to the U.S. concert premiere of a suite from "The
Matrix," by composer Don Davis. Other composers to be represented include
John Williams, Miklos Rosza, Dimitri Tiomkin, Maurice Jarre, and Max
Steiner.

Royal Academy of Music graduate Craig Armstrong passed through the ranks of
his native Scotland's band culture to become a respected and sought-after
composer and arranger on the world stage. In the contemporary field,
Madonna, U2, Björk and Massive Attack are among the acts to have benefited
from his talents, but it is his scores for "Ray," "The Clearing," "The Quiet
American," "The Bone Collector," and Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo & Juliet" and
"Moulin Rouge" that have brought him to the forefront of the movie industry.


The concert is presented by the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra Society.
Dedicated to preserving and presenting timeless works by contemporary
composers of film and television music in a setting worthy of their creative
gifts and talents, the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra Society honours an
art-form too rarely heard to its full dramatic effects on the concert stage.
For more information, please visit www.hollywoodsymphonyorchestra.org or
email info@hsos.org.

CD REVIEW - The Queen


The Queen
Music by Alexandre Desplat
Milan 399 050-2 (EU)
16 Tracks 44:27 mins

This Stephen Frears film is gaining much attention at the moment, not least for its stunning lead performance by Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II. Its story tells of events surrounding the death of Princess Diana and includes current Prime Minister Tony Blair coming to power. What surprises me however is, for such a British subject, a Frenchman has been chosen to score the film. There's basically nothing wrong with Alexandre Desplat's music, except that it lacks an overall British sensibility, with much of his material sounding understandably more continental. Surely, there are enough good British composers out there who would have loved the opportunity of providing a more suitable sound.
The album starts out well enough, with a regal opening to "The Queen," and some pastoral travelling music in "Hills of Scotland," but then Desplat introduces what is his most used theme in "People's Princess I," a repeating figure, which sounds more Italian than British to my ears. It's catchy enough, but just doesn't sound appropriate.
Tony Blair, portrayed yet again by Michael Sheen, seems to be treated as a figure of fun, with his theme being something of a light, comical waltz. This is featured prominently in his scenes with the Queen. The overall tragedy is largely dealt with in a suitably sorrowful manner, but "River of Sorrow" is surprisingly light. "The Queen Drives" and "Queen of Hearts" finds the "People's Princess" theme treated in an urgent manner, which is quite effective.
A nice enough score then from a composer who has become truly international, what with his recent work in Hollywood as well, but I would have loved to have heard what a British composer would have done with this film.

Sir Malcolm Arnold 1921 - 2006

As reported yesterday, Oscar-winning composer Sir Malcolm Arnold has passed away in hospital, after a short illness, just short of his 85th birthday, unfortunately missing out on many planned celebrations, not least in his home town of Northampton.
Arnold won his Oscar for David Lean's splendid The Bridge on the River Kwai in 1957, a score in which Arnold, ever the great wit, combined Colonel Bogey with his own march theme. He also received the Ivor Novello Award for The Inn of the Sixth Happiness the following year, a score again memorable, not only for Arnold's own stirring main and love themes, but for his incorporation of "This Old Man."
In all, Arnold composed the music for more than 50 feature films, as well as documentaries, radio, TV and the theatre, between his debut with the documentary Avalanche Patrol in 1947 and his final feature David Copperfield in 1970, including The Sound Barrier in 1952, The Captain's Paradise and Hobson's Choice (both 1953), The Belles of St. Trinian's (1954), Trapeze and 1984 (both 1955), The Roots of Heaven and Dunkirk (both 1958), Tunes of Glory and The Angry Silence (both 1960, Whistle Down the Wind (1961), The Lion (1962), Nine Hours to Rama (1963), The Chalk Garden (1964) and The Heroes of Telemark (1965).
Recommended are two excellent volumes of The Film Music of Sir Malcolm Arnold, released by Chandos Records, which includes new digital recordings of suites and themes from The Bridge on the River Kwai, Whistle Down the Wind, The Sound Barrier, Hobson's Choice, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, Trapeze, The Roots of Heaven, David Copperfield, The Belles of St. Trinian's and The Captain's Paradise. Marco Polo also recorded his scores for The Roots of Heaven and David Copperfield, a disc that again is well worth seeking out.
Arnold was one of those rare composers equally celebrated both in film music and classical music circles, having during the same period written many pieces for the concert hall, including full-blown symphonies, concertos and popular pieces like his Irish Dances, Tam O'Shanter, Four Cornish Dances, Four Scottish Dances, A Grand Grand Overture, The Padstow Lifeboat and A Sussex Overture.
Throughout much of his work, his marvellous sense of humour shone through, utilising such offbeat elements as vacuum cleaner and bird song, and he even arranged an annual concert of musical jokes at the Royal festival Hall.
In 1966 Arnold relocated to Cornwall to escape the pressures of living and working in the Capital and although he still produced many fine works there and participated in the local musical community, he was soon to experience a downward slide into alcoholism and depression, leading to attempted suicide and breakdown. However, having been largely out of fashion in the 1970s, Arnold experienced a revival of interest in his works throughout the 1980s, leading to a second Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Services to British Music in 1985, a Knighthood in 1993 and a Fellowship of the British Academy of Composers in Songwriters on the occasion of his 80th birthday concert at the Wigmore Hall.
For the last twenty years or so, Arnold had been resident in Norfolk, in the devoted care of companion Anthony Day, and it was during these years that ITV's The South Bank Show made a wonderfully frank, two-part documentary film, which hopefully will be resurrected to mark the passing of one of Britain's finest composers. And suitable tributes are surely forthcoming from the BBC, they having shamefully neglected his music in their recent Proms season.

