The sustained horns at the beginning remind me of a detective television series circa 1961, played by men in crew cuts in Burbank. The horns panning in and out of the action remind me that no matter how many times they put the heavy blows on the private eye, he’s got more gusto than they imagine. The question I always have when I read this type of hard-boiled mystery is whether the plot is more important than the atmosphere. The author here opts for the atmosphere, giving rich characterizations to a brassy assortment of urban characters. The effect is more than a jam session, but perhaps not entirely an easy puzzle-mystery, either. This is the kind of music that makes one want to pull into an old red line car converted into a diner and order scrambled eggs with hash browns, hold the extra pat of butter on the browns. The mixing feat here is impressive, and it’s altogether a fun outing, though perhaps a few more ants might safely join this picnic. A mid-tempo Buddy Rich drum beat with a sustained melodic “theme” might fit the soundtrack nature of this one. As it stands, it’s entirely suited to easy sampling by the remixer. I am not sure I want to turn every page of this novel, but I sure do like the cover.

Strong comtemporary sound, good structures, this not pop music…

I like the dark ambiant in this track, the effect are simply greats!!!

Very good placement of the brass in the stereo field which makes the piece come alive.

I kept looking over my shoulder to see if Philip Marlowe was stalking me!!