Sunday Spins: 'Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone'

Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone is one of my favorite albums of all time. It's my go-to "I need to relax and unwind" record.

At the first of the year, it dawned on me that I should treat myself and order a copy on vinyl. The album actually comes as a 180gram double vinyl set, with gatefold. The release is on Sony Classical and was originally released in 2004. The double-vinyl is a 2016 import reissue and it costs around $50 although it is often on-sale via Amazon.

Prolific Italian composer Ennio Morricone was known for making music for spaghetti westerns - and also some really famous films. His work was lauded over his multi-decade career and he earned honors from the Academy Awards (Oscars) and the Recording Academy (Grammys). Morricone died in 2020 and left behind a massive legacy of work. 

The Yo-Yo Ma album opens with "The Mission - Gabriel's Oboe" - and this happens to be my favorite work on the release. The album quality is so rich, when you listen to some of the quiet movements of certain tracks, you can actually hear cellist Ma breathe. This is something you cannot pick up while listening to the digital version.

The Yo-Yo Ma tribute features songs from the scores of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Untouchables and Once upon a Time in America. I'll be honest here and admit I've never seen any of those movies. I am not a big film person - I came across this album because I love cello music and it was recommended to me. If you are like most humans, though, you've probably at least seen The Untouchables and could thus relate to some of the songs included. 

You might recall I reviewed Donald Fagen's biography recently. The Steely Dan singer included an interview with Morricone in the book that was unintentionally hilarious. Fagen was asking music questions in that complicated-Steely Way. Morricone - who did not speak great English and thus used a translator - ended up giving one word answers to Fagen's questions. 

The album features Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra in a support role to Ma's star. The entire effort is just flawless beauty with a sound that can easily fill any room and brighten any mood. 

Listen to "The Mission" below. It was nominated for an Oscar. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.