CD REVIEW - Il Gatto Dagli Occhi Di Giada and Sir Malcolm Arnold Dies


Before I get to today's CD review, and in case you haven't heard, that great British composer Sir Malcolm Arnold has died at the age of 84, after a brief illness. Of course he has been retired from the film scoring scene for many years, but in his time was prolific on both the British and international film music scenes. I hope to bring you a proper appreciation tomorrow.



Il Gatto Dagli Occhi di Giada
Music by Trans Europa Express
Digitmovies CDDM 064 (Italy)
26 Tracks 56:01 mins

Another attractive release for fans of the Italia Giallo genre, and especially for those partial to the Goblin approach to these films, a the music for this 1978 Antonio Bido film is performed by the rock band Trans Europa Express and is very much in the style of Goblin. The composers within the band are Mauro Lysini and Gianfranco Coletta and they have come up with some fine, experimental atonal music in the style of the great Ennio Morricone, with some weird vocal effects and disjointed drumbeats. The remainder of the score is largely made up of repetitive guitar-driven rock cues, but there are some lighter moments and track 14 (there are no track titles save for the "Finale") is a light and catchy mover for guitars and synths, which does become more powerful at the end. This theme is reprised at the end of the "Finale."
Apart from this theme there is an old-fashioned dance track, which is made to sound like a 78 recording, complete with scratches, and two of the six bonus tracks are melodic, the first a cocktail bar piano solo, the second providing a brief moment of romance. Overall, this is not one for lovers of melody, but if you are a Giallo fan, you'll definitely want to be picking this one up.
As always, the accompanying booklet is filled with artwork and stills from the film, plus Pierluigi Valentini & Claudio Fuiano's notes, and even a comment from the director.

CD REVIEW - Sette Note in Nero


Sette Note in Nero
Music by Bixio-Frizzi-Tempera
Digitmovies CDDM 062 (Italy)
22 Tracks 53:39 mins

Heading up the latest batch of Digitmovies releases is this 1977 score for a Lucio Fulci Giallo movie, for once short on blood and gore and instead relying more on the Edgar Allan Poe approach in a supernatural tale involving Jennifer O'Neill and her premonitions.
The score is provided by a team probably best known to Italian Western movie fans and is the first release for the complete score, only a 45 rpm single being previously available, the tracks off which are included as a bonus at the end of the disc, along with an instrumental of the song "With You," which appears, vocalised by Linda Lee, on track 2. It's a pleasant enough love ballad, although rather shakily performed, and something to be made the most of, as there is very little melody at all to be found throughout the remainder of the disc, just a classical source piece "Concerto alla Radio" and something of a love theme, which first gained my attention in "La Lettera," but which gets a fine treatment for Gil Ventura's sax in the "finale." The remainder of the score I am afraid is largely eerie and suspenseful and doesn't make for easy listening, save for a repeating seven-note figure, first heard in "7 Note" (and what else would it be called?).
The usual colourful booklet accompanies the disc, with Claudio Fuiano & Pierluigi Valentini's notes, plus plenty of artwork and stills from the production.

NEWS ROUNDUP

Three press releases from Costa Communications, plus a further one regarding the release of Chance Thomas' latest game score.


From Costa Communications

FILM COMPOSER MYCHAEL DANNA
SCORES "LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE"
Four Weeks in the Top 10, #3 Box Office
Soundtrack release from Lakeshore Records

(Los Angeles, CA) Award winning film composer Mychael Danna, most notably
recognized for scoring Oscar-winning "Capote," creates an emotionally
poignant score to Fox Searchlight Pictures' "Little Miss Sunshine." The Fox
Searchlight release starring Golden Globe nominee Greg Kinnear, Toni
Collette and Steven Carrell remain in the top ten after two months in
theaters, taking the film by director Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris to
#3 at the box office. Film composer Mychael Danna is a pioneer in the
combination of non-Western sound sources with orchestral and electronic
minimalism. For "Little Miss Sunshine," he collaborated with folk-indie rock
band DeVotchka. Danna's score sets the mood for the sardonic tale of an
American family determined to succeed, whilst enduring with each other's
discernible neuroses. Soundtrack is available on Lakeshore Records.

"Little Miss Sunshine" is a comedy-drama directed by the husband-wife team
of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, and this is their first feature. The
movie has had high praise and acclaim, including winning the Best Feature -
World Cinema Audience Award at the 2006 Sydney Film Festival, and standing
ovations at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

Mychael Danna began his film music career with his score for "Family
Viewing" for director Atom Egoyan in 1987. His music received the "Best
Score" award from the prestigious Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.
Danna is most markedly recognized for incorporating ethnic influences into
the body of his contemporary film scoring aesthetics. This fame led him to
work with acclaimed directors such as Ang Lee, Scott Hicks, Gilles
MacKinnon, Mira Nair, James Mangold, Joel Schumacher and Denzel Washington.

In addition to his film scores, Danna has proven his versatility from
scoring Moroccan music in "8MM" to Americana in "Ride with the Devil" to
European medieval and Persian music in "The Sweet Hereafter," as well as
"Where the Truth Lies," "Arafat," "Felicia's Journey," "Exotica," "The
Adjuster" and "Speaking Parts." Danna is currently working on the much
anticipated feature, "The Nativity Story," which will be released on
December 1st.


