City Heat: Underrated Soundtrack or Am I Just Crazy?

Okay, so, City Heat (1984). Eastwood and Reynolds together, right? Lotta people dismiss it as a so-so gangster movie. I get it. It's not redefining cinema. But listen, the SCORE. I honestly think it's way better than it gets credit for. Lennie Niehaus, Eastwood's go-to guy for a while, creates this amazing, smoky jazz atmosphere that just oozes 1930s Kansas City. It’s not just background noise; it's like a character itself. My theory? Niehaus totally understood the tone they were going for, even if the film itself maybe didn’t fully nail it. Like, think about when Eastwood's character, Speer, is in that dimly lit club, trying to shake down Primo Pitt (played by Rip Torn, always great!). The music there is so perfect – a slow, deliberate bluesy number that perfectly captures the tension and Speer's own world-weariness. It's almost too good for the scene, in a way. Maybe it even elevates it, I dunno. And then there's the more action-oriented cues, like during the car chase. It's not the best car chase ever filmed, let's be real, but the music gives it this urgency and drive that I think helps prop it up. I've noticed that the score sounds a lot better than the movie looks at times. Eastwood did play the trumpet, but Lennie did a good job of making the score worth listening to by itself. Maybe I'm overanalyzing a relatively minor score, but I honestly think it deserves more attention. Has anyone else given the City Heat soundtrack a proper listen? Let me know if you think I'm completely off my rocker here, lol.