JBFC Mixtapes, Vol. 5: Musician Mark Morganelli

JBFC Mixtapes is a new initiative from the Burns to highlight the music—from soundtracks to scores—that makes the cinematic experience so special. We’ll be updating the blog with mixtapes from staff members, special guests, and more, to drop the needle on our favorite songs from, about, or inspired by films—with a few curveballs every now and then. Our fifth installment comes from Musician Mark Morganelli, Founder & Executive Director at Jazz Forum Arts in Tarrytown, NY. Riffing off JBFC series Jazz Sessions: Take 10, Mark writes:

“My wife Ellen and I re-met 35 years ago, at our Long Island high school’s 10^th reunion. We went to school together, but mostly apart, from kindergarten to 12th grade, barely saying hello to each other. We did, however, share an incredible year-long film course five days a week of junior year, taught by Lou Mione. We saw many major foreign and domestic art films made prior to 1972, some of which we now re-watch as husband and wife. Orfeu Negro, in particular, made a big impression, perhaps leading me to feature some of that music on my new CD, which comes out later this summer. I’ve chosen songs for this blog from films—composed by Duke Ellington, David Amram, Leonard Bernstein, Gershwin, and Brazilian composers—that have had a lasting impact on me. Hope you all enjoy, and maybe come check out the music LIVE at our new Jazz Forum club in Tarrytown!”

1. “Main Title” by Duke Ellington, from Anatomy of a Murder
2. “Falsa Baiana “ by Geraldo Pereira & Paulinho Moska, from Woman on Top
3. “Pull My Daisy” by the David Amram Quartet, from Pull My Daisy
4. “Lift to the Gallows” by Miles Davis, from Ascenseur Pour l’échafaud (English: Elevator to the Gallows)
5. “Manha de Carnaval” by Elizeth Cardoso, from Black Orpheus
6. “Love Is” by Frank Sinatra, from The Tender Trap
7. “Chan’s Song” by Herbie Hancock, from ‘Round Midnight
8. “Barcelona” by Giulia y Los Tellarini, from Vicky Cristina Barcelona
9. “Someone to Watch Over Me” by Zubin Mehta – New York Philharmonic, from Manhattan
10. “Tonight” by Leonard Bernstein, Marni Nixon, and Jim Bryant, from West Side Story

Trumpeter and flugelhornist Mark Morganelli is the founder and Executive Director of Jazz Forum Arts, the 33-year-old not-for-profit presenting organization responsible for dozens of annual free summer concerts, hundreds of top-notch music events at major venues in the region, and most recently, with wife Ellen Prior, co-owner of Westchester’s only dedicated Jazz club, the Jazz Forum in Tarrytown.  Having just returned from a concert tour of Italy, Morganelli is about to record and release his fifth album as leader, a double-CD celebration of Brazilian music.

Want more music + movies? Tickets are available online for Jazz Sessions: Take 10, now playing #AtTheJBFC from May 2-30! Otherwise, stay tuned for the next volume of JBFC Mixtapes!