From Costa Communications

CRAIG ARMSTRONG
CONDUCTS WORLD PREMIERE OF
WORLD TRADE CENTER
WITH HOLLYWOOD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Saturday, October 7 at UCLA

(Hollywood, CA) - The Hollywood Symphony Orchestra follows its highly
successful inaugural concert with another evening of exquisite symphonic
music from the movies with the World Premiere of music by Golden Globe
winning composer Craig Armstrong from the "World Trade Center," the
Paramount Pictures release by director Oliver Stone. Over 100 of Hollywood's
top musicians and singers will appear on stage for an exciting gala event
and concert program on Saturday, October 7th at 8 p.m. at Royce Hall, on the
UCLA campus. Armstrong happened to be in New York on September 11, 2001, and
has composed a truly remarkable score, both poignant and emotive. He follows
this debut with the orchestral presentation of music from "Romeo and
Juliet," "Moulin Rouge," and "Ray" Thursday Oct 19th, 8pm at the Flemish
Opera House in Ghent.

Oliver Stone directs the true story of two police officers who became
trapped under the rubble of the World Trade Center after the 9/11 terrorist
attacks. Nicholas Cage and Michael Pena star as the two officers. Stone has
won several Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards for his films, which
include "Natural Born Killers," "JFK" and "Born on the Fourth of July." This
is the first time Stone and Armstrong have worked together.

The evening's program will range from Sergei Prokofiev's classic score for
the 1938 film "Alexander Nevsky" to the U.S. concert premiere of a suite
from "The Matrix," by composer Don Davis. Other composers to be represented
include John Williams, Miklos Rosza, Dimitri Tiomkin, Maurice Jarre, and Max
Steiner.

Royal Academy of Music graduate Craig Armstrong passed through the ranks of
his native Scotland's band culture to become a respected and sought-after
composer and arranger on the world stage. In the contemporary field,
Madonna, U2, Björk and Massive Attack are among the acts to have benefited
from his talents, but it is his scores for "Ray," "The Clearing," "The Quiet
American," "The Bone Collector," and Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo & Juliet" and
"Moulin Rouge" that have brought him to the forefront of the movie industry.


The concert is presented by the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra Society.
Dedicated to preserving and presenting timeless works by contemporary
composers of film and television music in a setting worthy of their creative
gifts and talents, the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra Society honours an
art-form too rarely heard to its full dramatic effects on the concert stage.
For more information, please visit www.hollywoodsymphonyorchestra.org or
email info@hsos.org.


From Costa Communications

SCHEDULE:

WHAT: The fifth annual Hollywood Reporter/Billboard Film & TV Music
Conference.

WHO: Hollywood's most influential decision-makers and musical trendsetters.
-Upcoming participants will be announced!

WHEN: Nov. 14-15, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Beverly Hilton, Wilshire Blvd. at Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills.
For more information and to register, visit www.billboardevents.com.
Registration: $350 (Early Bird - Register by 9/9), $375 (Pre-Registration -
Register by 10/28), $425 (Full-Registration - Register by 11/13), $450 (Walk
Up).

WHY: Held each year by Hollywood Reporter and Billboard, the Film and TV
Music Conference examines the crucial and evolving role of music in film and
television. The event provides a dynamic forum for the exchange of ideas
among the top film/TV and music professionals in the industry.

About The Hollywood Reporter:
Top news-gathering and publishing organization The Hollywood Reporter is a
must-read for entertainment's most powerful, influential people. More than
144,000 key decision makers worldwide rely on the publication for fuel for
thought that enables success in a continually evolving business and creative
environment. The Hollywood Reporter provides comprehensive coverage of the
global entertainment industry with six editions: Daily; Weekly
International; Special Issues; E-Mail; THR-East; and its Neal Award-winning
Web site - www.HollywoodReporter.com.

About Billboard:
Now in its 112th year, Billboard is the world's premier music industry
publication and a diverse digital, events and brand-licensing platform.
Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivalled reporting
about the latest music, video and digital entertainment issues and trends.
Billboard is the flagship property for the Billboard Information Network
(BIN), Billboard Directories, Billboard Licensing & Events and Billboard
Radio Monitor.

Both The Hollywood Reporter and the Billboard Information Group are units of
VNU Business Media, a worldwide media company that provides specialized
publications, electronically delivered data, expositions and marketing
services and is owned by VNU Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of
Netherlands-based VNU, an international publishing and information company.

2006 SCHEDULE
(subject to change)

Tuesday, November 14

8:30am - 5:00pm
Beverly Hills Ballroom Foyer
Registration

Panellist Ready-Room
Beverly Hills Salon

9:00am - 9:15am
Beverly Hills Ballroom
GREETING

9:15am - 10:15am
Beverly Hills Ballroom
KEYNOTE Q&A WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
A leading figure in the entertainment industry shares a unique perspective
on the creative and business aspects of crafting successful scores and
soundtracks for film and television music projects.

10:30am - 11:30am
Beverly Hills Ballroom
MASTER CLASS
From selecting the right artists to negotiating deals, this line-up of the
top film & television music executives discuss the state of the business.
Moderator:
Tamara Conniff, Associate Publisher/Executive Editor, Billboard

11:45am - 1:00pm
Q&A with a very special guest - music artist

1:00pm - 2:00pm
LUNCH BREAK

2:00pm - 3:00pm
Beverly Hills Ballroom
ASCAP PRESENTS: Making Money

3:15pm - 4:15pm
THE MOBILE FRONTIER:
What the revolution means to composers and songwriters.
Moderator:
Paula Parisi, Editorial Director, Features, The Hollywood Reporter

4:30pm - 5:30pm
Beverly Hills Ballroom
THE BILLBOARD Q&A


5:45pm - 6:30pm
Beverly Hills Ballroom
MUSIC & GAMES:
Top names share secrets and strategies for composing music for games.
Moderator:
Tamara Conniff, Associate Publisher/Executive Editor, Billboard

7:00pm - 8:00pm
Beverly Hills Ballroom & Foyer
OPENING COCKTAIL RECEPTION

Wednesday, November 15

8:30am - 5:00pm
Beverly Hills Ballroom Foyer
Registration

9:00am - 10:15am
Beverly Hills Ballroom
SHOOT PRESENTS MUSIC FOR COMMERCIALS
- A look at this year's best Music in Commercials, with insights into the
creative genesis and strategies behind the work that made SHOOT's quarterly
Top 10 Spot Tracks Charts in '06. A panel--featuring ad agency, composer,
sound designer and music licensor perspectives--discusses not only the spots
themselves but also industry trends spanning commercials and new media
content. Moderator: Bob Goldrich, editor, SHOOT

10:30am - 11:45am
Beverly Hills Ballroom
Special guests - Q&A
A spirited exploration of the magical synergy between filmmaker and
composer.


