Today, we celebrate the music of John Williams, who provides soundtracks to the present generation, and before that, George Gershwin ruled the world via musicals. But back in the 60s, it was maestro Henry Mancini who ruled the sounds on the silver screen. This 9 disc collection has the music that not only worked for movies, but was able to make the rare transition into pop music as well.
Most famously associated with the films of Blake Edwards, Mancini is here in all his glory with hip and stylish songs from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and The Pink Panther series, with that classic sax solo by Plas Johnson evoking images of Peter Sellars. Outside of Edwards, you also get wonderful charismatic moods from Charade and Oklahoma Crude, but everyone is going to have a personal guilty pleasure. It’s hard to beat “Moon River,” here delivered by a vocal chorus, and of course the irresistible “Elephant Walk.” Because of the completeness of this boxed set, you’re going to come across soundtracks to films that you may have either forgotten about, or never heard of. Underrated to the core is the one from Arabesque that featured the electric team of Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren, and the music is as catchy and suave as anything Mancini did at the time. Even movies that were lovable losers like “What Did You Do In The War, Daddy?” were filled with bon mots of wonderful tunes and themes. Because of the time period, you get some swinging big band charts from Tiffany’s, suave keyboard swing in Two For The Road, as well as lots of cha-chas and mambos all over the place. Mancini had an incredible ability to make a piece of music sound simultaneously hip, suave and nostalgic.The music throughout the collection perfectly suited the mix of light-heartedness and escapism that helped fight against the turbulent decade.
Few composers have a way to connect with the listening world. Jobim had it, Gershwin had it. This box set is a glorious testimony that Mancini had it as well.
Legacy Recordings