Most of it is one jazzy theme, the melody either blown on flute or whistled rather than played on an instrument, perhaps in a nod to Ennio Morricone's use of whistling in the scores for the first two Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns, with both electric bass guitar and double bass providing much of the rest of the musical substance, along with sprightly and subtle drumming.

When music that sounds more like dramatic underscore shows up in "The Kiss of Death" it's rather surprising, the changes in sound and mood. It's also reminiscent of Schifrin's music for Enter the Dragon, which is almost certainly not a coincidence.

There's also some roaring twenties-type music, which reflects the period setting of the movie.

Thanks to Quartet Records for this release of music by one of our favorite composers!