Although it could hardly be called complete, the budget-priced Talkin’ Verve offers a good sampling of Lalo Schifrin’s recordings for Verve in the second half of the ’60s. However, it’s not necessarily a representative sampling. Like most Talkin’ Verve discs, it leans toward the kitschy, particularly in covers of then-contemporary pop hits, but Schifrin always boasted innovative, or at least intriguing, arrangements, even when he walked the pop line. At only 12 tracks, the compilation is a little brief, but it’s still a good, entertaining compilation — especially for those whose tastes lean toward acid jazz and its cousins. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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