12:00pm - 1:30pm
Beverly Hills Ballroom
MUSIC SUPERVISORS PARTS 1 & 2

Super Supervisors - Part 1
Music supervisors are hired to fulfil a vision while working with time and
budget constraints. They are often the glue that keeps the musical vision
together as they navigate the process of selecting and licensing songs for
motion pictures and television while balancing interests of the studio,
label, artist and filmmakers. Top experts in the field will offer
perspective on music spotting, researching rights, dealing with sample
issues and ownership disputes, negotiating license fees and finding great
music. This is a must-attend session for anyone interested in licensing
their music, creating music for film and TV or simply gaining a better
understanding about marrying music to picture.

Part 2
Music Supervisor Workshop
Top music supervisors in film, television, video games and trailers will
share their knowledge and experience in a roundtable tutorial. Topics
include:
o How best to submit music
o How to prepare your music for licensing
o Placing your music and negotiating fees
o How music publishing works
o How technology is changing things - MYSPACE, FTP servers &
music blogs

1:30pm - 2:30pm
LUNCH BREAK

2:30pm - 3:45pm
Wilshire Ballroom
ROUNDTABLE SESSIONS
Enjoy dynamic discussions on the hottest topics of the day with peers and
experts in the industry.
Topics include:
Protecting your rights
Music libraries
Licensing songs for videogames
Music for advertising
Succeeding at soundtracks
Opportunities for emerging artists
Monitoring royalty collection
Landing an agent
Music for Indie production
Pitching music for film
Getting started in supervision


3:45pm - 5:00pm
Beverly Hills Ballroom
ANATOMY OF A FILM : Dreamgirls
The process of deconstructing a blockbuster film and the creative process
used in uniting audio with visual.
Beverly Hills Ballroom

5:15pm - 6:30pm
THE POWER OF INDIES
How Hollywood's most innovative filmmakers, music supervisors and record
labels achieve their musical aims. This panel will address how indies find
the best music at the lowest cost, clearances and licensing, advantages and
disadvantages of soundtrack album releases, and why music plays such a vital
role in indie films.
Moderator:
Chris Morris, The Hollywood Reporter


7:00pm - 8:30pm
Stardust Ballroom, Penthouse Level
CLOSING COCKTAIL RECEPTION




Left Behind Games Announces Release of Music Soundtrack by Award-Winning Composer Chance Thomas
LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- September 20, 2006 -- Left Behind Games Inc. has commercially released the original soundtrack for the much anticipated PC Game, LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces. The soundtrack is available for preview and download online at:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=193140985

Multiple award-winner Chance Thomas is the composer of music for LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces and numerous other blockbuster video games, including King Kong, X-Men:The Official Movie Game and Vivendi's Lord of the Rings.

"It was important to hit a high quality standard with LEFT BEHIND," said Thomas, "And to deliver a score appealing to both mainstream and Christian audiences."

Troy Lyndon, CEO, Left Behind Games, added, "For this soundtrack, we've infused gospel and inspirational influences with classical and contemporary Hollywood film scoring sensibilities, which is a first in video games."

The LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces soundtrack release comes on the eve of the Hollywood Bowl's Video Games Live concert to be held Thursday evening, Sept. 21st. Event organizers have arranged for Chance to meet with fans at the concert's pre-show autograph session. As a special gift, Chance is giving away free copies of the soundtrack to every tenth person in line, as long as supplies last.

LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces, the first title from Left Behind Games, is a real-time-strategy game set in post-apocalyptic New York City. Players control the Tribulation Force as they attempt to save New Yorkers from the Global Peacekeepers controlled by the Antichrist.

LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces will ship to stores in time for Christmas. The LEFT BEHIND novel series, written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, have sold more than 65,000,000 books and are available in numerous locations nationwide.


ABOUT LEFT BEHIND GAMES

Left Behind Games Inc. was founded in October 2001 for the purpose of developing games based upon the popular LEFT BEHIND series. The mission of Left Behind Games is to become the world's leading independent developer and publisher of quality interactive entertainment products that perpetuate positive values and appeal to mainstream, Christian and gamer audiences, while remaining committed to increasing shareholder value and pursuing the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in all business affairs.

For more information visit www.leftbehindgames.com.

ABOUT HUGESOUND

HUGEsound is a full-service audio production company serving the game, film, and television industries. HUGEsound features the critically acclaimed and multiple award-winning music services of composer Chance Thomas. HUGEsound also offers a full range of audio post production services through the HUGEsound NetworkT of affiliated sound designers, voice casting agents, engineers and studios. For more information, please visit: www.HUGEsound.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of management. Such statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations and involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause Left Behind Games' future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.


SOURCE: Left Behind Games Inc.

