Film fans, jazz fans, music fans beyond genre, harmonica nutcases, aficionados of the lushly melodic… form a long queue, bring a few folding chairs, spread out. A beyond compare beautifully arranged harmonica and piano shaped masterclass themed around the music of the iconic spaghetti western film composer Ennio Morricone (1928-2020) who for and post his pasta period is ranked as one of the very greatest motion picture composers of the 20th century and who has inspired many jazz musicians from John Zorn to Fergus Quill and more.

At the core is the rapport between French pianist Romain Collin and genius chromatic harmonica wrangler Grégoire Maret who proves Tommy Morgan-like, probably as big as praise as we can muster apart from comparing Maret of course to every thinking jazzhead's most famous Belgian, the master Toots Thielemans.

But given such character and mood conveying ability the Morgan (1932-2022) comparison seems just as apt, the American sessioneer being the harmonica player on Carpenters classic Paul Williams' 'Rainy Days and Monday' and on the Mike Post and Pete Carpenter theme for the peerless 1970s US TV drama starring James Garner, The Rockford Files. Collin we appreciated a great deal on 2022's Still Life with Sachal. The study of touch Collin has long since absorbed winningly.

Highlights on Ennio include the version of 'The Ecstasy of Gold' from The Good, The Bad and the Ugly that we have playlisted a whole lot on marlbank in previous weeks this year.

And on 'Se telefonando' - a Morricone co-write with Maurizio Costanzo & Ghigo De Chiara sung by Mina in the 1960s - the for-the-ages pairing of not only the blessèd Gregory - Gregory Porter, sounding quite Charley Pride like for once and apt given the slightly countrified twangery of the arrangement - and Blue Light 'Til Dawn classic jazz singer Cassandra Wilson who isn't heard on many records these days singing to English lyrics.

Newly into Maret or even an old lag of a prisoner to jazz looking to recall a few of the master's best bits for a Wednesday pep up? Then go back to 2019's duo with the Swiss-born wizard and Columbian harpist Edmar Castañeda on Harp vs Harp where the tunes lean towards originals and gems like a stately version of ‘Our Spanish Love Song’ by Charlie Haden and the Brazilian standard ‘Manhã de Carnaval’ by Luiz Bonfá that also make the cut. Maret displayed the unique ability to speak to you like a singer might - there as here on Ennio there was more grit and meaning than its easy going nature might even begin to hint at. Ennio magic from Grégoire Maret: photo: ACT