Lift to the Scaffold or, in the original French title, Ascenseur pour l’échafaud, is a brilliant film noir from 1958 that helped to establish the Nouvelle Vague and the New Modern Cinema scenes. No less brilliant is the score, composed by Miles Davis and featuring mostly French musicians, including the great Barney Wilen on tenor saxophone, as well as Kenny Clarke on drums, this is some of the most lonesome and morose music Davis recorded in his career. Perfectly matching the stark, dangerous, and grim moods of the film, this is a truly amazing score by one of the biggest names in jazz music history.