CHANCE THOMAS
HUGEsound Audio Director, Composer
Phone (559) 642-4843
www.HUGEsound.com
________________________________________________________

Selected Credits: KING KONG, X-MEN, LORD of the RINGS
Award Winners: OSCAR, EMMY, GANG, AURORA, IGN
________________________________________________________

Representation by:
Bob Rice, FBI (408) 879-9216
www.FourBarsIntertainment.com

CD REVIEW - Kapo


Kapo
Music by Carlo Rustichelli
Digitmovies CDDM 063 (Italy)
49 Tracks 73:43 mins

Carlo Rustichelli's score for this 1960 Gillo Pontecorvo film is written in collaboration with the latter and largely consists of a bunch of themes and variations repeated over and over.
The film tells the tragic story of a young Jewish girl locked up in a Nazi prison camp and her character is represented by a poignant, nostalgic theme for guitar and orchestra, first heard in "Edith Attraversa Parigi-Preludio pt.3." As the score develops, this is sometimes heard in tandem with the opening theme for harpsichord, which itself features in some dramatic moments, interrupted, as it is, by harsh, violent brass.
The other recurring themes are a bombastic military march, first heard in "Marcia-Preludio pt.2" and another march theme of the despairing, hopeless kind, first heard in "Prigionieri alla Stazione." All the above-mentioned themes are, as I said, repeated in variations and combinations over and over throughout subsequent tracks, making this album seem perhaps a bit overlong, but one cannot fault the label for wanting to release the complete score, half a CD on the Cinevox label previously being the longest representation. And it's in very good stereo sound.
Apart from the main themes discussed, there is a good deal of downbeat and suspenseful music, as one would expect from a film with this subject, a few bursts of action and a couple of source tracks, one an a capella female choral, the other a radio dance track.
The 34 score tracks are followed by 10 bonus tracks, mostly alternate takes on various score tracks, but with a new track featuring solo female voice. A "special archives track" follows, taken from the recording sessions, which reveals fascinating exchanges (in Italian of course) between composer Rustichelli, conductor Franco Ferrara and copyist/studio contractor Donato Salone. Finally, there are four mono tracks, which made up the original RCA EP, from the time of the film's release, which features longer tracks made up of combinations of the main themes.
All of this and the usual excellent accompanying booklet, with Claudio Fuiano's notes, colour artwork and stills from the film, which was made in black & white. You certainly get your money's worth!

SOUNDTRACK REVIEW - Prehistoric Park


Prehistoric Park
Music by Daniel Pemberton
iTunes download
31 Tracks 55:04 mins

An enjoyable romp for kids and adults alike was the recent ITV series Prehistoric Park, which utilised the technology first dazzlingly displayed in the BBC's Walking With Dinosaurs and subsequent sequels. The show saw Nigel Marven go backwards and forwards in time, through a portable time portal, to collect prehistoric creatures for a huge and very unusual wildlife park. OK, so some of the humour may have been a bit infantile, but one couldn't help but be swept up at times by the fantastic creatures trotted out before us, most of which were pretty convincing.
The music score was provided by a new name to me, Daniel Pemberton, whom I later discovered has been on the scene for some time, composing music for films and particularly TV, where he seems to almost have cornered the market in scoring reality shows. Not having time to view such fare, this is why I was obviously unaware of his talents. He has also ventured into the videogame world with hi score for The Movies, which was named as "the best videogame soundtrack in the world for 2005" by Gamespy.com. From the looks of his upcoming assignments, we are sure to be hearing much more of this talented composer in the near future, with scores for Channel 4's Interference, the BBC's The Haunting of Toby Jugg and "Alive: Kidnapped in the Killing Fields" from the makers of Touching the Void.
The music of Prehistoric Park features the 70-piece City of Prague Philharmonic, an orchestra that is now very much finding original film and TV work, having been utilised over the years by Silva Screen in their excellent compilation albums. Pemberton also adopts innovative electronic sound design for the bleaker landscapes on display during the series - tracks like "Like Nowhere on Earth," "Barren and Strange" and "Ice Planet."
The main theme is first heard in "Opening," building majestically from a jungle drumbeat, a feature found frequently in subsequent tracks. This is followed by a more leisurely, awe-filled variation in "Entering the Park." The music for "The Time Portal" is a further variation, ending in a big, adventurous climax.
The undoubted highlights of the cues that follow are the action pieces, again largely driven by that jungle drumbeat and other percussion. Tracks like "Cave Bear Chase," Buffalo Stance" and Cheetah Chase" provide a fair bit of excitement, with "Saving the World" moving impressively to a triumphant climax. "The Great Escape" is another action piece, starting off quite comically before turning more menacing as Nigel is pursued by an escaped T-Rex.
The penultimate track, "Returning to the Park" provides a serene conclusion to events, before the main theme is given a short, powerful burst in the "End Credits."
At present the score is only available as a download through iTunes, where you can find it along with an increasing number of film scores for purchase there.

CD REVIEW: Adams: Violin Concerto


Adams: Violin Concerto
Naxos 8.559302 (EU)
6 Tracks 63:49 mins

This latest disc in the label's American Classics series gets underway with John Corigliano's Chaconne from The Red Violin, which is of course drawn from his score to that 1998 film, but rather than write a piece using all the elements of his score for this complex history of a violin, the composer chose to base it on the main recurring melody, drawing for a set of variations over a constant bass pattern. What results is a dull and boring piece, with much solo and at times barely audible violin, performed here by Chloe Hanslip. Only after about four minutes and then again at the very end does the piece come to life and nudge one out of the slumber induced by the remainder of the piece.
The other piece of interest to film music followers is prolific Hollywood composer Franz Waxman's Tristan and Isolde Fantasia. This is drawn from the finale of his score for the 1946 film Humoresque and if it sounds familiar, that is because it freely uses elements from the Prelude and Lieberstod of Wagner's opera. It is nevertheless filled with the classic Hollywood sound of the time and will appeal to fans of the Golden Age of Hollywood film scoring.
Waxman, who in his time also strove to promote concert music in California, was also involved in the second piece featured on the disc, his arrangement of George Enescu's Romanian Rhapsody No. 1.
The final and title piece of the disc, is American composer John Adams' Violin Concerto.
As well as Ms Hanslip on violin, Charles Owen features on the piano in the Waxman piece, whilst the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by no less than Leonard Slatkin.

