Piero Umiliani: on the centenary of his birth, a reissue of “Smog”, the soundtrack to the first Italian film shot in Los Angeles

In celebration of the centenary of the birth of Piero Umiliani (Florence, 1926 – Rome, 2001), CAM Sugar is releasing a new edition of “Smog”, the soundtrack to the film of the same name directed by Franco Rossi, expanded with seven previously unreleased tracks unearthed from the original sessions. The album is available for pre-order from April 2, with the official release set for April 30 – coinciding with International Jazz Day – on double vinyl, double CD, and digital formats.

The record is available for preorder at this address.

Shot in 1962, “Smog” was the first Italian film made entirely in Los Angeles. The story follows an Italian man stranded in the city after missing a flight connection: a suspended wait that turns into a journey across the metropolis through infrastructure, swimming pools and modernist architecture, painting a portrait of a landscape marked by chance encounters and pervasive loneliness.

In this context, Umiliani's score ranks among the most significant of his career, striking a balance between luminosity and urban alienation. Chet Baker's contribution is central, his trumpet running through the film as a narrative element that heightens its melancholy dimension. Alongside him, Helen Merrill brings an intimate vocal presence, in contrast with the anonymity of the urban spaces.

This edition, the most complete released so far, stems from a recovery effort on CAM Sugar's archival materials, which brought to light seven unreleased recordings. The original tapes were digitized in high resolution and given a philological restoration aimed at preserving their dynamics and analog timbre. “This is a work of cultural recovery aimed at showcasing and expanding on the original work,” explains Alessandro Sugar, stressing how the archival work has broadened the perspective on this music without altering its identity.

The physical edition also includes liner notes by screenwriter, director and producer Larry Karaszewski, who calls “Smog” “one of the most poetic portraits of Los Angeles ever made”. In his piece, he points out how Umiliani's music doesn't merely accompany the images but works alongside them, with Baker's trumpet becoming the defining trait of a fragile, lyrical city touched by a subtle melancholy.

Rounding out the project is a testimony from Alessandra and Elisabetta Umiliani, who recall the personal and artistic relationship between the composer and Baker, adding a further layer of insight to this reissue.

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