Return of the Marquis de Sade

by John BushIn 1966, when Dizzy Gillespie arranger and spy soundtracker Lalo Schifrin finished recording a Baroque album, he decided to make it a tribute to the Marquis de Sade -- in league with a play then circulating in the West End and on Broadway. Making the Third Stream seem like Percy Faith in comparison, the LP practically disappeared upon release on Verve, but enjoyed a long shelf life among idiosyncratic jazz fans. Thirty-five years on, Return of the Marquis de Sade is the sequel, with a host of songs comprising jazz rhythms and soloing, though a predominant use of Baroque instrumentation. Several of the song titles, including "Relaxin' at Charenton" and "A Night in Venezia," pun on famous jazz standards, while the performances crackle with imagination and energy. The final three tracks were recorded in tandem with Ray Brown, Grady Tate, Tom Scott, Brian Bromberg, and the London Philharmonic.