CD REVIEW: Hayasaka: Piano Concerto


Hayasaka: Piano Concerto
Music by Humiwo Hayaska
Naxos 8.557819 (EU)
4 Tracks 52:51 mins

Prior to this release all I had known about the late Japanese composer Humiwo Hayasaka was that he composed the music for the Japanese cinema classics The Seven Samurai and Rashomon, so I found the accompanying booklet notes most enlightening. In fact, during his tragically short life, he had composed the scores for more than 100 films and written a good deal for the concert hall as well, three examples of which are included on this disc.
Unlike his colleague and contemporary Akira Ifukube, Hayasaka was very influenced by European music, as well as taking on board influences from China and other Asian countries, all of which very much came out in his work. Not being very well versed in music for the concert hall, I cannot myself compare his work with that of other composers for that medium, but his writing for the Piano Concerto from 1948 is likened to that of Rachmaninov and Chopin. All I can say, is that it consists of two movements; the first, something of a dark requiem, with some very dramatic moments for solo piano, whilst the second is a lighter affair, again with dramatic moments, but overall very busy and can be likened more to Chinese than Japanese music.
The second piece on this CD is 1941's Ancient Dances on the Left and on the Right and is perhaps more consistently Oriental in nature, though more so the Dance on the Right, which starts out much lighter than the almost regal Dance on the Left, though it does become somewhat riotous and then grand at one point.
The most enjoyable piece on the disc is undoubtedly the closing Overture in D from 1939, which is basically a stirring march and variations.
Throughout, the music is very well performed by the Russian Philharmonic, under the baton of Dmitry Yablonsky, with Hiromi Okada featuring on piano.
I'm so pleased that Naxos continues to release music by Japanese composers, as I never fail to find something of interest therein.

News from Costa Communications


From Costa Communications

FILM COMPOSER MYCHAEL DANNA
SCORES "LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE"
Four Weeks in the Top 10, #3 Box Office
Soundtrack release from Lakeshore Records

(Los Angeles, CA) Award winning film composer Mychael Danna, most notably
recognized for scoring Oscar-winning "Capote," creates an emotionally
poignant score to Fox Searchlight Pictures' "Little Miss Sunshine." The Fox
Searchlight release starring Golden Globe nominee Greg Kinnear, Toni
Collette and Steven Carrell remain in the top ten after two months in
theatres, taking the film by director Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris to
#3 at the box office. Film composer Mychael Danna is a pioneer in the
combination of non-Western sound sources with orchestral and electronic
minimalism. For "Little Miss Sunshine," he collaborated with folk-indie rock
band DeVotchka. Danna's score sets the mood for the sardonic tale of an
American family determined to succeed, whilst enduring with each other's
discernible neuroses. Soundtrack is available on Lakeshore Records.

"Little Miss Sunshine" is a comedy-drama directed by the husband-wife team
of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, and this is their first feature. The
movie has had high praise and acclaim, including winning the Best Feature -
World Cinema Audience Award at the 2006 Sydney Film Festival, and standing
ovations at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

Mychael Danna began his film music career with his score for "Family
Viewing" for director Atom Egoyan in 1987. His music received the "Best
Score" award from the prestigious Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.
Danna is most markedly recognized for incorporating ethnic influences into
the body of his contemporary film scoring aesthetics. This fame led him to
work with acclaimed directors such as Ang Lee, Scott Hicks, Gilles
MacKinnon, Mira Nair, James Mangold, Joel Schumacher and Denzel Washington.

In addition to his film scores, Danna has proven his versatility from
scoring Moroccan music in "8MM" to Americana in "Ride with the Devil" to
European medieval and Persian music in "The Sweet Hereafter," as well as
"Where the Truth Lies," "Arafat," "Felicia's Journey," "Exotica," "The
Adjuster" and "Speaking Parts." Danna is currently working on the much
anticipated feature, "The Nativity Story," which will be released on
December 1st.

CD REVIEW - Franco De Gemini - The Man with the Harmonica


Franco De Gemini - The Man with the Harmonica
All Score Media ASM 023 (Germany)
16 Tracks 45:28 mins

This very easy listening collection, released on 22nd September, serves as a tribute to the man whose harmonica graced many an Italian Western and a good few more films besides and is named after perhaps his most famous track, that composed by Ennio Morricone for the Sergio Leone classic Once Upon a Time in the West.
That track, which needs no introduction, provides a tremendous start to this collection, which largely consists of beat-driven, easy listening material, with a little jazz thrown in. De Gemini performs on most of the selections, and even composed a few, some in collaboration with that other distinctive voice, and sometime composer of the period Alessandro Alessandroni.
The first four selections are all for westerns, with the only vocal on the album being included, the song from Lallo Gori's Buckaroo, performed by the film's star Dean Read. All are highly enjoyable, as is the following "I Pendolari" by Bruno Nicolai, which wouldn't have been out of place itself in a western, with its lonely harmonica over travelling riff. "Cinzia," a bouncy mover, is Alessandroni's first contribution to the album and later selections from his work include the rhythmic disco mover "Big News" and the somewhat disjointed rhythm of "Black Widow."
De Gemini and Alessandroni combine as composers on three tracks, a couple of which are jazzy dance numbers, the other being a bouncy, easy-going track with vocal group support. De Gemini also has two of his solo compositions included; "Cos' e L'amore" is again easy-going with voices; whilst "Cheops and Nefertiti" is somewhat Burt Bacharach inspired, a fast-flowing jazzy pieces with the vocal group taking the lead.
In fact, all the selections have something to offer, with De Gemini's mastery of his instrument evident; all that is save for the concluding selection, Walter Rizzati's disco arrangement of the opening track, which I'm afraid should have been left in the vaults to hopefully crumble away to dust.
The disc is accompanied by a colourful booklet, with plenty of album artwork, which features Dietmar Bosch's overview of the composer and his career, completed with comments from the latter, taken from a 2004 interview. A very nice collection then, with more than half the tracks previously unreleased, and especially so for those partial to Italian music of the '60s and '70s.

