Howard Shore has had a musical presence for over thirty years and while he has been relatively quiet of late – save for a couple of low-key dramatic efforts – the New York-based composer’s star may be on the rise once again.  With the shock announcement of John Corgliano’s exit from scoring duties on Martin Campbell’s thriller Edge of Darkness, it was with some relief that the brilliant composer was to be replaced by someone of Howard Shore’s calibre.  The reasons why are beside the point and while it’s a great shame that Corgliano is no longer attached to the Mel Gibson film, I for one and pleased that Shore has not turned his back on major Hollywood projects.  Indeed if the veritable oracle that is the Internet Movie Database is to be believed, then Howard is attached to forthcoming horror/thriller The Spider, Martin Scorsese’s historical drama Silence and his biopics of Frank Sinatra and Theodore Roosevelt… Pinch of salt always required with such information.

While we may have to wait until February for his replacement score for Edge of Darkness, his own burgeoning label Howe Records has just released a disc of unheard musical delights.  Producer Jonathan Schultz has been foraging in the composer’s seemingly bulging library of recordings – begun right back at the beginning of his career – and has selected an album’s worth of material for ‘Howard Shore: Collector’s Edition Vol.1’.  The disc – the first of a series – includes Shore as performer, a handful of cues for films (Scorsese’s After Hours and Diane Keaton documentary Heaven) and a bevy of jazz-influenced pieces.  It’s an altogether unique collection and it joins Howe’s first two releases, the composer’s 2008 scores for The Betrayal and Doubt.

For more information about these releases and where to find them go to www.howerecords.com

Michael Beek