Noir album recommendations

Few artists to mention known for best Noir jazz:

Kilimanjaro DarkJazz ensemble

Manet

Lustmord (noir ambient)

Bohren and Der Club of Gore

“Haunted Heart” by Charlie Haden and his Quartet West (cd).

Terrence Blanchard-Jazz In Film(Sony Classical SK 60671). World-class musicians, recorded with Audiophile sound quality.

In terms of "evokes a corrupt town where it’s always raining / paranoia" but doesn’t-sound-like-"general jazz"-but-more-in the-orchestral-realm type thing, I would recommend:

Experiment in Terror (1962 score) - Henry Mancini

Vertigo (1958 score) - Bernard Herrmann (wow! amazing music!)

Sunset Boulevard (1944 score) - Franz Waxman

I’d recommend the Frank Sinatra LPs In the Wee Small Hours, Where Are You?, Only the Lonely, No One Cares, and All Alone.

Taxi Driver (1976 score) - Bernard Herrmann (this one may be a little too close to ’general jazz’ for you, Herrmann composed it with no strings and the main theme is certainly ’jazzy,’ but the greatness of Herrmann is in full effect and the evocative tone you speak of is certainly exemplified here).

Along similar lines is Bill Lee’s score for She’s Gotta Have It. That late-night-in-the-city, dark vibe on songs like "Opening Credits," "Brooklyn Bridge," "A Thought," "Ferrybank Restaurant," "The Hawk." While a bit more major key / upbeat, I really enjoy the song, "Who Will Be the One." Unfortunately, it appears the version that plays over the end credits of the film, is different (IMO, preferred) from the one on the Soundtrack. The sound quality on the soundtrack is superior, but the music has a deeper, more rich emotional quality on the film’s closing-credits version.

As is the case with all the other films I mentioned here, I couldn’t recommend the film more highly!

I have both of these titles on cd. They are collections of film and TV themes from the Noir era.

Audition THIS WORLD, THEN THE FIREWORKS soundtrack by the great PETE RUGOLO.  This was his last project.  Also remember that he composed and conducted scores for RICHARD DIAMOND, THRILLER, THE FUGITIVE, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, etc.  Have fun!

If you want something thats way out in left field

but in my warped mind somehow fits while not being jazz or film noir

the soundtrack to  Reservoir Dogs with Sam Kinison

narrating as an dj between some songs

Odds Against Tomorrow soundtrack.

Odds Against Tomorrow

The Third Man Theme

John Zorn "Spillane"

So many good recommendations, very much appreciated. While I was searching for several of these on youtube I also came across this 12 hour video that includes some of the recommendations as well as many others and its a great compilation.

You might like the Night Walks album by Hidden Orchestra or the Twin Peaks album by Angelo Badalamenti.

@windywoodworker Thanks for the post. Just what I was looking for but didn’t know it until I saw it.

Twin Danger’s 2014 self titled album, which features the late Vanessa Bley’s sultry vocals and Stuart Matthewman on sax. Stuart is a long-time guitarist and sax player for Sade. 

I second Twin Peaks by Angelo Badalamenti. 

Jazz at the Movies Band-- White Heat: Film Noir.  Audiophile vinyl if you can find it.

Try the Miles Davis and John Lee Hooker soundtrack to the otherwise entirely forgettable film, "The Hot Spot". I own a copy and, last time I checked, it was on Apple Music if not other streaming platforms. It's quite reminiscent of "Ascenseur" with a Hooker twist.

David chesky "jazz in the new harmonic" has that eeriness you're looking for with top notch sound and instrument separation

Try Quiet City, by Aaron Copland 

Ran Blake

For some time I've been meaning to start a post on a similar subject. After becoming enamored with the film "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button", I purchased the soundtrack and love disc 1 for 'sleep music' (I could do without the bombing sequence). Wanted recommendations for similar music and found jazz noir. Any other specific suggestions, instrumental only please and thank you. AB

@dayglow 

This is the first I've heard of Noir Jazz but that Terence Blanchard is excellent!

@stuartk +1 Terence Blanchard followed Wynton Marsalis both New Orleans born but Wynton is an impossible act to follow. "Jazz In Film" is one of the great overlooked Audiophile/highest level content recordings. Glad you enjoyed it.

@dayglow

Terence Blanchard followed Wynton Marsalis both New Orleans born but Wynton is an impossible act to follow.

I prefer Woody Shaw but can't think of any of his recordings that might satisfy the OP's specific parameters. 

It's not jazz but the soundtrack of Wim Wenders film Paris, Texas by Ry Cooder regularly evokes a noir feel, to me. It mostly uses slide guitar to get that dark, lonely and often foreboding sound. 

As @windywoodworker mentioned, there is an entire subgenre called 'noir jazz", or sometimes "dark jazz".

Some names to check out:

Trigg and Gusset

Alex North & His Orchestra

Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble

ØṔЁŦ

Dale Cooper Quartet and the Dictaphones

Heroin and your Veins

But there are plenty more to explore.