Lalo Schifrin

Lalo Schifrin (born June 21, 1932) is an Argentinian pianist, composer, and arranger who began his career in the mid-1950s. During his first active decade, he served as a backing musician for Ástor Piazzolla, Xavier Cugat, Duke Ellington, and Dizzy Gillespie.

Schifrin’s first headlining album was the 1959 release Piano Espanol on Tico Records. In 1965, he scored Gone With the Wave, his first of many soundtracks. His Hollywood association would span more than 20 years and include scores for The Cincinnati Kid (1965), The Fox (1968), Bullitt (1968), Enter the Dragon (1973), Voyage of the Damned (1976), Rollercoaster (1977), and The Amityville Horror (1979). For the late-’60s action/spy television drama Mission Impossible, he produced one of that decade’s most iconic themes.

The mid-to-late ’70s saw Schifrin intersperse his soundtrack work with proper albums, including the jazz-funk/Rare Groove classics Black Widow (1976) and Towering Toccata (1977).

Discography:

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