With a career spanning four decades, there’s plenty of material to choose from the Dave Grusin catalog. Somehow “The Friends of Eddie Cole”, the soundtrack to the crime drama was never released until now. Grusin creates a cat and mouse imagery that mirrors the films deliberate slow pace. “Partridge Robbery/Take A Walk” is the only track over three minutes. It’s a slow burning cinematic gem heightened by an impressive string section as well as percussionist Emil Richards. “Jacky Meets Pete And Andrea” is a funky wah wah inspired tune but it’s woefully short at just over a minute. It’s just enough time for Saxophonist Tom Scott and bassist Chuck Rainey to cut loose. With “Baylis Robbery”, Grusin’s string arrangements build a quiet tension that only heightens the drama of the heist. It’s a theme played throughout the disc. Grusin demonstrates here that he’s unheralded when it comes to music scores. Like the film itself, it’s well worth going back to re-examine the rest of his work.
