Bill Stromberg, Anna Bonn and I would like to announce the formation of a new record label: TRIBUTE FILM CLASSICS. Our new label will continue recording great film music from the Golden Age through the Silver Age, and beyond. For those who are familiar with our Marco Polo (Naxos) rerecordings, we hope to continue recording deserved scores that have been either ignored or survive in less than pristine condition. We plan on continuing our mantra of complete renditions - including music that may have been omitted or edited in the final film. We will record both music from famous films and composers, as well as the more esoteric repertoire.

Although we still plan on continuing with Naxos, we feel there are so many wonderful scores that need and deserve restoration and recording, that by creating our own label would help get more recordings to the public. For those who have followed our recordings, we started with Marco Polo back in 1994. The first several years, we averaged 4 albums per year, but in recent times, we have been averaging only one CD per year. So far, we have recorded something like 35 CDs of classic film music. There are still hundreds of scores worthy of recording and we just feel the time is right to launch our label while we all are still alive and possess most of our faculties.

We plan on doing our first two albums early in 2007, and we hope they can be ready by summer. We will be working with Screen Archives, who will produce the actual CDs.

I am sure the next question is what will be included on our maiden voyage. So here is a list of what is planned for our label and what we have lined up for Naxos.

FOR NAXOS:
In the can is the complete recording of Korngold\'s THE SEA HAWK and DECEPTION (including the film version of the Cello Concerto) This will be our first double disc. It should be released later next year, maybe March.

Also on tap for Naxos, to be recorded early next year, will be Max Steiner\'s complete score for the 1935 production of SHE, which is one of the most adventurous scores of the thirties.

On that trip, we will also be recording an Americana Bernard Herrmann CD that will include the complete THE KENTUCKIAN and the complete WILLIAMSBURG-THE STORY OF A PATRIOT.

FOR TRIBUTE FILM CLASSICS:
We are starting out with a (musical) bang. Our first recording will be Bernard Herrmann\'s complete score for MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, including music and portions of cues that didn\'t make the final cut of the film.

Also, we are recording a complete FAHRENHEIT 451 by the redoubtable Bernard Herrmann, along with our arrangement of WALKING DISTANCE for large string orchestra. We felt that this latter piece would be ideal for a string orchestra in the manner of Barber\'s ADAGIO adaptation for string orchestra.

Needless to say, Bill, Anna and I are very excited about our new endeavor and hope we can count on you in helping make it a success. Bill and I have worked as a team for many years; Anna is both a superb musician and that rarity in musicians, having a good business sense. She has been invaluable in many of our recent recordings and never received the credit she deserves. She is also Bill\'s wife, which shows Bill\'s inherit good taste.

- John Morgan