The Essential Henry Mancini

by Henry Mancini

Overview

Henry Mancini's many movie and television scores and themes were so omnipresent in the 1960s and 1970s that it's easy to forget why exactly that was so -- he wrote, scored and arranged pieces that were so memorable, sweeping and instantly recognizable that they were able to step out of their cinematic settings and straight on to pop radio. That's an impressive feat, and Mancini did it several times with absolutely timeless and classic themes like "Moon River," "The Pink Panther Theme," "Peter Gunn," and "Baby Elephant Walk," each of which is instantly recognizable even if the listener has no clue what film or show it was originally embedded in. In all, Mancini won 20 Grammys, four Oscars and a Golden Globe, and he sold a ton of records, which made him the move score version of a superstar -- he did it by crafting subtly kinetic and rhythmic melodies and then placing them in huge, lush and jazz-inflected settings, but somehow still keeping the gist of it concise and digestible enough that everything came across fresh and alive in a quick two minutes on the radio. It's difficult to imagine anyone ever doing it as well and pervasively again. Yes, Mancini belonged to a certain era near the close of the 20th century, but the best of his themes have long since escaped that box and entered world culture as musical touchstones. This two-disc, 36 track set features the very best of Mancini's film and television work, and after listening to it, one will be amazed at how many of these pieces are already deep inside personal memory, even if the films and shows they came from aren't. It's the musical equivalent of a hat trick. ~ Steve Leggett

Product Details

Release Date:	06/21/2024
UPC:	8436569195888
Rank:	2930

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Henry Mancini   Primary Artist,Piano,Soloist,Conductor
Henry Mancini & His Orchestra & Chorus   Primary Artist
Henry Mancini & His Orchestra   Primary Artist
National Philharmonic Orchestra   Primary Artist
Ramon Rivera   Congas
Shelly Manne   Drums
Ted Nash   Flute,Sax (Alto)
James Galway   Flute
Larry Bunker   Marimba,Vibraphone
Clare Fischer   Organ,Soloist
Ronny Lang   Flute (Alto),Sax (Baritone)
Rowland "Rolly" Bundock   Bass
Bob Bain   Bass,Guitar
Rod McKuen   Vocals
Pete Candoli   Trumpet
Ralph Grierson   Organ,Piano,Soloist
Art Pepper   Clarinet
John Williams   Piano,Harpsichord
Richard Taylor "Dick" Nash   Trombone
Lola Albright   Vocals
Plas Johnson   Saxophone

Technical Credits

Jennifer Liebeskind   Product Development
Leslie Collman-Smith   Marketing
Don Black   Composer
Tammy Van Aken   Package Manager
Scott Farthing   Marketing
Didier Deutsch   A&R
Rod McKuen   Composer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Leslie Bricusse   Composer
Ray Evans   Composer
Nino Rota   Composer
Henry Mancini   Arranger,Composer
Maria Triana   Mastering
Paul Francis Webster   Composer
Jay Livingston   Composer
David Foil   Product Development
Roxanne Slimak   Art Direction
Jackson Braider   Liner Notes