News from Top Dollar PR


From Top Dollar PR

DESTROY ALL HUMANS!(r) 2 TO FEATURE SWINGING '60's
ORCHESTRAL SCORE BY GARRY SCHYMAN

AWARD WINNING HOLLYWOOD COMPOSER PROVIDES NEW, ORIGINAL MUSIC
FOR SEQUEL TO HIT SCI-FI VIDEO GAME FROM THQ /PANDEMIC STUDIOS

Los Angeles - September 12th, 2006 - Film, television and game composer Garry Schyman (www.garryschyman.com) has created a new, original score for the upcoming THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) sequel to the widely acclaimed hit Destroy All Humans!(r) Developed by Pandemic Studios, Destroy All Humans!(r) 2 is set in the 1960's and the game's music is drawn from scoring styles of that period. Schyman's musical influences for DAH 2 include John Barry's scores for the James Bond films of the 1960's as well as early Jerry Goldsmith and TV scores such as "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." and "The Twilight Zone." The 60-minute score was recorded with a live orchestra featuring some of the best A-list studio players in Hollywood. A limited soundtrack album release of Schyman's music will be available at Target with purchase of the game. A commercial release of the game's soundtrack including Schyman's score will also be available through Lakeshore Records.

Composer Garry Schyman, who also wrote the score for the first Destroy All Humans! game (nominated for three G.A.N.G awards including Best Original Score), commented, "For Destroy All Humans! 2 I immersed myself in the scoring of that period, listening to dozens and dozens of soundtracks from that time of many different genres. However, just as in the original Destroy All Humans! was set in the 1950's, with Destroy All Humans! 2 I never attempt to intentionally satirize the game experience with the score. Instead the humour comes from playing it dead straight and letting the irony of the 60's images, witty dialogue and straight orchestral scoring from the period create the fun."


Andrew Cheney, Lead Sound Designer for DAH 2, said, "We were looking for a perfect marriage between the alien theme from the first game and an updated feel of the new decade, the 60's. Garry hit this mark perfectly. His use of thematic elements throughout the score lends cohesion to the diverse atmospheres of DAH 2, but with unique twists and perfect understanding of the individuality of each site. Garry's score has an energy and excitement that truly captures the 60's without rehashing existing music."

Schyman concludes, "When you score a DAH 2 landing site set in Japan with an alien and a Godzilla-like monster you end up with some very exciting music! It was a blast to write and record this score. I have to thank Pandemic and THQ for making these amazingly entertaining games and letting me loose in a sandbox to have fun!"

Schyman recently signed to the Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency and is currently scoring another highly anticipated video game title. For more information on the composer visit www.garryschyman.com.

Destroy All Humans! 2 is scheduled to release for PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox(r) video game system from Microsoft on October 17, 2006. For more information on the game please visit www.destroyallhumansgame.com.

About Pandemic Studios:
Pandemic Studios, LLC is a premier developer of entertainment for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and the PC. Over the last eight years, industry veterans Josh Resnick and Andrew Goldman have built the company into one of the largest independent developers in the world, with studios in Los Angeles, California and in Brisbane, Australia. Pandemic games have won numerous awards and have sold millions of copies worldwide. More information about Pandemic is available at www.pandemicstudios.com.

About THQ:
THQ Inc. (Nasdaq: THQI) is a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. The company develops its products for all popular game systems, personal computers and wireless devices. Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells product through its global network of offices located throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. More information about THQ and its products may be found at www.thq.com and www.thqwireless.com. THQ, THQ Wireless, Destroy All Humans! and their respective logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc. For more information please visit www.thq.com.

Pandemic(r) and the Pandemic logo(r) are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Pandemic Studios, LLC. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

News from Costa Communications


From Costa Communications

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATED COMPOSER
JOHN DEBNEY
SCORES CHRISTOPHER REEVE'S LAST FILM
"EVERYONE'S HERO"

(Hollywood, CA) Academy Award-nominated composer John Debney scores the animated film "Everyone's Hero," opening September 15 from 20th Century Fox.
The soundtrack album will be released on Columbia/Sony on September 12.
Along with Debney's original score, the soundtrack features a song performed by American Idol finalist Paris Bennett. Originally entitled "Yankee Irving," the project had been under the direction of Christopher Reeve but was completed by director Colin Brady upon Reeve's passing. The story of a young boy on a 1000-mile journey to help the New York Yankees win the World Series, "Everyone's Hero" features an all-star cast including the voices of Whoopi Goldberg, Brian Dennehy and William H. Macy, as well as the voice of Reeve's late wife, Dana.

"It is a poignant story, both on and off-screen," says Debney, "And it was my honour to be part of Christopher Reeve's vision."

Debney's ever-expanding repertoire speaks loudly for his talent as a composer. This year alone, his contributions include elaborate full orchestral scores for "Chicken Little" "The Ant Bully" and "Barnyard," and a jazzy, ragtime inspired score for OutKast's musical "Idlewild," featuring world famous trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. Another recent collaboration, with superstar violinist Joshua Bell, produced an elegant and heartfelt score for "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story." His upcoming projects include "Evan Almighty," starring Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman, and "Sin City 2."

