Sunday, 24 November 2024

More jazz flute! The original Mission Impossible theme (1967)


The theme to the first series of Mission Impossible has been covered innumerable times (including one I linked recently) - but the original arrangement and performance is surely the best. 

So much to enjoy! First and foremost is the wildly syncopated riffs above a 10/8 time-signature (not, as oft stated, 5/4 - it is subdivided into 3/8, 3/8, 4/8*).

And secondly is the overblown, shrieking jazz flute solo (regular reader may recall my fondness for jazz flute).

Third is the orchestration itself - starting with that weird percussive noise on triangle/ violins, the uneven bass riff, alternating sections of the band, and ending with a crunching dissonance.  


*This is actually the case for most successful pieces+ in "5/4" time - if you were conducting them, you would want to give the down-beats (in bold italics) as follows: 1 2 3  5 6  7 9 10 

+ More jazz flute...!

2 comments:

Ron Tomlinson said...

Bruce, you might enjoy jazz flute played by an old school friend of mine, if you can get past the environmentalism in the song lyrics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ1Sf2G2AMU

Laeth said...

i love the Shrek Pied Piper solo.

also, i know i've recommended them before (can't remember in which post) but the Canterbury band Caravan has plenty of very good flute solos. here's a few songs that have them that you might like:

https://youtu.be/hbPfPCz3GRA?si=tWJn8SoDryLnVrWh - this one especially has the same vibe as the Shrek one in my opinion

https://youtu.be/d2GwOyE3RWE?si=xrwxEab95CaHek_6

https://youtu.be/-7ReI3YpEzs?si=ZRHjD0G0tNskV4OM

https://youtu.be/I5395Gf_F-Q?si=Y14oHn5d1gbC6OmQ

https://youtu.be/wp96uWFPl2A?si=OB9bzWMTMNIQsg8R

and a bonus unrelated one:

https://handwrist.bandcamp.com/track/amusement-perks