NEW RELEASES : Bits, Pieces of ‘X’ Can Only Deliver Stirring Moments : TERENCE BLANCHARD “Malcolm X, the Original Motion Picture Score”, <i> Columbia</i> * * 1/2

Except for those written for musicals, few soundtrack scores have a logical raison d’etre. The album has a comparably short shelf life, mainly because it comprises fragments, lifted out of context, converted from background to foreground music.

This score is no exception. There are 26 cuts here, some only a minute or less. These include an ominous opening number sung by the Boys Choir of Harlem and a subsequent series of instrumentals--many by a symphony orchestra, a few by a jazz ensemble. The pieces serve mainly as a reminder that Blanchard is a highly skilled composer (as well as trumpeter) who can span the musical gamut.

Some of the selections have definite musical value. Among these are two numbers where saxophonist Branford Marsalis plays beautifully, though these takes are all too short, and “Chickens Come Home,” which is performed by five drummers and celebrates Malcolm’s joyful reaction to the assassination of J.F.K. Other titles, such as “Malcolm Meets Elijah” and “Going to Mecca,” are simply background tracks to moving screen images.

Footnote: A second CD, “Music From the Soundtrack ‘Malcolm X,’ ” released on Qwest Records, offers source music from the Spike Lee film. Except for Arrested Development’s rap anthem, “Revolution,” these selections consist mainly of jazz and pop numbers from the ‘40s and ‘50s. They range from great to gross, and are performed by such artists as Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, the Ink Spots and Jr. Walker. The high point is Aretha Franklin’s jubilant final proclamation, “Someday We’ll All Be Free.”

In Brief

* * * 1/2 Ellis Larkins, “Live at Maybeck Hall,” Concord Jazz. This is a trip to the keyboard on gossamer wings. Nobody else has ever captured the magical touch of Larkins, for decades an idol of every singer he ever accompanied. Under his fingers the keys become velvet. With it all, though, he swings gently, and his repertoire is tastefully chosen: “Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year,” “I Don’t Want to Cry Anymore.” Maybeck, a small hall located in the Berkeley foothills, has now been the setting for 22 solo albums on Concord Jazz, almost all great. This one stands out.