Bill Conti - (1978) Uncle Joe Shannon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) LP

United Artists Records ‎– 935

Following his breakout role as ne'er-do-well Paulie in the blockbuster Rocky, Burt Young wrote and starred in Uncle Joe Shannon, a commercial and critical fiasco casting the veteran character actor as a down-and-out jazz trumpeter. Young tapped Rocky composer Bill Conti to score the project, and regardless of the failings of the film itself, the soundtrack is worth seeking out. Combining elements of jazz, funk, and disco, the music is both energetic and evocative, complementing Young's narrative while proving an engaging listen strictly on its own terms. Maynard Ferguson "plays" Young on the soundtrack, contributing the piercing trumpet solos credited to Joe Shannon, while several tracks feature a small combo including keyboardist Mike Melvoin and tenorist Anthony Ortega. Conti's melodies navigate traditional jazz structures and contemporary disco sounds with equal aplomb, vividly capturing the increasingly fractured musical milieu that Young's film so awkwardly depicts.