In addition to scoring films, Debney launched "The Passion Symphony," based on his Oscar-nominated score from "The Passion of the Christ." The concert, with over 200 musicians, premiered in Rome where it received critical acclaim. Subsequent U.S. dates have included a Los Angeles concert to benefit The American Red Cross' Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. This summer, Debney performed in Spain for the Ubeda International Film Music Conference. Last year, Debney, although only in his 40s, was honoured with ASCAP's Henry Mancini Lifetime Achievement Award.


EVERYONE'S HERO SOUNDTRACK
? John Ondrasik - "The Best"
? Brooks & Dunn - "Keep On Swinging"
? Tyrone Wells - "Dream Like New York"
? Chris Botti featuring Lyle Lovett - "Chicago (That Toddling Town)"
? Jon Randall and Jessi Alexander - "The Best Day Of My Life"
? Raven-Symone - "Keep Your Eye On The Ball"
? Wyclef Jean featuring Kontrast - "What You Do"
? Brooks & Dunn - "Swing It"
? Lonestar - "Take Me Out To The Ballgame"
? Mary Chapin-Carpenter - "The Bug"
? John Debney featuring Paris Bennett - "The Tigers"
? John Debney - "Yankee At Bat"

Just so's you know...

For those of you who have faithfully visited the site and wondered why there is nothing new thereon, no, I haven't done a moonlight flit or even taken a good, old-fashioned vacations, it's just that no one is sending me any news or CDs to review at the moment - it's just a desert out there!

However, things are set to change and I am expecting a whole slew of discs to come crashing through my door in the next few weeks, so watch this space!

In the meantime, Lukas Kendall of Film Score Monthly has pointed out that I erroneously gave him sole credit for the booklet notes accompanying the label's release of Diamond Head/Gone With the Wave. Other contributors to these notes are Jeff Bond, Jeff Eldridge and Jon Burlingame, and I apologise for this oversight.

Finally, before concluding, I can offer you something you might like to check out in the form of composer interviews I've recently discovered.
Firstly, visit http://www.bsospirit.com/entrevistas for an interview with Stephen Warbeck, which features a number of recent colour photographs of the composer.
Then, http://www.scoremagacine.com/Entrevistas for an interview with Christopher Young, also illustrated with recent colour photos of the composer.
Finally, I've just discovered http://www.soundonsound.com/, which is well worth a visit, for in their archive they have interview with numerous film and television composers, including Elliot Goldenthal, Harry Gregson-Williams, David Newman, Mark Isham, Colin Towns, Ben Bartlett, Elizabeth Parker and Ben Salisbury.

CD REVIEW - CHiPs Season Two 1978-79


ChiPs Season Two 1978-79
Music by Alan Silvestri
Film Score Monthly Vol.9 No.10
20 Tracks 79:16 mins

I never thought I'd see the day when music from this disco-generation speed cop drama series would make it to CD, but here it is, and there are indications that there could be more volumes to follow.
This release also represents one of Alan Silvestri's earliest gigs, back when he was a longhaired guitar player (as illustrated by a fascinating picture towards the back of the colourful accompanying booklet, featuring extensive notes by Lukas Kendall). This is not of course the symphonic Silvestri we now are used to hearing. ChiPs was scored for a small ensemble, with ever present rhythm section and brass and strings taking the melodic line in what were basically a series of propulsive tracks accompanying the many on-screen chases.
John Parker wrote the original theme for the show, which Silvestri arranged for the second season, but the majority of the music on this disc was composed by the latter, with the exception of one episode "Trick or Trick," where M-G-M's drama guy Bruce Broughton was brought in. However, it turned out that the episode largely required the same disco treatment Silvestri would have given it, so Broughton's music fits right in, save for a sinister synth tune that runs through the suite presented here.
Anyway, in conclusion, what we have here is a largely relentless series of disco-infused suites of cues from various episodes, which all sound very dated, but will be welcomed by those of you brought up on the series, as I was (it was one of my late mother's favourites - she, like many women of the time, was quite taken by co-star Erik Estrada), so it was always on; but whatever its limitations, it is undoubtedly one of the most energetic foot-tapping CDs you'll hear, and I would certainly enjoy further volumes should they appear.

CD REVIEW - Diamond Head/Gone With the Wave


Diamond Head/Gone With the Wave
Music by John Williams/Lalo Schifrin
Film Score Monthly Vol.9 No.9 (U.S.)
23 Tracks 63:14 mins

This disc sees two Colpix LPs get the FSM CD treatment. The first, Diamond Head from 1963, an early entry in the John Williams catalogue, starred Charlton Heston as a wealthy Hawaiian plantation owner, whose political ambitions are threatened when his sister becomes involved with a full-blooded Hawaiian man, incredibly played by James Darren, who incidentally also sings the film's title song. Similarly miscast is George Chakiris as Darren's brother.
As was customary at the time, the soundtrack album was rerecorded, but sadly only presents four score cues from the film which, whilst revealing something of Williams' future style, are pervaded by the use of Hugo Winterhalter and Mack David's aforementioned title song. Other tracks on the album include some easy listening source cues and a couple more instrumentals, one based on the France Nuyen character's theme, the other not even present in the film. Overall, the album is a pleasant listening experience, but will be of little interest to hardcore film score collectors.
Even less interesting to them will be the other selections on the disc, composed by Lalo Schifrin for the 1964 surfing documentary Gone With the Wave. These eleven pieces weren't even composed to the film, but were added later. All of them are source-styled cues, mostly jazzy in nature, the most interesting of which are possibly the catchy, oriental flavoured "A Taste of Bamboo" and the Mexican-styled "Taco-Taquito.
As always, an informative booklet, accompanies the disc, with notes on the films and their scores by Lukas Kendall, complete with a track-by-track guide.