"anita Ekberg"

Inspired by the works of Italian medieval writer/poet Boccaccio (the Decameron), Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, and Vittorio de Sica each directed a short starring Anita Ekberg, Romy Schneider, and Sophia Loren, respectively; Italian soundtrack heavyweights Nino Rota and Armando Trovajoli provided the necessary musical accompaniment. The result was the film Boccaccio 70 and music that frames a kaleidoscope of styles with dramatic panache. Trovajoli, in particular, mixes it up with cha-cha-chas, march pieces, waltzes, circus themes, and jazz – the highlight, though, is his Latin vocal feature, "Soldi! Soldi! Soldi!," sung by a surprisingly effective Loren. Unlike Trovajoli, Rota doesn't focus on one style per piece, but instead fills his symphonic-worthy sides with a seamless blend of many of the same styles, peppering the landscape with trademark doses of pipe-organ moodiness, can-can rhythms, and dusky string passages. And as far as jazz goes, Rota furnishes the Visconti segment with some very worthy combo ballads redolent of Miles Davis' own soundtrack venture, Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud.

Welcome to the unforgettable Instrumental Gold of the 1950's! Our 14 song trip down memory lane begins with a Number One hit from 1955, Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White. This latin-flavored song, a hit by Perez Prado and his Orchestra, comes from France and was written by “Louiquy.” It was heard on the soundtrack of the film Underworfer which starred Jane Russell and Gilbert Roland. The 1959 hit film, A Summer Place, starring Richard Egan and Sandra Dee gave us a fine score by Max Steiner. The Percy Faith Orchestra release of the Theme From A Summer Place reached the top of the charts that year and earned a Grammy Award in 1960.