I do wish someone would do a Gil Melle Columbo soundtrack album. There’s some brilliant music buried in these ol’ shows. It could, of course, be supplemented by Melle’s other OST work.
Clearly I’m not alone in loving this sublime music. I’ve found several homages online. The above really nails it. Great stuff!
I’ve explored some of Mellé’s own earlier jazz recordings, for Blue Note. They’re alright. But they don’t have the same moody magic of his work on TV & film.
Read more about this earlier era here. I learned from this linked article that Mellé was the guy who brought Rudy Van Gelder to Alfred Lion’s attention. For that fact alone, Mellé’s place in jazz history ought to be better known and celebrated!