Between 1961 and 1973, legendary producer Thomas Lesslie "Snuff" Garrett released over two dozen albums as The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett, making an indelible contribution to the "easy listening" instrumental market.  The multitalented Garrett was at his most prolific, overseeing the 50 Guitars albums during a period in which he produced a variety of artists including Cher, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Vicki Lawrence, Vikki Carr, and Jim Nabors.  Last year, Varese Vintage reissued The 50 Guitars' 1968 and 1970 Best Of collections, and now, the label has released an all-new themed compendium of 18 shimmering tracks: The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett Go to the Movies.

Snuff Garrett's vision for a large instrumental group came to life in 1961 at the behest of his then-label, Liberty Records.  The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett Go South of the Border, featuring Brazilian great Laurindo Almeida on lead guitar in front of an orchestra, featured evocative renditions of such familiar titles as "Frenesi," "Besame Mucho" and "La Bamba."  The LP was so successful that it spawned a sequel the next year, on which Garrett added the likes of "Mexican Hat Dance," "Malaguena" and "Vaya Con Dios" to the 50 Guitars' Latin-styled repertoire.  Soon, producer Garrett and his guitars were off to Hawaii, Texas, Italy, Spain, Brazil and back to Mexico on subsequent themed volumes.  After the initial two LPs, Los Angeles Wrecking Crew veteran guitarist Tommy Tedesco took over the lead for most of the recordings released under the group's name.  Ernie Freeman, another pro with credits ranging from Frank Sinatra to Simon and Garfunkel, was responsible for most of the arrangement duties, with Pete King also contributing charts.

The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett Go to the Movies is culled almost exclusively from cinema classics of the 1960s, with one track dating to 1951 ("Anna," from the film of the same name) and two from 1971 ("The Summer Knows" from Summer of '42 and the theme to Brian's Song).  As such, many of the movies' greatest composers are represented on this set, among them Elmer Bernstein ("The Magnificent Seven"), Michel Legrand ("I Will Wait for You," "The Summer Knows," "Brian's Song"), John Barry ("Born Free"), Ennio Morricone ("The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," "For a Few Dollars More"), Francis Lai ("A Man and a Woman," "Live for Life") and Maurice Jarre ("Somewhere My Love," from Doctor Zhivago).

A number of the songs on this set have had greater lives than the movies in which they originated, such as Nino Oliviero, Riz Ortolani and Norman Newell's More" from Mondo Cane, Charlie Chaplin's "This is My Song" from A Countess from Hong Kong and Bert Kaempfert's "Strangers in the Night," which began life as an instrumental cue from the film A Man Could Get Killed before Charles Singleton and Eddie Snyder added the now-famous lyrics to it.  Garrett's instrumental versions emphasize the beauty of these compositions, with the lead guitar parts melding with atmospheric and lush orchestration throughout.

Though Snuff Garrett died on December 16, 2015 at the age of 77, the lifetime of music he left behind continues to entertain and inspire.  Varese's 50 Guitars series shines a light on this lesser-known aspect of his tremendous legacy, and The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett Go to the Movies is no exception.  For this release, co-producer Laurence Zwisohn has contributed a brief historical essay to the insert, and Steve Massie has newly remastered.  Vintage instrumental pop doesn't get much better than this!

The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett Go to the Movies (Varese Vintage 302 067 405 8, 2016) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. The Magnificent Seven
2. Al-Di La
3. More
4. I Will Wait for You
5. The Shadow of Your Smile
6. Somewhere My Love
7. (Theme From) A Man and a Woman
8. Born Free
9. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
10. Strangers in the Night
11. For a Few Dollars More
12. Live for Life
13. Anna
14. This is My Song
15. (Love Theme From) Romeo and Juliet
16. Everybody's Talkin'
17. The Summer Knows
18. Brian's Song

Track 1 from Bordertown Bandido, Liberty LSS-14031, 1964
Track 2 from 50 Guitars Go Italiano, Liberty LSS-14028, 1964
Track 3 from You're a Lady, Liberty LYC 1265, 1972
Tracks 4, 8 & 14 from Our Love Affair, Liberty LSS-14041, 1968
Tracks 5-6 & 10 from 50 Guitars in Love, Liberty LSS-14037, 1967
Track 7 from More 50 Guitars in Love, Liberty LSS-14039, 1967
Tracks 9 & 11 from El Hombre, Liberty LSS-14042, 1968
Tracks 12, 15-16 from 50 Guitars for Midnight Lovers, Liberty LSS-14047, 1970
Track 13 from Maria Elena, Liberty LSS-14030, 1963
Tracks 17-18 from The Way of Love, United Artists UAS-5569, 1972