> Using “the people’s” instruments was a statement as much as a stylistic choice.

That makes sense.

Another thing I noticed is that the harmonic and melodic language Morricone's early Italo Western music has striking similarities to instrumental guitar tunes of the 60s by artists like The Shadows (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzgbcyfJgfQ) or Neil LeVang (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir7fjfqzcOM).

Anyway, like most great artists, Morricone borrowed from various sources to create his own unique style. Even Mozart, whose style many people would nowadays describe as very "pure", was accused by contemporary critics of being too eclectic.

don't remember exactly if it was a bio, and interview or something else, no ok wait now i remember, it was from the book "Superonda Storia segreta della musica italiana" by Valerio Mattioli (a recent book about the sperimental/pop music scene in Italy, tightly connected with the Darmstadt School and John Cage for the later, influecend by for the second), though in the book it is clear that Morricone and Leone never shared much during their childhood (they saw each other again after 25 years from those school days), and actually they came back together almost by chance also because Leone had different ideas about the music that Morricone provided for another movie, Gunfight at Red Sands/Gringo (Duello del Texas), music he utterly disliked, but probably neither Morricone cared much since he used a moniker.

Actually, in the 1960s Morricone joined the experimental improvisation ensemble "Nuova Consonanza" where he played trumpet and flute: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruppo_di_Improvvisazione_Nuov...

He was very well aware of the contemporary classical/experimental music scene and you can hear the influence in his scores.