Le Choc [LP]

Five years after "Mort d'un Pourri," Philippe Sarde reunites with Alain Delon for this adaptation of a violent crime novel by Jean-Patrick Manchette. While "Le Choc" offers a somewhat watered-down version of the original novel, the composer chooses to elevate the film. "My ambition was simple: to inject some uniqueness into this somewhat bland story," explains Sarde. "I brought together top-tier soloists for an extraordinary score, striking a balance between rock, jazz fusion, and romanticism. I wanted a burst of energy and modernity. For me, 'Le Choc' is a direct extension of the bold fusions found in 'César et Rosalie' or 'Coup de Torchon.' A jazz-rock rhythm section, the musicians from Weather Report, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the great Wayne Shorter, whom I asked to recreate the sound of the bombarde on the soprano saxophone." For director Robin Davis, this magnificent score was a real lifeline: "Through the music, Philippe recreated a story alongside my own; he brought *Le Choc* back to what it could have been, what it should have been. And I love the invisible connection to Lautner. After Stan Getz and *Mort d'un Pourri*, it's still Delon-Sarde but with a new saxophonist, an African American, Wayne Shorter." Pressed for the first time from a high-definition transfer of the magnetic tapes, this new album was mastered without any compression, preserving the full dynamic range of the recording made at Abbey Road.