From 1960 to 1962, Schifrin worked as a pianist and composer with jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie's band. Two years later, he moved to Hollywood and began his productive career with the score for "Rhino!" (1964). Schifrin's score, many of which incorporate jazz idioms, have tended to be predominantly for thrillers, social dramas or low comedies ranging from 1967's "Cool Hand Luke" (which earned him the first of his six Oscar nominations) to "Bullitt" (1968) to "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1993). He has also provided the scores for a number of Clint Eastwood vehicles, including "The Beguiled" and "Dirty Harry" (both 1971), "Magnum Force" (1973) and "Sudden Impact' (1983).
Schifrin has scored over 60 television productions but is perhaps best remembered for the infectious theme music for "Mission Impossible", which earned him two of his four Grammy Awards. Other notable series themes include "Mannix", "Medical Center", "Planet of the Apes" and "Starsky and Hutch".
Schifrin has recorded and performed with some of the biggest names in jazz from Ella Fitzgerald to Count Basie. He received two Grammy Awards for his jazz compositions and has been particularly interested in marrying jazz stylings with religious presentations. His 1967 oratorio "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" garnered some controversy for incorporating actual speeches by Hitler. Schifrin has guest conducted with symphony orchestras around the world including those in Israel, Argentina, Mexico and Paris as well as throughout the USA.