Sideways (Score) [Soundtrack]

Rolfe Kent | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 12, 2004)
• Original Release Date: January 21, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Watertower Music
• ASIN: B0002ZYDOW
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #79,395 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Writer-director Alexander Payne's critically acclaimed, multi-Academy Award nominated mid-life-crisis/road trip comedy fuses the sensibilities of 50's/60's Italian farce with the edgier, character-driven ethos of 70's American films. The director admits the film's musical score was largely inspired by the former's Neapolitan jazz sensibilities (and the work of Piero Umiliani in particular), as skillfully evoked by composer Rolfe Kent, Payne's previous collaborator on About Schmidt and Election. Some instrumental choices and rhythmic quirks are clearly evocative winks at that Italian canon, yet Kent has produced a bright, focused modern score that is anything but slavish to its inspirations. Marrying the inherently expansive nature of jazz to the brutal time constraints of film scoring has never been easy, but using an all-star 10-piece ensemble (featuring notable contributions from pianist Ron Feuer, Roger Burn on vibes, flautist Pedro Eustache, the sax of Dan Higgins and percussionist Alex Acuna), Kent does it here with deceptive ease, producing a breezy suite of jazz cues that pulses with playful, upbeat cool. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

"Sideways" is the story of Miles (Paul Giamatti), a failed novelist, and his soon-to-be-married friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church), a washed-up actor. To salute the remains of their youth, they take a road trip before Jack's wedding. A serious wine enthusiast, Miles is determined to educate Jack on the region's beloved Pino Noir, but Jack is more interested in living his bachelorhood to the hilt. Trouble ensues with wine and women, and the duo come to some profound realizations as they come to terms with maturity. The jazz-based score by Kent, whose previous collaborations include "Citizen Ruth" and "About Schmidt", accentuates the movie's themes by matching unusual arrangements with unique melodies. The result is a score that captures the emotions felt as life occasionally turns on its side.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Jazz from a Very Good Movie., February 3, 2005

By 

The Groove (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sideways (Score) (Audio CD)

So much ink has been spilled on how leading actor Paul Giamatti of "Sideways" was unfairly shut out when the 77th Academy Award nominations were announced. Rest assured, Mr. Giamatti wasn't the only one who got slapped in the face by Oscar. In my opinion, Rolfe Kent, who composed the music for the movie "Sideways," should have been nominated for Best Score. Sure, "Sideways" has much to offer: an impossibly witty script, believable performances, a talented cast--but also a good score that nicely compliments the movie. Were it not for a few modern touches in production, this recording could have been mistaken for some obscure 1960s jazz album you'd stumble into at a used vinyl shop. "Asphalt Groovin'," "Slippin Away As Mum Sleeps," and "Miles and Maya" stand out due to crisp piano playing, vibes that recall the great Cal Tjader, and nice interplay between flutes and the saxophone. Like the movie, the music here is so hip it hurts. The CD's main flaw? It's only 37 minutes long. When the music is over, you're left savoring for more.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jazzy Score, January 27, 2005

By 

Liam F. "WLF" (Melbourne, VIC Australia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sideways (Score) (Audio CD)

Come the race for awards (Golden Globes, BAFTA, Oscars), Sideways came to my attention. The first thing that captured my attention was its unconventional movie poster; in its shade of lime green and 'stick men' I use to see on my kid brother's comic drawings. Very original indeed. SO IS THE MUSIC.

There has not been an original score for a motion picture that is completely jazzy as the score for Sideways. Rolfe Kent has created something which suited the film inside out; but could also stand on its own. The music is light and refreshing like a glass of chardonnay - or it could set the tone for a slightly sombre mood, like merlot (though a track here insists ferociously that "I do not want to drink any $%!@# merlot").

Overall, the feeling that Sideways the score inspires is amazing. It is lighthearted easy listening jazz, and somehow, it lifts your spirits. The instruments are wisely picked and cleverly played - the piano, percussion etc. I guess the best way to describe this is the feeling one gets hanging out at an outlet of coffee bean listening to some jazz music; only thing that this coffee bean outlet doesn't serve coffee; it serves wine.

Down to the tracks, my personal favourites are Asphalt Groovin', Lonely Day and Wine Safari. Rolfe Kent works on a immediately distinguishable theme and varies it throughout the CD, working the music at a faster pace to reflect the funny mood of the movie and slowing it down for the more 'dramatic' (if I may at all call any part of the movie that) scenes. The score is classy and while Sideways was a pleaser with its intellectual--but-so-very-funny screenplay, Rolfe Kent matches Alexander Payne's words with his ingenius score. Sideways the score is classic jazz and jazzily classical.

So sniff it, sip it, gulp it, whatever - Sideways is a rare find for a soundtrack.

It may also be of interest to you that this CD comes in a cardboard packing. If you do buy it, watch out for some green grapes on its CD. It's good.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Score, January 28, 2005

By 

Robert Workman (Saint Paul, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sideways (Score) (Audio CD)

This score perfectly matches the movie in which it appears. It doesn't overwhelm, try to steal the show or distract in any way from the action on screen. Rather, it compliments it like the perfect wine of a fine meal. It has been a very, very long time since I turned to my movie-going companion at the end of a film and said, "That was a great score". I can't imagine what the film would have been without it. That's how seamlessly integrated it was into the narrative.