I need music to listen to in my reflections. I listen to a lot of Jazz.
I have noticed some of the most beautiful music in the soundtracks for:
Chinatown (Jerry Goldsmith)
Trouble Man (Marvin Gayes work just in between Whats Going on and Let’s Get it on)
Elevator to the gallows (Miles Davis)
Anyone know soundtracks and have opinions? It’s hard because it is dependent on the movie as much as the artist.
Not jazz, but I enjoy Miller’s Crossing. The theme is so good, they used it in a trailer for The Shawshank Redemption, although it wasn’t used in the movie itself.
The Red Violin has a beautiful soundtrack. I was really shocked to find out it was all original, having assumed while watching it they had just performed existing songs.
I like listening to this compilation on YouTube when I want to contemplate and relax. Most of the artists on this compilation make BGM for movies and other dramatic productions.
Blade Runner (the complete soundtrack, available only as bootleg)
Alien (the complete 2 cd set)
The Thing (1982; the new re-recording of the complete score)
Barry Lyndon. (But it helps if you like older classical music.)
Second Doyle’s nomination of Last of the Mohicans. Beautiful!
Gettysburg is also hugely inspirational and quite pretty.
I am very, very fond of Georges Delerue’s soundtrack for The King of Hearts.
I’m not sure if this counts, but Granuaile, an album by Shaun Davey, is truly lovely, and contains my favorite song of all I’ve ever heard, “Sailing Free and Easy.” Here is a cut from the album, with musicological notes. This is a fascinating little four-minute music appreciation lesson, well worth enjoying!